Simone Charley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Simone Charley

Charley with Canberra United in 2019
Personal information
Full name	Simone Naomi Charley
Date of birth	(1995-02-04) February 4, 1995 (age 30)
Place of birth	Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Team information
Current team	Orlando Pride
Number	18
Youth career
2009–2012	Spain Park High School
	Birmingham Legends
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2013–2017	Vanderbilt Commodores	76	(25)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2019–2021	Portland Thorns	30	(5)
2019–2020	→ Canberra United (loan)	11	(5)
2021–2023	Angel City	22	(2)
2024–	Orlando Pride	0	(0)
International career
2017	United States U23
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of April 11, 2023

Simone Naomi Charley, born on February 4, 1995, is an American professional soccer player. She plays as a forward for the Orlando Pride team in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).

Simone was a talented athlete who played two sports in college: soccer and track and field. She played for Vanderbilt University. Before joining Orlando Pride, she played for other teams like Portland Thorns FC, Angel City FC, and Canberra United FC in Australia.

Early Life and Sports Talent

Simone Charley was born in Boston, Massachusetts. She grew up in Hoover, Alabama. Her family comes from Montserrat. Simone grew up in a sports-loving family. Her older sister, Nicole, was a triple jumper at Auburn University. Her older brother, Myles, was a triple and long jumper at Troy University. Her cousin, Damian, played American football at Vanderbilt University.

Simone is a natural athlete herself. She was excellent in both soccer and track and field during high school and college. In high school, she won nine state championships in both sports. She was named the 2011 state Gatorade Player of the Year for soccer. In 2012, she was named Birmingham News Female Athlete of the Year. Simone also did very well in her studies.

College Sports Career

Simone Charley attended Vanderbilt University for five years. During her time there, she was a student-athlete. She played for the Vanderbilt Commodores in soccer, indoor track, and outdoor track. Because of her amazing athletic career, Simone was named to the 2019 Southeastern Conference Class of Women's Legends. While at Vanderbilt, she earned two degrees. She got a bachelor's degree in psychology and sociology. She also earned a master's degree in medicine, health, and society.

Playing College Soccer (2013–2017)

During her soccer career at Vanderbilt, Simone played in 76 games. She scored 25 goals and made 18 assists. In her first year (2013), she led her team in points and goals. She was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. She also made the SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll.

In her second year, she again led her team in goals. She was named to the First Team All-SEC. She also made the Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll. In 2015, she was named to the All-South Region First Team and Second Team All-SEC. Simone took a break from soccer in 2016. She returned for her senior year in 2017. She finished that year as the team leader in points. She was named to the Second Team All-SEC and All-Southeast Region. She also made the Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll.

Competing in College Track and Field (2014–2017)

While at Vanderbilt, Simone also competed in track and field. She specialized in the triple jump during both indoor and outdoor seasons. In her first indoor season, she set the second-best triple jump mark in Vanderbilt's history. This jump was 41 feet, 8.50 inches.

She broke her own school record in the 2014 outdoor season. She jumped 43 feet, 2.50 inches, which was her best jump at the time. She just missed qualifying for the IAAF World Championship by one centimeter. She finished her first year named to the 2014 Outdoor NCAA Second-Team All-American. She also made the 2014 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team.

During her second year, she again broke her own indoor and outdoor school records. She jumped 43 feet, 5.25 inches indoors and 43 feet, 8.55 inches outdoors. Her indoor jump was the fifth best nationally at the time. This earned her All-SEC honors. Simone also earned NCAA First-Team All-American honors for both her indoor and outdoor 2015 seasons.

She earned these double NCAA First Team All-American honors again in her junior 2016 seasons. She also broke her personal and school records again. She jumped 44 feet indoors and 45 feet, 2.75 inches outdoors. Her final track season was the 2017 indoor season. Here, Simone again broke her school and personal record with a triple jump of 44 feet, 5.25 inches. She finished her last season earning a third straight indoor NCAA First Team All-American honor.

Professional Soccer Career

Playing for Portland Thorns (2019–2021)

Simone Charley was not chosen in the 2018 NWSL College Draft. However, the Portland Thorns FC team picked her up. She joined their practice squad in 2018. She was officially signed by the team in May 2019. Simone made her first start for Thorns FC on May 25, 2019. This game was against Sky Blue FC. She helped her team by providing two assists in her second start against the Chicago Red Stars.

Simone scored her first professional goal during the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup. She scored a second goal during the 2020 NWSL Fall Series. On October 30, 2020, Thorns FC offered Simone a new contract. On January 29, 2021, Thorns FC announced they had signed Simone to a two-year contract.

Simone scored five goals in 19 games during the 2021 season. This was tied for the second-most goals on the team with Christine Sinclair.

Loan to Canberra United FC (2019–2020)

After the 2019 season, Thorns FC loaned Simone to an Australian team. This team was Canberra United FC in the Australian W-League. While playing for Canberra United, Simone scored five goals in 11 games.

Playing for Angel City FC (2021–2023)

On December 8, 2021, Thorns FC traded Simone Charley and another player, Tyler Lussi, to Angel City FC. In return, Thorns FC received money and a draft pick.

In her 2022 season, Simone scored two goals in regular season games. She also scored one goal in the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup. She played in 23 games overall. She also caused two penalties for her team.

On April 11, 2023, Angel City announced sad news. Simone had injured her left Achilles tendon during a game against Orlando Pride on April 2. This injury meant she would miss the rest of the season. On January 22, 2024, Angel City announced that Simone would not be returning to the club.

Joining Orlando Pride (2024–)

On January 24, 2024, Orlando Pride announced they had signed Simone Charley. She signed a two-year contract with the team. On March 10, 2024, Orlando Pride announced more unfortunate news. Simone had injured her Achilles tendon again, this time in her right foot. This happened during preseason training. She was placed on the season-ending injury list for the 2024 season.

Personal Life

Simone Charley was chosen as the vice president of the NWSL Players Association in 2024. This group helps represent the players in the league.

Career Statistics

College Summary

Club Summary

Honors and Awards

Portland Thorns FC

• International Champions Cup: 2021
• NWSL Shield: 2021
• NWSL Challenge Cup: 2021

Orlando Pride

• NWSL Shield: 2024
• NWSL Championship: 2024

See also

In Spanish: Simone Charley para niños