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From Richmond to the World Cup, Simmonds honors family legacy during Black History Month

By De Turner, 02/14/25, 10:00AM EST

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Kameron Simmonds playing for Richmond Ivy SC in 2024.

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.  

Yet, in her pre-teen years, she had no desire to play. 

Then, when she watched the world’s best female players compete in 2015, everything changed. 

“I was loving gymnastics, I wasn’t really interested in soccer,” Simmonds said recently. “I was always around it but never really picked it up until the 2015 Women’s World Cup, where I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh. Look at these amazing women playing on the world stage in front of these huge crowds.’ That’s what really made me get into it, and as soon as I decided that, I spent all my time at my dad’s place just trying to catch up to the girls my age.” 

Simmonds poured herself into the sport over the next few years, developing her skills in ECNL before committing to the University of Tennessee and later transferring to Florida State University. Her talents took her to the international level – first with Jamaica’s U-20 team for the 2022 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship, then later that year, with her senior national team debut in a friendly against South Korea.  

It was a milestone that meant even more to Simmonds considering the sacrifices made by those before her. 

“Just going back a couple generations, my grandfather’s mother was in Jamaica, and she left her family and moved to the U.S. and was trying to make any type of money and any type of opportunity to bring her family over to the States,” she said. “Her opening that door created this opportunity for me. To think of my lineage and what it took to get me here is just everything.” 


Simmonds makes her debut for Jamaica in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.


Simmonds with her father and grandmother at the World Cup.

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.”


Solai Washington and Simmonds at the World Cup.


Simmonds and Solai and Giselle Washington.


Solai Washington and Simmonds at the World Cup.

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.   


Simmonds at Richmond Ivy SC's home opener in 2024.

For Simmonds, returning to Richmond was more than just joining a summer league during her college offseason. It was about giving back to the community that shaped her and inspiring the next generation of girls in the game, just as she had once been inspired. 

“I give everything, all my development and my experiences to Richmond,” Simmonds said. “So, the opportunity to play at City Stadium with some of the girls that I grew up playing with... and all three of us [in my family] being able to play in that stadium and score some goals, it was major.” 

“I owe so much to [Richmond] for my accomplishments and the player that I am, the person that I am. Just to be home and know so many faces in the crowd, [to see] younger girls that have been following me but have never really seen me play in person, that was special.” 

During Black History Month, Simmonds’ story serves as a testament to the resiliency, legacy and excellence of Black athletes in soccer. From honoring those before her to paving the way for those after her, she embodies what it means to uplift and inspire in the Black community. 


Simmonds signs autographs after Richmond Ivy's home opener.

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