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Academy North

About

The Kings Hammer Academy North Program is one of the highest levels of development environments in the region. The Academy Program provides elite-level coaching, facilities, and competition to its players and teams. Kings Hammer Academy has produced players that have gone on and played at the state, regional, national, collegiate, and professional levels. This program will be supported through a pathway created by the North and Sycamore communities.

Tryout FAQ’s

How do I register for tryouts?
ALL soccer-athletes MUST COMPLETE the tryout registration online before participating in the tryout process. Click here to register now!

*Please make sure that you register online at least 24 hours in advance to ensure that the soccer athlete is in the system and we have your information to notify you after the tryout process.  There is a Registration Steps document on the Tryouts page that will walk you through the process. Each soccer athlete should attend both tryout days if possible. If you are unable to attend both days please reach out to the Program Director listed below.

Birth Years for the 2022/2023 Season
For the 2022/2023 season, Kings Hammer will follow U.S Youth Soccer’s guidelines and will organize its teams by birth year:

*Interested players must register to try out for their birth year.

Can my child play up an age group?
Any player playing up will be at the discretion of their respective director. All players need to register and attend the tryout for their correct age group.

What should I wear/bring to tryouts?
Please come prepared with a fully inflated soccer ball, proper footwear, shin guards, and water. Each prospective soccer-athlete will receive one free Kings Hammer Soccer Club tryout t-shirt with a tryout identification number on the back of the t-shirt.  Each prospective player will be identified by the identification number throughout the process and MUST wear this t-shirt at each tryout session for the 2022/2023 soccer year.

We will not be able to attend tryouts or are new to the area and missed tryouts. Is there a process in place to allow for an alternate tryout?
Yes! If you are not able to attend tryouts or missed the tryout dates, please register and then contact the Director for the Program/Age Group you wish to tryout for so that arrangements can be made. We also hold supplemental tryouts throughout the year. Roster openings may be limited after the initial tryout period.

What are the differences between Academy and Premier?
Our Academy provides a highly competitive environment for higher-level soccer athletes. This program provides those athletes with the best local training offered by our qualified and professional staff. Our Academy teams play at the highest possible level providing showcase opportunities to College, Professional, and National level programs.

The Premier Program is a community-based program. The Premier Program provides the opportunity for players to play other sports or have other interests outside of soccer. This program is designed to be flexible, convenient, and affordable.

Can I try out for multiple programs?
We encourage anyone who wants to tryout for all levels to do so. Current KHSC players can ask their coach/director for guidance if they are unsure about which program to tryout for. You will need to register for each tryout separately.

If I tryout for a program and don’t make it, can I try out for another program?
Yes. If you don’t make an Academy team, we strongly encourage you to tryout for a Premier team, attending tryouts for at least one day.

If you don’t make a Premier team, the Classic Program may be an option. Contact Michelle Okumura (michelle@kingshammer.com) if you’d like to pursue this option.

Will there be more than one team in each age group?
Yes, when possible, there will be more than one team per age group, per program. It all depends on the number of players at tryouts and their skill level.

If my child doesn’t make the top team, can they move up during the year?
Yes, there may be opportunities to move up throughout the year as long as the coach/director feels it is in the best interest of the player’s development. There may also be opportunities to guest play across all levels.

What can I expect after tryouts?
After tryouts you can expect communication from the club in the form of an email.  (Please double-check that your email is correct in the PlayMetrics system, this is the email we use) This will either be an acceptance email, offering your child a position on a team, or an email letting you know that they should tryout for a different program. Players who are offered positions on a team may also receive a phone call from their coach. All communication will come within 24-48 hours of the end of the last tryout. You will then have 24 hours to either accept or decline your email before your spot is offered to another child.

What are the next steps if my child makes a team?

  1. If you are new to the club, you will receive more information regarding your uniform ordering in your confirmation email.
  2. If you are part of the Academy or Premier Programs, you will receive the link to Demosphere to register your child in the state system in your confirmation email as well.

How long is the season?

