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April Newsletter 2023

Welcome to the Kings Hammer April Newsletter! This edition features Tryout Registration, Pre-ECNL Informational Meeting, Paul Hennessey Named Elite Girls Director, Summer Camps, FCC Kings Hammer Family Night, Keeper Wars, Spring Events, Adult Brewery Cup Series, KHFC Tickets Available, 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.

2023/2024 Tryout Registration

The 2023/2024 tryout schedules and team fees have been posted. If you have not registered through PlayMetrics yet, click the links below to register now. If you are not able to attend tryouts please communicate with your Program Director so they are aware. ALL current players must register through PlayMetrics to be placed on a team. Click here for instructions on how to check your tryout registration in PlayMetrics. Please double-check that your email and phone number is correct in the PlayMetrics system, this is the contact information we use when making an offer. Please click here on instructions on how to update your contact information in PlayMetrics.

**Please note we are utilizing a new tryout feature within our PlayMetrics system, so you may see coaches and directors on their phones or tablets during the tryout process.

Click the links below to view the tryout schedule, team fees, and to register:

Elite (Pre-ECNL U10-U12) Informational Meeting

All U10-U12 families interested in the Elite Pre-ECNL Program are invited to attend an informational video call on May 2nd from 7:30-8:30pm. Directors will explain the program and what to expect.

Save this URL to attend the meeting: https://bit.ly/KHPreECNL 

Kings Hammer Announces Paul Hennessey Elite Girls Director

COVINGTON, KY (April 20th, 2023) Kings Hammer is excited to announce Paul Hennessey as the Elite Girls Program Director. Paul has more than 15 years of experience developing youth players across the United States and holds a USSF ‘A’ and UEFA B coaching licenses.

Paul currently lives and works in Southern California, as the Director of West Coast for NCE Soccer and recently completed 5 years as the Assistant Coach at Cal Tech in Pasadena. Recently, he worked as the Director of Coaching for Los Angeles Surf. At LA Surf, he coached in their Elite program for five and a half seasons, as a club director and had successful tenures with their DA and GA teams, where they reached the playoffs with both the 2008 and 2005 teams as Champions of their Region. Paul also served as the Director of Coaching at Everton America (Norwalk, CT), Regional Director of Challenger Sports (Baltimore, MD) and Head Coach of both College and High School Programs.

“I am delighted to be given this opportunity and begin working with Kings Hammer and the Elite Girls Program. It quickly became clear talking to the leadership of the organization that this is a club and a program with fantastic potential, some extremely talented players and a very supportive environment based in a soccer hotbed, with values similar to my own.

My family and I are very excited to relocate to the area and become a part of the Kings Hammer family. I would describe myself as being hard working and enthusiastic in my approach. I am driven to help this club, these teams and these players take the next steps in their development,” said Paul Hennessey, Kings Hammer Elite Girls Director.

“I am very excited to have Paul joining our staff as our new Elite Girls Program Director. Paul will bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to our Elite Girls Program that will undoubtedly have a huge impact on the coaches and all the players within the program. His skill sets both on and off the field will continue the great momentum the program has made under Chris Black the last few years. I have no doubt that he will be a tremendous member of our team for years to come,” said Paul Nicholson, Kings Hammer Midwest Executive Director.

Summer Camp Registration

Looking for an opportunity to stay sharp this Summer?

Register today for the Kings Hammer Summer Camp Series! Camps will be offered at our Xenia, North, Sycamore, Central, South, Lexington, and Versailles locations beginning June 6th and running through July 27th.

For more information on Summer Camps and to register click here.

FC Cincinnati Kings Hammer Family Night – July 15th

Save the Date!

All Kings Hammer friends and families can now take advantage of Special Club Partner ticket pricing for:

FC Cincinnati vs Nashville SC
Saturday, July 15th – 7:30pm

  • A link to purchase tickets, at the special club partner pricing, has been sent to each Kings Hammer Family’s PlayMetrics account.  If you did not receive please email info@kingshammer.com.
  • Walkout kid and on-field experience opportunities are available! Names will be randomly selected from the submitted forms: Click to sign up now!

