Jamal Lis-Simmons Comes Full Circle at New Paltz
NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – Although he stands unofficially as the oldest active player in NCAA Division III men’s soccer, senior defender Jamal Lis-Simmons (Highland, N.Y./Highland) has rediscovered a piece of his youth at the State University of New York at New Paltz.
The 29-year-old defender is making his second go-round in collegiate soccer. Already grateful for the second chance, Lis-Simmons found an even greater surprise when he returned for his senior season in the blue and orange. The Highland, N.Y., native’s lifelong soccer mentor, Gene Ventriglia, had been hired as the team’s new head coach in November of 2010.
“The opportunity to play with Gene Ventriglia, who’s my original travel soccer coach and in my backyard, has really just been a great opportunity,” said Lis-Simmons. “He really helped take my soccer game to the next level.”
Lis-Simmons first played for Ventriglia when he was 10 years old, competing for the Newburgh Blast travel team. The team eventually became Hudson Valley United, and Lis-Simmons stuck with it and Ventriglia right up until college.
“I’ve coached Jamal all my life,” said Ventriglia. “He’s almost like a third son to me.”
Ventriglia admitted that Lis-Simmons’ presence on the roster made the job more appealing for the first-year head coach. After starting just one game during the 2010 season, Lis-Simmons has been given a lot more playing time under Ventriglia’s management.
“Gene’s come in, and I have a much more defined role. I’ve started and played just about every minute on the field,” said Lis-Simmons. “I’ve been able to lead by example a lot more and kind of be another voice to these kids.”
Ventriglia said that Lis-Simmons has acted like another coach for the team and believes he could be one in the future for the Hawks.
“They frown upon a young man that graduates from school coming right back and coaching, but he’s not your typical 22-, 21-year-old; he’s got it all together,” said Ventriglia. “You’re going to have to go far to find someone that would fit the bill better than Jamal.”
Lis-Simmons actually expected to be an assistant coach when he first planned on joining the Hawks. He met former head coach Eric Watson while playing in a men’s league prior to the 2010 season. The two discussed the possibility of Lis-Simmons coming on to help him out.
“When [Watson] originally talked to me, he actually asked me about possibly being his assistant coach,” said Lis-Simmons. “He found out that I had some eligibility left and really got the ball rolling.”
Lis-Simmons actually had two years of NCAA eligibility left after departing from the University at Albany, an NCAA Division I school, after his sophomore season.
After starting all 18 games and accumulating 14 points off six goals and two assists in his first season with the Great Danes, Lis-Simmons was nominated for America East Rookie of the Year.
The next season, the team had a new coach who brought in his own recruits, causing some big changes for Lis-Simmons and other returning players.
“There was some stuff specific to soccer that was just kind of uncomfortable. It wasn’t like freshman year,” he said. “I kind of just needed a change.”
After leaving Albany following the 2001 season, he did some traveling and stayed on the West Coast for a while before returning home to Highland. Back home, he started working full time, putting soccer on the backburner for a while.
He returned to his old stomping grounds at Highland High School during his break from organized soccer. He found out that some of his former teammates’ little brothers were playing for the school’s varsity team, but they were without a coach.
“A couple of my good friends’ younger brothers were seniors and didn’t have a coach,” said Lis-Simmons. “I wrote a letter to the AD, and I was lucky enough to get the gig.”
He said he felt like he was coaching his own younger brothers during his three seasons with Highland. Once his playing career comes to an end, he said he would definitely be interested in going back to coaching.
“I feel fortunate to have had the quality coaches that I’ve had,” he said. “I felt kind of an obligation to give back.”
Lis-Simmons spoke about some of his other coaches, especially his father. Lorenzo Simmons was his son’s first coach, setting the stage for the rest of his athletic career.
“He had me playing against kids who were a lot older than me from a very young age,” said Lis-Simmons of his father. “He really instilled in me that it didn’t matter who these people were, what their accolades were, where they came from. A basketball is the same no matter where you’re playing basketball. A soccer ball is the same no matter where you’re playing soccer.”
Lis-Simmons was a three-sport athlete during his youth. In addition to soccer, he was a varsity basketball and baseball player in high school. He was honored as Player of the Year for basketball his senior season, as well as First-Team honors for soccer and baseball.
Though he does not play much basketball anymore, Lis-Simmons still plays competitive baseball in the Hudson Valley National Adult Baseball Association, a wood-bat league located in Dutchess County. This past spring, he batted .300 in 12 games and made nine appearances as a pitcher.
“I would say I’m a sports junkie; I love it all,” said Lis-Simmons. “But there’s something about soccer that always runs through my blood.”
Not to be forgotten is that Lis-Simmons’ return to school gives him the opportunity to graduate and earn a degree. He is currently a history major at New Paltz and said he may decide to come back for education after graduation.
Lis-Simmons currently works at the Astor Day Treatment Center in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., an alternative school for behavioral and emotional needs children.
“These are kids that need a lot of attention; a lot of them have been through different traumatic experiences in their life,” he said. “It can be very challenging at times, but very rewarding at the same time.”
Coach Ventriglia admires the work that Lis-Simmons does at Astor Day and is proud of his commitment to the job, the team and his education.
“He comes to practice at seven in the morning, finishes practice, goes to work for a whole day, comes back, goes to classes, then has to take care of his homework,” said Ventriglia. “That’s tremendous!”
His busy schedule has not slighted his play on the field one bit. Ventriglia says that he has been so impressed with Lis-Simmons lately that he has contemplated moving him up to the offense to give him more chances to score.
Lis-Simmons said that he gets along great with his teammates, and he loves that they all share a strong passion for the game.
“They love to compete, they love to play, and that’s really all I’m about,” he said.
Despite this being his final season playing NCAA soccer, Lis-Simmons is without any personal goals the rest of the way. He just wants to win, and he is contributing as a shutdown defender for the Hawks.
“Nothing short of a title. That’s what we’re all here for,” said Lis-Simmons. “I think that the pieces are here this year for us to make a good run at it. We’re out at practice everyday, working hard, pushing each other to get better, and I think we’ll be alright.”
