Why Tennessee soccer players' Jamaican national team invites are special

Kameron Simmonds has spent years working toward Saturday.  

But her path to the Jamaica women's senior national team runs deeper than that – it is generations in the making. The Tennessee freshman forward is the third person in her family to represent her country in international soccer, a surreal experience for Simmonds, her father and her grandfather.  

“The love that we have for the game and each other, it's just so amazing that I get to continue that legacy within the family,” Simmonds said. “It’s something we can bond over and talk about. It's just an incredible honor.” 

Simmonds and her Tennessee teammate Giselle Washington are playing in an international friendly for Jamaica against South Korea on Saturday at the Hwaseong Sports Complex in Gyeonggi. Simmonds is making her debut with the senior team, while Washington is returning to the senior team for the first time since her 2018 debut.

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'Like no other feeling'

Patrick Simmonds’ eyes welled up with tears when he read the roster announcement on Aug. 24 and saw his granddaughter’s name. 

“It means a lot to me, but I'm 100% sure it means a lot more to my father,” said Kameron’s father, Gregory. “He’s still alive, and he's still watching. He's proud.” 

When Kameron scored her first international goals at the CONCACAF U-20 Championship in February, her father and grandfather were there to witness it.

Gregory was born in Jamaica and the Simmonds take annual trips to see his parents. It was important for Kameron and her three younger brothers to understand and feel connected to their culture.  

Gregory and his wife, Necole, felt the same family oriented values at Tennessee they instilled in their children. Washington took that a step further during Kameron’s recruitment and became a big part in why Kameron felt comfortable going to UT. 

“(We’re) big sister-little sister a little bit,” Washington said. “She's pretty young for the (Jamaican) team, too. So being able to bring her in and have her experience what I experienced … I'm so happy that she gets the opportunity as well.” 

Washington, a junior midfielder,  was 17 when she scored four goals during the 2018 CONCACAF World Cup qualifying stage, helping Jamaica qualify for its first World Cup.

Washington was a part of Jamaican history alongside former UT star Khadija Shaw, who has played a crucial role in elevating Jamaica on the international stage. Shaw – known as Bunny – has scored 54 goals in 41 games for the national team, and led Jamaica to a second World Cup qualification this summer.

“It's like no other feeling,” Washington said. “Putting on that jersey, hearing the national anthem, looking around and seeing all the fans from your country – it just makes you feel like you have something to live up to.” 

A torn ACL in May 2019 derailed Washington’s hopes of playing in the World Cup. Three years and another torn ACL later, Washington earned another opportunity. 

“(I’m) looking forward to making it full circle and getting that opportunity again, it’s exciting,” Washington said. “Honestly, just a blessing. I give all the glory to God. I honestly wasn't expecting it, but I'm so grateful for it.” 

Chasing the World Cup dream

Gregory Simmonds faced an ultimatum. 

He helped the Jamaican national team qualify for the 1998 World Cup – the only one the men’s team has appeared in. But to play fulltime and go to the World Cup, Simmonds had to drop out of college, which his parents vetoed. 

Now his daughter is chasing the dream of playing in the World Cup, and if her trajectory continues prior to the 2023 World Cup, she may accomplish what her father didn’t get to.

“Knowing that they also just qualified for the World Cup made it much more of a big deal, really, and a lot is at stake,” Kameron said. “That's the goal. So for me, knowing that that's a possibility, I'm going to work super hard for it.” 

Kameron’s international career almost didn’t happen. She  was a gymnast until a fractured elbow at the age of 11. She switched to soccer the next year and started training with her father, who still holds the record for goals scored at Howard and played professionally for a decade. 

“(Gregory) knew that soccer was his passion and his path but never wanted to push that on her,” Necole said. “So when she decided she was all in, it was pretty amazing to see the two of them together.”

Kameron wanted to go to Tennessee and be just as good, if not better, than Shaw. Her father has always been there to help.

“We share this amazing love for the game,” Kameron said. “We see each other on this level, but then at the end of the day, that's still my dad. He can still hug me and give me that love that I need sometimes ... I really wouldn't be where I am without him.”