Steinhoff Maties Cricket player Kyle Simmonds is turning his dreams into reality one step at a time.

Simmonds is a second-year student-athlete at Stellenbosch University and has established himself as one the brightest cricket stars in Matieland. Simmonds is not only a key player in the Maties and Boland set-up, but has also made his Cape Cobras debut and recently played for the South African Emerging side after spending time at the SA Cricket Academy.

Simmonds was also selected for the Stellenbosch Kings to play in the Global T20 competition (which has now been postponed to next year). 

Things are happening fast for sure and Simmonds is making the most of each opportunity.

“I arrived at the National Academy a month late due to exams so I had mixed feelings about how the time spent in Pretoria would go for me. Joining teammates who had been working with a tough fitness and skills programme for a month already left me a bit behind, but I went with an open mind and this helped me to catch up quickly. I ended up learning a lot from my time spent at the Academy,” said Simmonds.

“As a group we put in a lot of hard work in the three weeks leading up to our tour to Zimbabwe and it was this hard work that got me ready from a skills as well as a mental toughness point of view. We always talk about taking every chance we get when we walk out on the field and I'm just happy that I made the most of my time in Zimbabwe.”

According to Simmonds the move from Natal to the Western Cape is paying off big time for him in pursuing his goals. He came to Maties with the aim of focusing on his studies, but always had the goal of pursuing a career on the cricket field. 

"My dad always says one should take things day by day and I think this keeps me from looking too far ahead in the future. But I am very happy with how my career seems to be taking shape.”

Simmonds admits that being a student-athlete is daunting. “I'll be honest in saying that I am still trying to find an answer to the question of achieving a balance between cricket and studies that doesn't leave me a little stressed! I do try to put in a little bit of work every time I get the chance rather than sitting down for five hours trying to catch up on everything at once. The help and support I receive from lecturers and Maties Sport are greatly appreciated.”

Simmonds fully appreciates every opportunity he gets and believes humbleness and hard work are important ingredients for success. 

“I want to make sure I am fully prepared and ready to make the most of the season to come. I want to continue my hard work in the nets in preparation for any games that I might play, ensuring that I am ready for any opportunities and hopefully having a better season than the one before. I want to prove to myself and to anyone watching that I am ready for the life of a professional sportsman.”