The legacy of former teacher and coach Jim “Slim” Simmons will be honored by the newly formed Simmons Strong Foundation.
Simmons, who passed away in March 2021 after a decade-long battle with bladder cancer, was a former baseball and softball coach at Statesboro High School. He began his coaching career in Effingham County at Effingham County High School, where he was an assistant coach from 1990-93, and a head coach from 1994-2005. He led the Rebels to the state playoffs five times, advancing to the Sweet 16 in his final season with them.
Simmons was inducted into the Effingham County Sports Hall of Fame in March 2020, and was on hand to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at Rebel Field for a game in which the Rebels wore jerseys that read “Simmons Strong” on the back.
Simmons was head coach for the Statesboro baseball team from 2006 until he retired after the 2019-20 season due to his health. In addition to being head baseball coach, Simmons was the head softball coach from 2009-19, and helped lead the Lady Blue Devils to four straight state playoff appearances.
Former SHS principal Chad Prosser remembered the coach fondly.
“Jim was one of the most engaging personalities that I ever had the pleasure of knowing,” he said. “Outside of my immediate family and maybe one or two other people, he has had more of an influence on who I am today than anyone. His students, players and coworkers all are better for knowing him.”
Like their Rebel counterparts, players at Statesboro High wanted to honor their coach about a year and a half ago, so the team at that time donned rubber bracelets that read “Strong Like Simmons.” This led to the name taken by the foundation, according to Greg McMullen, a lifelong friend of Simmons.
“Jim was my Georgia Southern baseball teammate,” McMullen said. “Slimmy’s spirit, leadership and courage impacted countless lives through his role as a respected teacher, valued colleague, dynamic coach, trusted teammate, caring friend and devoted family man. Jim was many things to many people, and it is a privilege to be involved in the founding of the Simmons Strong Foundation to extend his legacy.”
McMullen said the goal of the foundation is to make continuing positive contributions while remembering Simmons as a “man who made a real difference in his community.”
The foundation will provide scholarships for local high school and college student-athletes who exemplify the values by which Simmons lived his life. It will also eventually help to provide assistance to people in the community with their own cancer diagnosis.
McMullen says the scholarship committee is being organized currently, and the details of how and when the scholarships will be provided are being ironed out. The committee will include people representing Effingham and Statesboro.
“I would imagine it will be meaningful. I feel sure we’re going to raise a pretty good bit of money over the portion of the project, and our goal is to make it annually, have it be an annual thing,” he said.
In the meantime, fundraising has begun, and events have been planned to aid in that effort. On Feb. 18 at 6 p.m. at Mill Creek Park, a baseball game will be held with Statesboro High and Southeast Bulloch High going head-to-head. Another game, dubbed the Simmons Cup, will be held on April 1 at 6 p.m., at J.I. Clements Stadium. That game will see action between Statesboro and Effingham County high schools.
And on May 5, the Simmons Strong Golf Tournament will be held at Forest Heights Country Club, beginning at 8 a.m.
Volunteers and sponsorships are needed for any and all of these events, and donations will be taken at each event. Donations will be continually accepted at the foundation’s website, SimmonsStrong.org.
