Happy Holidays & Welcome to the Kings Hammer December Newsletter! This edition features Surveys Supported by Satori Soccer, Winter HS GK Camp, Winter 2 Little Lions, Two KHA Girls Named High School All-Americans, USL2 & USLW Tryouts Announced, COE 3v3 Holiday Classic, Volta Cup Cincinnati, and more! If you have a player, coach, or team to be highlighted in future newsletters, please send photos and stories to info@kingshammer.com. Each newsletter will be posted on our website as well as our social pages.

We hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season with friends and family!

Kings Hammer U7-U14 Surveys Supported by Satori Soccer

As we strive to enhance the experiences of our players and families, we’ve identified an opportunity for improvement. This season, to better measure and analyze family experiences, we’ve partnered with Satori Soccer. Satori is a nonprofit that conducts surveys, ensures the confidentiality & accuracy of those surveys, and provides analysis to help clubs measure & improve player experiences.

U7-U14 families should have received the Postseason Survey from Satori Soccer on December 13th. Thank you to everyone who has already provided feedback.

To those who received the survey but haven’t yet responded, please know the survey is easy to complete as it only takes two minutes (unless you choose to provide optional comments). This survey is confidential meaning we will not be able to tell who responded or who said what (we receive average survey scores by team). Please know it is important that every family responds as we would like to have an accurate view of the experiences on each team throughout the club. The more responses we receive, the more likely we are to make good decisions on where and how to improve. 

If you did not receive the survey, it is likely due to your email account blocking Satori’s email. To receive the survey, you can:

1. Check your Spam folder in case it landed in there
2. Whitelist Satori Soccer using these instructions (@satorisoccer.org domain and/or surveys@satorisoccer.org email address) to ensure you receive future emails from them
3. Email Satori directly (surveys@satorisoccer.org) to receive your survey link

Thank you for all you do in helping make youth soccer possible in our community. We look forward to learning from your confidential feedback and taking action to improve the club.

Winter Camps

Looking to improve your game over the winter holiday? Develop your skills with Kings Hammer Directors & Staff!

Although the Winter Skills School & Goalkeeper Camps are at capacity there are still a few spots left in the new Winter High School GK Clinic to be held on December 27th-29th at Town & Country!

During the HS GK Clinic goalkeepers will be put in functional situations with an emphasis on technical proficiency and sharpness while following a progressive session model. Session topics include Footwork & Handling w/Shot-Stopping Techniques (Diving Techniques), 1v1/Breakaways (Emphasis on Techniques – Cobra, Smother, Spread Save, K-Saves), and High Ball/Crossing Situation Techniques.

Registration is open to players from any club for HS Goalkeepers ages U15-U19 + high level U14 players. For more information and to register click the link below:

• Winter HS GK Clinic

Winter 2 Little Lions

The Winter 2 Little Lions Program is open for registration! The program will be offered for players U5(2018) thru U8(2015) at three locations beginning in January. Please see the dates, times, and locations listed below.

Our Little Lions Program is a player-centered program that focuses on technical fundamentals, age-appropriate social- emotional and cognitive skills, and fun! Each week players will participate in 1 training session, led by Kings Hammer staff.

Click the buttons below for more information and to register today!

• Club X Indoor Facility – Xenia, OH
• Town & Country – Wilder, KY
• Lexington Ice Center – Lexington, KY

Last Minute Shopping?

There’s still time to get your Kings Hammer gear! Be sure to double check your shipping options at checkout and select the appropriate level based on your location. Orders will continue to ship out this Thursday and Friday—great gift selections are still available: Kings Hammer Gifts

Two Kings Hammer Academy Girls Named High School All Americans

Congratulations to Amanda Schlueter (KH G04/05 ECNL) and CJ DeBra (KH G04/05 ECRL) for being named High School All-Americans by United Soccer Coaches!

All 143 High School All-Americans will be recognized for their accomplishments at the All-America Ceremony & Reception on Saturday, January 14th, 2023 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia in conjunction with the United Soccer Coaches Convention.

Congrats Amanda and CJ!!

USL2 & USLW Tryouts Announced

Kings Hammer FC will be hosting open tryouts on Wednesday December 28, 2022 in preparation for the summer seasons that begin in May 2023.

When: Wednesday December 28th, 2022
Where: Town & Country Sports (Wilder, Kentucky)
What: USL League Two (Men’s) and USL W League (Women’s)
Cost: $50

USL2 tryout – 11:00am-1:00pm
USLW tryout – 2:00pm-4:00pm

For more information & to register click here!