Help Kings Hammer set the youth soccer night club attendance record and purchase your tickets today!

Keeper Wars

Register now for the Keeper Wars Ink City Tour at Town & Country on June 10th-11th! Keeper Wars is open to boys & girls U9-U19 and is a 2-day Goalkeeper Showcase & Tournament. All players are welcome, regardless of skill level or team, club or league affiliation! Games will be played on Saturday & Sunday from 9am-4pm. The registration deadline is May 27th. For more information on the event and to register today, click here!

Event Update

Our third annual Triple Crown Cup was held this month on April 14th-16th and consisted of 100 teams that played at 2 different locations. Additionally, we were thrilled to host teams from 5 different states this year. We were blessed with some fantastic weather which made for a great weekend. We hope that all families at the event enjoyed the weekend in Central Kentucky! Special thank you to our event sponsors: NikeTrophy Awards, and PYB Sports!

The next events we have coming up our the Men’s Blue Chip Showcase on April 28th-30th and the Crown Challenge on  May 12th-14th!

Three KH ECNL Girls Selected for USYNT ID Center

Congratulations to Charlee Siria, Lauren Hoog, and Allie McCauley of our Kings Hammer G08 ECNL team for being selected to participate in the USYNT ID Center that took place in Louisville, KY on April 11th. Great job girls!

April Education: Getting Through the Tryout Process

Earlier this month Kings Hammer announced program tryout dates for the 2023-2024 seasons.  Naturally, announcements of this sort, whether for Kings Hammer, high school teams, or local leagues, can create a sense of anxiety or stress around performance and team formation.  This type of multi-day event can be difficult to navigate for players, parents, and coaches alike.  But the good news is that there are ways to help make this time of year a little less stressful for everyone and a little easier to navigate through.

Tryouts are a Year-long Process

Since you are reading this today, you are likely already a Kings Hammer parent or player and have been performing in one of our current programs with one of our current teams.  With that in mind one thing to remember is that every player has been in a tryout all year long.  Coaches evaluate players throughout the season.  Each practice, game, meeting, or activity provides the coach (and the parent) an opportunity to see the player perform.  Effort, attitude, commitment, communication, engagement, and of course skill and understanding of the game are all being observed throughout the season and are considered when it comes time to form teams for the next year.

Regardless of whether your child is looking at a tryout, a showcase event, or improving their ability to promote their performance during the season, here are some helpful steps you can take to frame the process better for them (and yourself).

Guides for Parents and Coaches Prior to Tryouts or Team Formation

  1. Have a conversation with your child (or players)

Talk to them about their goals, ambitions, and desires.

    • Are they happy with their current team?
    • Do they want to keep their spot on the team?
    • Do they want to move up to a higher team even if it means possibly changing positions or getting less playing time?
    • Do they want to tryout somewhere else?

Click here to read the full story.

Adult Brewery Cup Series

Raise a pint to soccer! Kings Hammer Event Management is excited to announce new Adult Brewery Cup events! Grab your friends and join us in Murfreesboro & Cincinnati this summer. Click here to learn more about our new events!

USL2 & USLW 2023 Tickets Now Available

Tickets are now available for the 2023 USL League Two and the USL Women’s League seasons at Xavier University’s Corcoran Field! The first home games are scheduled for May 14th (USLW) & May 19th (USL2).  For more information click here!

Kings Hammer Fan Wear

Come see all our great options online and remember: orders ship fast, and directly to your door. Be sure to check back as we add new styles and colors for our spring tournaments! Shop now: Kings Hammer Gear

GK Union Save of the Month

Congratulations to Makenna D. from KHA South G11 Blue and Ezra R. from KHM B11 Premier 1 for being named the March 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.

Partners

 

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