Kings Hammer Announces New Leadership and Expansion in Central Kentucky

Kings Hammer is excited to announce new leadership and expansion at Kings Hammer Bluegrass. This new leadership team will create a complete player pathway for players located in Versailles, Lexington, and surrounding counties in Central Kentucky. The team will consist of James Wray, Dan Ensley, Brandon Cummons, and Fonyam Atanga.

James Wray will continue to lead the Kings Hammer Bluegrass events: Volta Cup Lexington, Triple Crown Cup, and Battle in the Bluegrass. Kings Hammer is proud to be the only club in Central Kentucky that offers convenient event opportunities and James will look to expand and improve the event experience for all families attending Kings Hammer Bluegrass events. In addition to leading events, James will assume the position of Operations Director for Kings Hammer Bluegrass. In this new role, he will be responsible for club operations for all Kings Hammer Bluegrass programs with a focus on club growth and development, scheduling, and facility relationships. James will work to help engage and grow the sport within the local communities of Versailles and Lexington. He holds a USSF B License and has coached for over 15 years at various levels, including club, high school, and ODP.  James has coached in various leagues throughout the region, including the Kentucky Premier League, Great Lakes Conference and The National League.  He recently took over as the Head Boys Coach at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Lexington, winning the 2021 KHSAA State Championship in his second season. 

Dan Ensley will be leading the Academy Program for boys and girls which will focus on serving the highest-level U11-U19 teams in Versailles and Lexington. Dan will also serve on the Kings Hammer Technical Committee and will be responsible for sharing and helping implement the Kings Hammer Game Model and curriculum in Central Kentucky. Dan Ensley has 25 years of soccer experience and came to Kings Hammer Bluegrass from Charlottesville, Virginia, where he served as the Director of Coaching and Player Development with Soccer Organization Charlottesville Area (SOCA). Ensley is Premier Diploma certified by United Soccer Coaches while holding a USSF A License.

Brandon Cummons will be leading the Premier Program in Versailles, Kentucky that will serve U8-U19 players located in and around the Versailles community. Brandon has over 15 years of soccer experience and spent the past 10 years as a staff coach and Director of Coaching at Bluegrass SC (now Kings Hammer Bluegrass). Cummons currently holds a USSF C License and has experience coaching at the club and ODP state levels. He also has experience in the KHSAA High School ranks coaching at East Jessamine High School and is the current girls coach at Woodford County Yellow Jackets.

Fonyam Atanga will be leading the new Premier Program in Lexington, Kentucky that will serve U8-U19 players located in and around the Lexington community.  Fonyam has over 15 years of soccer experience coaching locally in the Lexington area across all levels of play from college, high school, ODP, and club (Lexington FC and Bluegrass SC). He is currently the high school coach for the Woodford County Yellow Jackets Boys soccer program. He has also served as a member of the KY Youth Soccer coaching education team and a current member of the WYSA Board of Directors. Fonyam holds a US Youth Soccer National Youth License in addition to his US Soccer Federation A License.

The Premier Programs in Versailles and Lexington will be designed to provide players with the opportunity to train and prepare for the journey to our Kings Hammer Bluegrass Academy Program within their local communities. The Premier Programs also provide the opportunity for players that have other interests outside of soccer. These programs are designed to be flexible, convenient, and affordable to players of all levels.

“We are extremely excited about the leadership team we have been able to create in the Bluegrass region. Not only do we have some of the strongest soccer leaders in the area driving the program forward, but we also have a tried-and-true player pathway that is consistent across the club and provides for all levels and ages of players,” said Paul Nicholson, Kings Hammer Technical Director.

Dave McIver, Kings Hammer Vice President of Operations, added, “We are thrilled to continue to grow the Kings Hammer Bluegrass brand through added programs and events in the Versailles and Lexington communities. We have always had the goal and ambition to provide convenient program opportunities for players of all levels in Central Kentucky and this new leadership team provides greater opportunity for growth and development of Kings Hammer Bluegrass players, coaches and staff.”

Visit the Kings Hammer website now to view the complete player pathway offered to families and be sure to check back for more exciting news to come!