For Kameron Simmonds, soccer has become more than just a game.  

It's a connection to her heritage, her family and the generations of Black athletes who paved the way before her.  

Almost a decade ago, the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup inspired her passion for the sport. Eight years later, she was competing in that same tournament, representing Jamaica and inspiring the next wave of young girls to chase their dreams. 

Growing up in a soccer-rich family, Simmonds was always surrounded by the sport. Her brother, father, grandfather and great-uncle all played internationally for Jamaica at various age groups, and her father Greg – who played professionally in the USL for almost a decade – founded Own Touch, an indoor soccer training facility in their hometown of Richmond, Virginia.  

Her connection with her Jamaican roots strengthened over time. Simmonds visits her grandparents’ farm in Jamaica at least once a year when her and her brother’s college schedules allow. She was on the island, alongside her mother and grandmother after finishing a camp with the national team in Kingston, when she received the news she made the 2023 World Cup roster. 

“We were literally on the beach, just enjoying life, and then I received that email that I was on [the roster],” Simmonds said. “It was just a full circle moment to really celebrate and feel that gratitude and excitement right on the ground in Jamaica.” 

That tournament was historic for the Reggae Girlz, who became the first Caribbean team to advance to the knockout rounds in just their second Women’s World Cup. After earning draws against powerhouses France and Brazil and securing a 1-0 win over Panama, the team fell 1-0 to Colombia in the Round of 16. Simmonds made her debut in the second group stage match, with her father and grandmother watching from the stands in Australia. 

Beyond the competition, Simmonds’ international journey was also about sisterhood. She shared her World Cup experience with FSU teammate, Solai Washington, and she has also competed for Jamaica with two other fellow Seminoles, Jody Brown and Mimi Van Zanten, and Washington’s older sister Giselle, who played beside Simmonds while at Tennessee.  

Being part of Jamaica’s historic run with those teammates allowed her to embrace her identity in ways that aren’t always possible at school or elsewhere. 

“We’re able to create a relationship and chemistry here [in college] and then get to travel to all these amazing places together, share these incredible experiences and also develop because we all have the same common goal [of playing professionally],” Simmonds said. “It’s great to have people around me that have the same interests and similar backgrounds. Being a woman of color, it’s kind of hard to find that in a lot of spaces.”

That sense of community carried into the following summer when Simmonds joined Richmond Ivy for its inaugural season in the USL W League. The experience was personal – not only did she reunite with former Richmond Academy teammates, but she carried on a family legacy. Her father played for the Richmond Kickers in 2003, and her brother, Nick, competed as a USL Academy signing with the Kickers in 2023. 

The Ivy had a historic first season and won the W League 2024 New Organization of the Year award. Simmonds finished the season with one goal and two assists, and she was a part of the starting lineup in the Ivy’s sold-out home opener where 6,000 fans at City Stadium witnessed the team earn its first-ever win.