  • Academy
    • U11-U14: August-November, January-May (possible post-season in June)
    • U15-U19: November-May
  • Premier
    • U7-U14: August-October, March-May
    • U15-U19: November-December, March-May

My child is in middle school but plays on a U15 team. Will there be a fall U15 program for trapped players?
Yes, we will offer a program for trapped 8th graders for the fall season depending on interest. The program will run from August to October and is open to players that are currently in the 8th grade that will be playing on a U15 team starting in November 2022. Questions please contact:

Academy North: Ryan Handbury | ryan@kingshammer.com
Academy South Boys: James Thomas | james@kingshammer.com
Academy South Girls: Chris Black | chris@kingshammer.com
Academy Bluegrass Boys: Dan Ensley  | dan@kingshammer.com
Academy Bluegrass Girls: Megan Adkins | megan@kingshammer.com

Can a team come to the club and join as a team?
Yes! The team can join the Classic Program. For more information please reach out to Michelle Okumura at michelle@kingshammer.com.

Who is in charge of hiring coaches?
If you are interested in a coaching opportunity, please fill out the following coaching form – https://kingshammer.com/interested-in-coaching/

Program Directors:

Academy North: Ryan Handbury | ryan@kingshammer.com
Academy South Girls: Chris Black | chris@kingshammer.com
Academy South Boys: James Thomas | james@kingshammer.com
Academy Bluegrass Boys: Dan Ensley | dan@kingshammer.com
Academy Bluegrass Girls: Megan Adkins | megan@kingshammer.com
Premier Xenia: Brent Lewis | brent@kingshammer.com
Premier North: Wil Cagle | wil@kingshammer.com
Premier Sycamore: Ryan Handbury | ryan@kingshammer.com
Premier Central: Michael Ratliff | michaelr@kingshammer.com
Premier South: David Shemilt | dshemilt@kingshammer.com
Premier Versailles: Brandon Cummons | brandon@kingshammer.com
Premier Lexington: Fonyam Atanga | fonyam@kignshammer.com

ECNL Boys FAQs

Join us!
We will be hosting an ECNL Boys informational zoom meeting on Sunday, May 15th @ 8:30pm.
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4799266491

How many ECNL teams are there, and how does it alter the current academy landscape?

ECNL as a league is going to provide a high-level club vs club platform for our top two teams from 13 (2010) – 19 (2004/2005). The top teams (ECNL) will play in the Ohio Valley division of the ECNL, our second teams (ECRL) will play in the Ohio Valley Regional League. A press release formally announcing the ECRL will be forthcoming this week, and more information about specific details surrounding opponents, scheduling & events will be discussed on Sunday. Along with ECNL & ECRL, there will be Pre-ECNL for the South Academy 11s & 12s. This will be more regionally based than the full ECNL and will provide league play along with crossover events for our youngest academy players. ECNL & ECRL will provide the most competitive platform for our 13 and above players, along with ECNL programming Academy South & North will continue to provide USYS (State League, Great Lakes Conference, Buckeye etc) leagues and programs.

Where should my son tryout?

If your son currently plays within Academy 2010 and above, we would suggest signing up for and attending ECNL tryouts. If your son doesn’t make an ECNL or ECRL team he can still then attend Academy North or South tryouts.

What is the scope of travel for ECNL & ECRL?

More information surrounding divisional opponents and scheduling will be discussed on Sunday. As a rough guide ECNL travel will stretch across the Midwest, with ECNL National Events potentially stretching to the East Coast and Southern regions (Similar to current GLC travel). ECRL will be a little more centralized with a few crossover weekends further (Similar to current KPL travel).

What are the National Events and why are they important?

For all ECNL groups it provides an opportunity to match up against ECNL teams from other divisions at a centralized location. For our recruitable age groups it provides the opportunity to maximize college exposure to be seen by over 200+ scouts (AVG @ each event inclusive of NCAA, US Soccer, and MLS/USL Scouts). 13s & 14s will attend 1 or 2 events. 15s will do 2 events, generally 1 in late fall, and one in spring. 16s & 17s will do 3 events, 1 in the late fall with 2 taking place in the winter/spring. While the 19s will do 2 events 1 in the late fall, and another in the winter.

Will ECNL teams still do other Showcases, State CUP/Presidents CUP?

ECNL and ECRL teams will still do other college showcases & tournaments through the season outside of the ECNL events. While they will not do State Cup anymore, both groups will compete for the chance to go to National Playoffs and Finals in June/July. Academy South & North will continue to play within USYS leagues, and compete for State Cup & Presidents Cup.

For more general information on ECNL Boys please have a look at the below ECNL presentation.

2022-23 ECNL Boys >