Winter COE Program & 3v3 Holiday Classic

The Winter COE Program, including the 3v3 Holiday Classic Tournament, concluded on Sunday, December 18th. We saw hundreds of players north of Cincinnati, in Wilder, KY, and down in Lexington all bundle up to come out to refine their skills and pick up some new habits on the soccer field. We emphasized playing in smaller portions of the field and how to best use dribbling and changing directions to make yourself more dangerous to the opponent. It was a blast being able to lead them through the program and being able to see them compete with those skills on Sunday. A special thanks to everyone involved for providing rides, encouragement, coaching, and so much more to help these players stay involved! We hope everyone enjoyed the event and we look forward to this event again next year. If you are looking for another winter event check out the Volta Cup Cincinnati information below! https://www.youtube.com/embed/5t6NWnHIFcA

Volta Cup Cincinnati

Registration is open for Volta Cup Cincinnati! Are you looking for an indoor event to participate in over the winter months? Kings Hammer invites you and your team to join us for the 2023 Volta Cup Cincinnati Event on January 27th-29th, 2023 at the Town & Country Athletic Center. Teams can play together in the event, mix up with friends, or can split into two teams if you have a larger roster. Each team will want 6-8 players per team as games will be 5v5. Parents are more than welcome to coach a team in the event. We are offering a special discounted entry fee of $300 PER TEAM if you register your team before December 31st! (original entry fee is $375). To receive the discount, please indicate in the notes section during registration that you are a Kings Hammer team. Registration Deadline is January 6th!

For more information on Volta Cup Cincinnati and to register click here!

We are also excited for our 2023 Events Series & look forward to seeing all of our families out at the fields this Spring!

Boys Turf Classic– March 10-12, 2023 (Cincinnati, OH) Nike Elite Spring Thaw– March 17-19, 2023 (Cincinnati, OH) Girls Turf Classic– March 24-26, 2023 (Cincinnati, OH) Triple Crown Cup– April 14-16, 2023 (Lexington, KY) Women’s Nike Blue Chip Showcase– April 21-23, 2023 (Cincinnati, OH) Men’s Nike Blue Chip Showcase– April 28-30, 2023 (Cincinnati, OH) Crown Challenge– May 12-14, 2023 (Cincinnati, OH)

Kings Hammer Holiday Food & Toy Drive

Thank you to everyone that helped contribute to the Kings Hammer Holiday Food & Toy Drive this year! This year with our help, Be Concerned expects to help nearly 1,000 families in Greater Cincinnati by providing access to food and gifts for their children on Christmas morning! If you know of any local organizations that are in need of help throughout the year, please send a note to info@kingshammer.com.

December Education: Honoring the Game by Respecting Yourself

Over the past 5 months, we have utilized the Club Newsletters to highlight how players, parents, and coaches can make our games and practices a better environment to love, learn, and share soccer by Honoring the Game – Respecting the ROOTS.  As a quick review of what has been covered since the start of the fall season: ROOTS

1. Rules: We refuse to bend and/or break the rules to win.
2. Opponents: We value and recognize that a worthy opponent brings out our best, and we take a “fierce yet friendly” attitude into competition.
3. Officials: We respect officials, even when we disagree with them.
4. Teammates: We support our teammates and never do anything to embarrass our team (on or off the field).

A great deal of the conversation has centered on two key words: HONOR and RESPECT.  As we close out our look at the ROOTS, I thought it might be helpful to put some context into these two critical words. HONOR

• to hold in great esteem
• adherence to what is right or to a conventional standard of conduct.
• fulfill (an obligation) or keep (an agreement)
• Distinction, privilege, tribute
• Honesty, uprightness, ethics, morals

RESPECT

• a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements.
• due regard for the feelings, wishes, rights, or traditions of others.
• Esteem, regard, admiration
• Consideration, thoughtfulness, attentiveness, politeness, courtesy, civility

The final piece of the ROOTS is SELF.

5. Self: We live up to our standards of Honoring the Game – even when others don’t.

In other words, Players, Parents, and Coaches should be Role Models for those around them in order to encourage and demonstrate the attitude and behavior that will result in Respect and Honor! Click here to read the full story.

GK Union Save of the Month

Congratulations to Madilyn M from KH G07 ECNL & Wyet R from KH B08 ECRL for being named the November GK Union Saves of the Month! Did you make an incredible save or a game-saving block? We want to see them! Post your best saves in the Kings Hammer GK Union Facebook group or share on Twitter using the hashtag #KingsHammer. Be sure to share throughout the spring season and YOU could be selected for our Kings Hammer Save of the Month! GK Save of the Month winners will be announced the Friday of the first full week of the following month. Monthly winners will be posted on the Kings Hammer social pages and on the GK Union page.

Content Feedback Survey

We want to hear from you! Please take a minute to complete a quick Content Feedback Survey with 9 questions. Your answers will help as we start creating content for the 2023 Season! Click here to take the survey now

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