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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.

  1. 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!

All of us have experienced that moment in the game where we can get caught up in the action, the drama, and the behaviors that bring us to the edge.  Having a plan and a mechanism to navigate those moments is vital to successfully get us through them and back to being positively engaged in the game.  Here is one example of one way for players, parents, and coaches to refocus:

  1. Take a deep breath.
  2. Remind yourself of the discipline required NOT to react.
  3. Engage in positive self-talk (i.e. “I need to be a role model. I can rise above this!”).
  4. Turn away from the action. (more for parents and coaches than players)
  5. Count to 20 (or 50, if needed…whatever works).
  6. Quickly refocus on the next play.

The other aspect of Respect and SELF is how each player is preparing for participation in soccer.  Are you HONORING the game in how your treat yourself?  There are several critical areas that each player (and family) should be exploring and supporting:

  1. Nutrition-not just pregame or practice, but as a lifestyle. A well-balanced diet can fuel your success.
  2. Rest-sleep is vital to both recovery and performance
  3. Attitude-are you bringing your best SELF to each day.
  4. Effort-similar to attitude, how hard you work can help you achieve your best
  5. Mental Health-often a forgotten part of a player’s development. Self-talk, self-esteem, confidence and other emotional and social influences play a major role in each player’s success.

*My hope is to explore this component more in January and February in future Newsletters and as well as our other club outlets.

While this concludes our season-long initiative, Honoring the Game and Respecting the ROOTS is not a static, one-time exploration.  It is an action that needs to be practiced over and over.  Here are a couple of suggestions for ongoing support for parents and coaches.

For Parents and Coaches-Seize Teachable Moments

Capitalize on the many instances during your practices and games when lessons about Honoring the Game can be highlighted. These can be either positive or negative moments, such as someone losing graciously (positive) or an athlete taunting an opponent (negative). Engage your child/player in a discussion about whether the behavior in question HONORS the game and shows RESPECT.

Coaches-Practice During Practice

Just as we develop drills for improving physical skills, we must create situations in practice where players learn how to honor the game. For example, during a practice match, make a bad call on purpose and see how your players react. If they react in a way that’s consistent with Honoring the Game, praise them. If they don’t, use that moment to discuss how you want them to respond in a game situation (i.e., not letting the questionable call throw them out of their rhythm). You might also consider having your players officiate during practice games to appreciate the difficulty of being an official.

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