December Newsletter 2025

Welcome to the Kings Hammer December Newsletter! This edition features our Happy Holidays From Kings Hammer Cincinnati, Players Come Together to Benefit Toys for Tots, From the National Technical Desk: “School‑Year Age Groups: Prepared, Player‑First, and Ready”, 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.

Happy Holidays From Kings Hammer Cincinnati!

As our Fall Season comes to an end, we want to reflect on the hard work, development, and teamwork shown by our players, coaches, and families. It’s been an exciting season, and we are incredibly grateful for the dedication and support from our entire Kings Hammer Cincinnati community.

Thank you for being such an important part of this journey. From all of us at Kings Hammer Cincinnati, we wish you a wonderful holiday season. We look forward to seeing everyone back on the field in the new year for more soccer ahead!

Last Call for Winter Camp Registration

Don’t miss your chance to secure your spot at one of our upcoming 2025 Winter Camp Series happening December 29th and 30th! Looking a fun way to keep your skills sharp this holiday break? Check out our offerings below!

Winter Skills Camp (U8-U12) is a 2-day technical camp being held at FX Performance in Blue Ash, OH and Town & Country in Wilder, KY. Field players will participate in our Skills School for the first hour, with a curriculum focused on ball manipulation, dribbling moves, passing and receiving techniques to help you improve your confidence as a player. During the second hour, the players will transition into finishing activities and small-sided games. This FUN fast-paced camp offers 1000’s of touches on the ball and plenty of technical skill repetition in pressurized situations and small-sided games. Learn more here.

Winter GK Clinic (U10-U14) is the perfect way for goalkeepers to work with Kings Hammer GK Union Staff to shake off the holiday rust and perfect their foundational skills. Our technically focused clinics will provide high-quality training at an intense pace to help you get ready for post-holiday break training. Each session will put goalkeepers in functional situations with an emphasis on technical proficiency and sharpness while following a progressive session model. Learn more here.

High-School GK Clinic (U14-U19) allows players improving their skills as they work with our Kings Hammer GK Union Staff. Our technically focused clinics will provide high-quality training at an intense pace to help you get ready for post-holiday break training. Session topics for this camp 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. Learn more here.

Click here for more information & to register for our 2025 Winter Camps

Kings Hammer Elite Boys Rock the MLS Next Fest

This month, our Kings Hammer Cincinnati Elite boys teams headed out to Mesa, AZ to participate in the MLS Next Fest for the first time. While there, every team, from our 2013s to 2007/08s, put their best foot forward. Our 2012 boys returned to Cincinnati as Champions, and our 2013 boys came back as finalists. We are very proud of the results our guys delivered in Arizona. Congratulations on a great event, guys!

Kings Hammer Elite Girls Shake Up the GA Winter Showcase

Our Elite Girls headed out west to Norco, CA to participate in the GA Winter Showcase for the first time ever! Our ladies showed up ready to bring the heat, with our 2007/08 team going undefeated, and our 2009 team going 2-0-1 for the weekend. The girls also enjoyed some team bonding on the west coast, taking in the sights and enjoying some yummy food. Way to go, ladies!

Players Come Together to Benefit Toys for Tots

This month, our club partnered with Toys for Tots Cincinnati to give back and make a meaningful impact on children in our local community. Coaches were able to organize toy drop-off times during their practices for our Academy & Elite programs. We’re so excited to share that we’ve collected 160+ toys to donate this month to Toys for Tots! We are grateful to be able to help support our community during this time of year, and we are so appreciative to each player and family who donated to make this happen!

Mollee, Riley, and Khloe are Called Up!

A huge congratulations to Mollee, Riley, and Khloe of our Kings Hammer Cincinnati Elite Girls program on their invitations to the USYNT ID Center in Indianapolis! We’re so proud of each of you, and excited to see you receive this exciting opportunity!

Off the Pitch: Jude Kaiser Crushes his First XC Season!

KHPA NKY B14 player Jude Kaiser isn’t just quick on the soccer field, he’s also a XC runner who’s going the distance! This year, Jude participated in his first year of cross country. After an awesome season, he went on to compete and win the Kentucky State Championship for runners aged 11. He then advanced to compete in Nationals in Tennessee and placed 6th, earning All-American Honors. Congratulations on such an incredible accomplishment, Jude!

From the National Technical Desk: “School‑Year Age Groups: Prepared, Player‑First, and Ready”

Beginning with the 2026/27 season, U.S. youth soccer’s leagues and governing bodies will move from a birth‑year system (Jan 1–Dec 31) to a school‑year system (Aug 1–Jul 31), designed to reduce “trapped player” scenarios and let more kids play alongside school‑grade peers.

At Kings Hammer, we’ve planned for this change and will evaluate every player, team, and location to ensure the best environment for individual growth. We have always been about the player, and we are prepared to ensure that this continues to ring true!

Player Benefits

Fewer disruptions → Reduced 8th‑grade and senior‑year “trapped player” issues.
Play with classmates → Stronger team chemistry, higher enjoyment, better retention.
Smarter environments → More consistent social/physical maturity within age bands, clearer progression.
Flexible pathways → Players may remain aligned with their birth year or gain another competitive year within their graduation‑year band—flexibility that keeps the player and environment first.
Cleaner calendar → Evaluation, tryouts, and placements align more naturally with the school year.

What to Expect (High‑Level Timeline)

Dec–Feb 2026: Baseline club communications
Feb–Apr 2026: Publish evaluation windows and birth/grad‑year sessions
May–Jun 2026: Tryout period for the 2026/27 season; player/family touchpoint; updates before decisions
May–July 2026: Final placements; school‑year bands take effect

2026/27 School‑Year Age Bands (Aug 1–Jul 31)

U8: Aug 1, 2018 – Jul 31, 2019
U9: Aug 1, 2017 – Jul 31, 2018
U10: Aug 1, 2016 – Jul 31, 2017
U11: Aug 1, 2015 – Jul 31, 2016
U12: Aug 1, 2014 – Jul 31, 2015
U13: Aug 1, 2013 – Jul 31, 2014
U14: Aug 1, 2012 – Jul 31, 2013
U15: Aug 1, 2011 – Jul 31, 2012
U16: Aug 1, 2010 – Jul 31, 2011
U17: Aug 1, 2009 – Jul 31, 2010
U18: Aug 1, 2008 – Jul 31, 2009

Our DOCs already have master documents they are working on and reviewing that show every player in our club and where they currently fall in regard to the new graduation‑year bands (Jan-July or Aug-Dec). This is helping us see the bigger picture and start planning now to elevate sessions in the spring. As always, we will do what is best to help each player thrive here at Kings Hammer and develop to their full ability. Questions should be directed first to your program’s DOC. Thanks, and I look forward to seeing all of you grow over this winter and bring it out on the fields this coming winter and spring.

Go Kings Hammer!

– Bronson Gambale KH National Technical Director

GK UNION SAVE OF THE MONTH

Practice makes perfect! Check out Brian & Savannah utilize their Kings Hammer GK Union training exercises in our November Save of the Month. From Brian being quick off his line to Savannah leaping at the precise moment, these are two saves you’ve gotta see!

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. Be sure to share throughout the upcoming 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.

TAKE OUR PARENT INSIGHT SURVEY

We want to hear from our parents! Please take a minute to complete a quick Parent Insight Survey below. Your answers will help us better understand how our club can better meet the needs of you and your family.

Click here to take the survey now!