PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Deneisha Blackwood was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and is a senior on the University of West Florida women's soccer team, as well as a member of the Jamaican women's national soccer team.
 
Blackwood made her debut for the Jamaica U17 women's national team in August of 2011, appearing in five matches.
 
"When I started playing, I realized it was something serious because this is my country that I am playing for so it has to take everything," Blackwood said.
 
Blackwood made her debut for the Jamaica women's national team on July 19, 2018, starting against Venezuela in a 2-1 defeat. Blackwood scored her first goal for Jamaica against Antigua and Barbuda in a World Cup qualifying match. She has played in six matches for the national team, and Jamaica is hoping to make the World Cup for the first time in the country's history.
 
Traveling back and forth between the United States and Jamaica can make things difficult for Blackwood when it comes to keeping up with schoolwork while also competing for her country.
 
"You have to be committed to both soccer and school at the same time so your social life is the last thing you can focus on," Blackwood said on balancing her school work with her soccer career.
 
Blackwood transferred to UWF for her junior year after playing two years at Navarro College where she was a two-time NJCAA and NSCAA All-American. In her first year at UWF Blackwood led the Argos with nine goals with three of them being game-winners.
So far this season Blackwood has played in four games scoring one goal and getting two assists.
 
"It's kind of hard when I go home and I speak in Patois because that is our language and then when I get back here I have to translate back to English," Blackwood said.
 
Blackwood joins other UWF women soccer players that have played for their national team. The list includes Shakira Duncan (Jamaica), Sashana Campbell (Jamaica), Shameka Gordon (Jamaica), Christina Murray (Jamaica), Daniela Cruz (Costa Rica), Dernelle Mascall (Trinidad and Tobago), Jessica Ebanks (Cayman Islands), and Shanice Monteith (Cayman Islands).
 
Jamaica has advanced to the final tournament of the CONCACAF World Cup qualification. They will be playing in group B with Canada, Costa Rica, and Cuba, with the top two teams advancing to the knockout stage. Group A will consist of the United States, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, and Panama.
 
The top four teams will play in the knockout stages, with the winners of the two semi-finals and the winner of the third-place playoff advancing to the World Cup. The loser of the third place play-off will have to play two legs against Argentina with the winner of that match advancing to the World Cup.
 
Blackwood will rejoin the Jamaican national team as they will play Canada on October 5, Costa Rica on October 8, and Cuba on October 11.

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