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2022/2023 Kings Hammer Event Series Guide

WELCOME TO THE KINGS HAMMER EVENT SERIES!

Welcome to the 2022/2023 Kings Hammer Event Series. We are excited to host 11 fantastic events in the Cincinnati and Lexington markets. Within our event series, our main goal is to provide a quality event experience for every level of team from all types of clubs and programs. Each event will provide unique event experiences and appropriate levels of competition for all teams at some of the best facilities in Ohio and Kentucky. For those clubs looking to bring multiple teams to the same tournament to provide a club centric environment, these events will be great for your club. Thank you for making our event series some of the best tournaments in the region. We can’t wait to see everyone this year at our Kings Hammer Events!

Dave McIver | Vice President of Events

TOURNAMENT CONTACTS

LIST OF TOURNAMENTS

FALL 2022
  • Battle in the Bluegrass
  • Cincinnati Challenge
  • Blue Chip Juniors
  • Gateway Showcase
    • Women’s Weekend
    • Men’s Weekend
WINTER 2023
  • Volta Cup Cincinnati
SPRING 2023
  • Nike Turf Classic
    • Boy’s Weekend
    • Girl’s Weekend
  • Elite Spring Thaw
  • Triple Crown Cup
  • Blue Chip Showcase
    • Women’s Weekend
    • Men’s Weekend
  • Crown Challenge

2022 EVENTS

AUGUST 2022

BATTLE IN THE BLUEGRASS
August 12th-14th, 2022 | U8-U15 Girls & Boys | Woodford Youth Soccer Complex & local turf facilities

The Battle in the Bluegrass was designed to be a fun early pre-season tournament to bring clubs together to play highly competitive matches! Hosted by the same organization that runs the Nationally recognized Nike Blue Chip College Showcase, we designed the Battle in the Bluegrass to meet very specific goals in player and club development where teams will be matched with common quality opponents with a focus on competitive balance within brackets and divisions. For more information about this event click here!

SEPTEMBER 2022

CINCY CHALLENGE
September 23rd-25th, 2022 | U8-U15 Boys & Girls | Warren County Sports Park

The Cincy Challenge has long been established as one of the best-run tournaments in the Fall in the Cincinnati area. The event offers a club-friendly environment with competition for all levels of play, professional referee crews, and first-class facilities. This event traditionally hosts teams from all across the mid-west region, and has also hosted international teams from Canada. For more information about this event click here!

OCTOBER 2022

BLUE CHIP JUNIORS
October 7th-9th, 2022 | U8-U15 Boys & Girls | Warren County Sports Park & Voice of America Park

The Blue Chip Juniors was designed to be a club-friendly event and an extension of our Nationally recognized Blue Chip College Showcase (which brings in over 500 teams and 500 college coaches each year).  We designed the Blue Chip Juniors tournament to meet very specific goals in player and club development.  In 2022, the Blue Chip Juniors returns as a Premier SuperCopa Qualifying Event for U9-U12 Boys & Girls Top Divisions & new this year SuperCopa+ Qualifying Event for U13-U15 Boys & Girls Top Divisions. For more information about this event click here!

NOVEMBER 2022

​GATEWAY SHOWCASE
Women: November 11th-13th, 2022 & Men: November 18th-20th, 2022 | U15- U19 Women & Men | Warren County Sports Park, Voice of America Park, & local turf facilities

The Gateway Showcase is designed to provide “early in the season” opportunities for potential college-bound athletes to display their talents in front of many college coaches. The Gateway Showcase is supported by the same group that organizes the Blue Chip Showcase. Our goal is to create a high-quality event. The Gateway Showcase will be played at one main site, the Warren County Sports Park and local turf facilities to maximize college coach exposure! For more information about this event click here!

2023 EVENTS

JANUARY 2023

VOLTA CUP CINCINNATI
January 29th-30th, 2023 | U8-High School Boys & Girls | Town & Country Athletic Center

This will be a great winter Futsal event for all teams. Our goal with this tournament is to give your child a fun and competitive weekend of fast-paced futsal. Teams will play 5v5 which includes a goalkeeper. Played on small-sized courts, teams work on spacing, passing, defensive positioning, and footwork flair. For more information about this event click here!

MARCH 2023

TURF CLASSIC
Boys: March 10th-12th, 2023 & Girls: March 24th-26th, 2023 | U9-U19 Boys & Girls | Local Turf Facilities

Don’t get stuck in the mud! The Turf Classic is a unique tournament, where all games are played on turf fields. It is a great pre-season tournament that gives players and coaches of all levels the opportunity to prepare for spring season play. For more information about this event click here!

ELITE SPRING THAW
March 17th-19th, 2023 | U19-U14 Boys & Girls | Local turf facilities

Don’t get stuck in the mud! The Cincinnati Elite Spring Thaw is a great pre-season tournament for top-level teams with all tournament games being played on turf! This tournament is one of the most competitive tournaments in the region with teams participating from the following states: Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. For more information about this event click here!

APRIL 2023

TRIPLE CROWN CUP
April 14th-16th, 2023 | U8-U19 Boys & Girls | Woodford Youth Soccer Complex & local turf facilities

The Triple Crown Cup invites teams from all levels throughout the United States and Canada to apply. This event will be held at one main location (additional local grass and turf facilities secured if needed) to minimize in-between game travel as well as facilitate coaches’ schedules. The goal of the Triple Crown Cup is to provide a fun, competitive weekend of spring soccer for a wide range of skill levels. For more information about this event click here!

BLUE CHIP SHOWCASE
Women: April 21st-23rd, 2023 & Men: April 28th-30th, 2023 |U14- U19 Women & Men | Warren County Sports Park &
Voice of America Park

The Blue Chip Showcase has been in existence for over 25 years and traditionally attracts more than 600 teams and 500 College Coaches from around the country and Canada. It is the Premier College recruiting Showcase in the Midwest and one of the top Showcases in the country. Kings Hammer welcomes teams from across the country and internationally to compete in the Blue Chip Showcase. Teams travel from many of the top youth leagues around the country, including ECNL, MLS Next, the US Youth Soccer National League, Region I Champions League, Region II Midwest Regional League, Region III Premier League, and US Club Soccer National Premier Leagues. US Youth Soccer State Cup, Regional Cup, and National Championship teams have also been accepted to this event. For more information about this event click here!

MAY 2023

CROWN CHALLENGE
May 12th-14th, 2023 | U8-U19 Boys & Girls | Warren County Sports Park & Voice of America Park

The Crown Challenge invites all “B”, “C” & “D” level teams from throughout the United States and Canada to apply. This event will be held at two main locations to minimize in-between game travel as well as facilitate coaches’ schedules. The goal of the Crown Challenge is to provide a fun, competitive weekend of spring soccer for a wide range of skill levels and ages. For more information about this event click here!

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR EVENT PARTNERS

 

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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