Having fun and keeping busy is something that senior Jocie Simmons knows all too well. Jocie has played four sports through highschool and will continue her last season highschool soccer this Spring. Growing up Jocie has always been involved with sports staying active but soccer is something special to her as she has been playing for 12 years now.
After high school Jocie plans on attending Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction where she will pursue a degree in Nursing. Jocie has always been a hard worker in and out of school; she’s been able to find that meeting point to keep her on constantly on track. She says, “I have stayed on track with school being a student athlete by using my offblocks to my advantage. I do most if not all of my homework on off blocks if I didn’t finish an assignment in class.”
Thorough highschool career she has played soccer all four years, softball for two, swim for one year, and cross country for one. Playing soccer is second nature to Jocie and she has been the Varsity captain for three years now. “Becoming a team captain was so beyond exciting but also nerve wracking for me. I was a sophomore on a team that was made primarily of seniors and I felt like that made me less deserving. Regardless of that fear I knew the responsibility I had and I wanted to lead the team in the best way that I could. I’m blessed to have had the opportunity and it still excites me to this day.” Jocie constantly is working her hardest and making sure that her team is working as hard as she is. She’s encouraging and uplifting but won’t hesitate to make sure you’re doing what you should be. Being the team captain comes with a lot of responsibilities but somehow Jocie seems to make it look easy.
Jocie moved to Frederick her sophomore year and immediately felt welcomed through the girls soccer program. “I love playing soccer for the school because it has allowed me to build relationships with people I go to school with. I was new to the school my sophomore year and through the team I was able to meet a group of girls where we all had something in common. I also love my teammates, the girls truly make it everything.”
With being team captain it comes with making sure the team is running smoothly. Jocie has always prioritized getting to know new girls and making them feel welcome and making sure that everyone feels comfortable and is having fun. “The key aspects to a team are trust, communication, and cooperation. They all work hand in hand with each other. It’s a saying that if you wanna go fast you go alone and if you wanna go far you go together and i believe in that wholeheartedly. Having trust in your teammates leads to better communication and better communication leads to better cooperation.”
Outside of school and off the field Jocie loves to do anything outdoors like hiking, snowboarding, lake days, camping, and really anything that has to do with being outdoors. Jocie is able to run her team, go to school, and still have time for herself and others that she loves. Jocie is a very outgoing and bubbly person who is amazing to be around as you can’t not laugh when you’re around her. If you want to see Jocie doing what she does, girls soccer season is coming up and she will be there to show up and show out.
