May Newsletter 2025

Welcome to the Kings Hammer May Newsletter! This edition features Competing at the Kentucky State & Challenge Cup, Kings Hammer is Making College Commitments, 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.

Competing at the Kentucky State & Challenge Cup

The USYS Kentucky State Cup & Challenge Cup are happening now! We want to congratulate each of our teams who made it to the State Cup preliminary weekends. You really put in the work this season, and it paid off to get you this far! We want to wish the following teams good luck as they move onto the finals of either the Kentucky State Cup, or the Challenge Cup!

KHA1 Lexington G11
KHA1 Lexington G09
KHA1 Lexington B14
KHA1 Lexington G14

Kings Hammer is Making College Commitments!

Check this out! Huge congratulations to Ethan Clark and Kendyhl Dewar on making their college commitments. Kendyhl has committed to playing with the Golden Eagles at Spalding University following her graduation. Ethan has chosen to head to Midway University to continue his athletic and academic career. Congratulations to both of you, we are so proud!

Another Great Year Taking the Crown Challenge

This one was one for the history books! We had a handful of teams compete in Cincinnati at this years’ Crown Challenge presented by OrthoCincy. This event was full of teamwork, goals and fun! Kings Hammer had a fantastic weekend, with many of our teams showing up and taking home medals! Thank you to all the teams, staff and volunteers who made the event possible.

Check out the video below to see the highlights!

May Education: Navigating Setbacks

I overslept this morning. The report due to my boss today is missing. My flight home got cancelled. I didn’t hit my quota this month. The promotion at work went to the other person. The dishwasher leaked water all over the kitchen. I wrecked the car last night. My company just announced more layoffs.

We all suffer setbacks in life. Some small and easy to manage. Some large and more life changing. Youth also face setbacks, disappointments, and failures throughout their lives. And if they play in a sport, they will likely suffer setbacks there as well…

Not having a good practice, or not being able to perform a desired move
Missing the game winning shot
Not making the desired team, or not making a team at all

This last one is timely, as the end of the Spring season often tends to provide more reflection on success and failure, achievements and setbacks. Many athletes have finished the Tryout/Team Formation portion of the club calendar and our older players are just beginning HS preseason and will be coming up on more tryouts for those teams.

So, how do we help them navigate and persevere through the ups-and-downs of soccer. Note the action is NAVIGATE, not AVOID. Like us, our children are going to suffer setbacks in their journey, whether we are ready for it or not. As parents, our goal should not be to protect them from setbacks, but rather to prepare them and help them grow from them.

Click here to read the full article!

Alumni Highlight: Aubrey Kingsbury moves to 4th all-time in NWSL Saves

The namesake for our Aubrey Kingsbury Kings Hammer GK Union Save of the Year Award passed Ashlyn Harris in career saves at 520 earlier this month! In doing so, Aubrey moved up to 4th on the all-time list! We’re so proud of Aubrey and all she’s done in her career as a KH alumna! Keep up all the great work, Aubrey!

GK Union Save of the Month

Stepping up for their teams! From a split save to end a breakaway to a full extension dive to stop a shot from distance, April GK Union Save of the Month winners were top notch! Congratulations to Lauren from Kings Hammer Cincinnati and Kamden from Kings Hammer Swan City on their outstanding shot stopping!

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. 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.

NEW KINGS HAMMER LEXINGTON GEAR

Ready to rep your team this summer? Check out the Kings Hammer Lexington fan gear in our Kings Hammer Shop right now! Now with extended sizing, we have Kings Hammer t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, and more available at shop.KingsHammer.com. Check it out now!