Simone Charley facts for kids
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Charley with Canberra United in 2019
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Simone Naomi Charley | ||
| Date of birth | February 4, 1995 | ||
| 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 is a talented athlete who played two sports in college: soccer and track and field, at Vanderbilt University. Before joining Orlando Pride, she played for other NWSL teams like Portland Thorns FC and Angel City FC. She also played for the Australian club Canberra United FC.
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Early Life and Sports Talent
Simone Charley was born in Boston, Massachusetts. She grew up in Hoover, Alabama. Her family has a strong sports background. Her older sister, Nicole, was a triple jumper at Auburn University. Her older brother, Myles, was a triple jumper 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 these two 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 Journey
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 sports career, Simone was honored in 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.
Soccer Success at Vanderbilt
During her college 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. 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 final 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.
Track and Field Achievements
While at Vanderbilt, Simone also competed in track and field. She specialized in the triple jump for both indoor and outdoor seasons. In her first indoor season, she set the second-best triple jump mark in Vanderbilt's history. She broke her own school record in 2014 during the outdoor season. She almost qualified for the IAAF World Championship.
Simone was named to the 2014 Outdoor NCAA Second-Team All-American. She also made the 2014 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team. In her second year, she broke her own indoor and outdoor school records again in the triple jump. She earned All-SEC honors for her indoor performance. Simone also earned NCAA First-Team All-American honors for both her indoor and outdoor seasons in 2015.
She repeated these honors in her junior year, 2016. She also broke her personal and school records again. Her final track season was the 2017 indoor season. She broke her school and personal record one more time in the triple jump. She finished her last season earning her 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 invited her to join their practice squad in 2018. She officially signed with the team in May 2019. Simone made her first start for the Thorns on May 25, 2019. She provided two assists in her second start.
Simone scored her first professional goal during the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup. She scored another goal during the 2020 NWSL Fall Series. In January 2021, the Thorns signed Simone to a new two-year contract. In the 2021 season, Simone scored five goals in 19 games. This tied her for second-most goals on the team with Christine Sinclair.
Loan to Canberra United (2019–2020)
After the 2019 NWSL season, the Portland Thorns loaned Simone to Canberra United FC. This is an Australian team in the W-League. While playing for Canberra United, Simone scored five goals in 11 games.
Time with Angel City FC (2021–2023)
On December 8, 2021, the Thorns traded Simone Charley to Angel City FC. In her 2022 season with Angel City, Simone scored two regular-season goals. She also scored one goal in the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup. She played in 23 games overall.
On April 11, 2023, Angel City announced that Simone had injured her left Achilles tendon. This happened during a game on April 2. She was placed on the team's season-ending injury list. In January 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 to a two-year contract. However, on March 10, 2024, Orlando Pride announced that Simone had injured her right Achilles tendon during preseason training. This was her second Achilles injury in less than a year. 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.
Career Statistics
College Summary
| Team | Season | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | ||
| Vanderbilt Commodores | 2013 | Div. I | 17 | 5 |
| 2014 | 19 | 9 | ||
| 2015 | 21 | 7 | ||
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2017 | 19 | 4 | ||
| Total | 76 | 25 | ||
Club Summary
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Playoffs | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Portland Thorns | 2019 | NWSL | 11 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | ||
| 2020 | — | 6 | 1 | — | 4 | 1 | 10 | 2 | ||||
| 2021 | 19 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 24 | 6 | |||
| Total | 30 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 45 | 8 | ||
| Canberra United (loan) | 2019–20 | W-League | 11 | 5 | — | — | — | 11 | 5 | |||
| Angel City FC | 2022 | NWSL | 20 | 2 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 23 | 3 | ||
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| Total | 22 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 3 | ||
| Orlando Pride | 2024 | NWSL | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 63 | 12 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 81 | 16 | ||
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
