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October Newsletter 2022

Welcome to the Kings Hammer October Newsletter! This edition features Supplemental Tryouts, COE Winter Training Program, Little Lions, Blue Chip Juniors, Respecting Our Officials, September Saves of the Month, KH Fan Wear, 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.

Supplemental Tryouts

Are you or someone you know looking for a team? Kings Hammer will be holding Premier Supplemental Tryouts for players U8-U14 at our Xenia, North, Sycamore, Central, and South locations! Dates, times, and locations are listed in the image below. Click here register now through PlayMetrics today.

Center of Excellence Winter Training Program

Kings Hammer is excited to launch our first ever Center of Excellence (COE) Winter Training Program for U8-U14 players. The COE Winter Training Program is a 4-week program that will take place at 3 convenient locations: Voice of America in West Chester Township, OH, Town & Country in Wilder, KY, and at Falling Springs in Versailles, KY.

The program will feature four 90 minute training sessions that will focus on individual player development (technically and tactically) in the four phases of the game: Attacking, Transition to Attack, Defending, and Transition to Defending. The final week of the program will include a 3v3 Tournament, the Kings Hammer 3v3 Holiday Classic. U8-U14 players have the option to participate in the 4 training sessions including the 3v3 tournament or can just participate in the 3v3 tournament.

The introduction of the Center of Excellence Winter Training Program means that the club will be transitioning away from our traditional winter training option, Volta. We feel that our new program will not only provide a fantastic option for our players looking to continue to play throughout the winter months, it is also one that will follow the clubs on field principles of play and help the players as they transition back to their team environment during the Spring season.

COE Winter Training Program

Fees

  • Fees include four(4) 90 minute training sessions and entry into the Kings Hammer 3v3 Holiday Classic Tournament
    • U8-U14 KHSC Player: $99
    • U8-U14 Non KHSC Player: $115
Locations
  • North – Voice of America (7850 VOA Park Dr. West Chester Township, OH 45069)
  • South – Town & Country (1018 Town Dr. Wilder, KY 41076)
  • Bluegrass – Falling Springs (275 Beasley Rd. Versailles, KY 40383)
Additional Details
  • 4 – 90 minute training sessions broken up by age group
    • Dates: 11/27, 12/2, 12/9, 12/16
      • 11/27: 12-1:30pm for u8-u10, 1:30-3pm for u11-u14
      • 12/2, 12/9, 12/16: 5-6:30pm for u8-u10, 6:30-8pm for u11-u14
  • 2 COE T-shirts (training shirt & 3v3 tournament shirt)
COE – Kings Hammer 3v3 Holiday Classic Tournament

Click here for more information & to register for the COE Winter Training Program

Winter 1 Little Lions

Kings Hammer is excited to announce that our Winter 1 Little Lions Program is open for registration! The program will be offered for players U5(2018) thru U8(2015) from November 3rd-December 15th at two locations, Town & Country located in Wilder, KY and Grace Chapel located in Mason, OH. 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.

Registration for Winter 1 2022 will be through PlayMetrics. Click the links below for more information and to register through PlayMetrics today!

Blue Chip Juniors

Kings Hammer Events hosted the 2022 Blue Chip Juniors tournament over the weekend of October 7-9 at Voice of America Park and Warren Co Sports Park. This year we hosted over 290 teams and 480 games over the 2 day event with teams traveling from across the Midwest and as far as Arizona and Texas. We were treated to some great weather, great games, and very competitive championship matches. Thank you to Premier SuperCopa for selecting the Blue Chip Juniors as one of only 3 qualifying events across the country!

If you weren’t able to purchase event merchandise on site during the event, it’s not too late to purchase. You can visit our online store and have your event merchandise shipped to you. Click here to order online now!

A special thank you to all participating teams, coaches, referees, volunteers and staff for making the event such a success!  We look forward to wrapping up our Cincinnati Event Series with our Gateway Showcase weekends in November!  We will then turn our attention to our Futsal Event and our 3 weekends of events in March played on all turf fields in Cincinnati and Northern KY.

Volta Cup Futsal Cincinnati- January 27-29, 2023
Boys Turf Classic– March 10-12, 2023
Nike Elite Spring Thaw– March 17-19, 2023
Girls Turf Classic– March 24-26, 2023

We would also like to send a special thank you to our event partners:

Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine
Trophy Awards- Official Awards Supplier of Kings Hammer Events
PYB Sports- Official Event Housing Partner
Nike Soccer- Official Brand Partner
Wings & Rings

Click here for a full recap of scores!

October Education: Respecting our Officials

In last month’s Club Newsletter, we explored our Respect for our Opponents and ways that we could improve the game by extending our respect to each player and every team we face.  This month we continue our efforts to Honor the Game through respecting the ROOTS by looking at our relationship with the Officials.

Late September and early October’s crisp sunny weather has provided great weekends for soccer. In addition to all of the regular season games on the schedule, the past month has seen our Kings Hammer teams participate in a number of tremendous events; providing hundreds of teams from throughout the region the opportunity to compete.

All this action has people talking about great games, brilliant goals, and superb saves.  Unfortunately, many conversations I have heard have also been centered on the large number of games disrupted by inappropriate, and in some cases, abusive behavior centered on the referees. For some reason, when the whistle blows to start the game many players, coaches, and spectators seem to lose appreciation (and respect) for those responsible for overseeing the game.

And this problem is not isolated just to soccer. The continued lack of respect for officials can be seen every weekend at any sporting event, club, AAU, HS, college, and yes even the pros (watch an FC Cincy game for perfect examples, or go to any hockey game, where the officials are booed as soon as they are introduced…PRIOR to the game!)

In a recent address to her members, Dr Karissa Neihoff, the president of the National Federation of State High School Associations, talks about the problems faced in all sports across the nation (see link below.)  In the video Dr Niehoff addresses the results of frequent abuse of referees-a national shortage of officials resulting in numerous cancellations, postponements, or relocations of games and match.  I am sure many of you have faced similar problems recently to your events.

Click here to learn more ways to Honor the Game by Respecting our Opponent

Kings Hammer at Cincinnati Zoo’s HallZOOween Event on October 22nd & 23rd

Kings Hammer handed out candy at the Cincinnati Zoo’s HallZOOween Event on October 22nd & 23rd. Thank you to all families that stopped by and said hi!

GK Union Save of the Month

Congratulations to Finn H from KH Sycamore B12 Premier 2 & Sydney F from KHA South G11 Red for being named the September 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.

Stay Tuned (& Get Excited!)

We can’t unveil the details just yet but be sure to check out our merchandise website every day for 12 days starting the day after Thanksgiving. We will have special deals and great gift ideas that will be sure to delight all the Kings Hammer fans you know! Already holiday shopping? Check out what we’ve got stocked now: Kings Hammer Shop

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

Wings & Rings Coupon

Partners

 

Past Newsletters

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