October Newsletter 2025

Welcome to the Kings Hammer Murfreesboro October Newsletter! This edition features Winter Skills School, Competition Highlights, Strikers Cup & Strikers Bash, Elite Girls & Boys, Grassroots Spring Registration Open, Building Championship Culture, and more! If you have a player, coach, or team to be highlighted in future newsletters, please send photos and stories to lgill@kingshammer.com. Each newsletter will be posted on our website as well as our social pages.

Upcoming KHM Fall Events

Winter Skills School – 12/20, 12/27, 1/3, 1/31 at Richard Siegel Indoor
Champions Showcase – 12/12-12/14: U13-U19 Boys & Girls – RSSC

Winter Skills School

KH Murfreesboro will host Winter Skills School sessions at the Richard Siegel Indoor Arena for players U5 (2021) through U14 (2012). Sessions are designed to build technical skills, improve confidence, and keep players active during the winter months.

Dates: December 20, December 27, January 3, January 31
Location: Richard Siegel Indoor Arena
Cost: $40 per session

Click here to learn more and register!

KH MURFREESBORO COMPETITION HIGHLIGHTS

Strikers Cup Champions:

Pre-Elite B16-1 Coach: Dan Ebbutt
Pre-Academy B15-A Coach: Zach Wilbur
KH Murfreesboro Elite B09-N

Strikers Cup Finalist:

Pre-Elite B14-1 Coach: Jeff Lean
Pre-Elite G14-1 Coach Jeff Boynton
Pre-Academy B14-A Coach: Brian Willis
Pre-Academy G16-1 Coach: Nick Odette
KH Murfreesboro Elite B10-N
KH Murfreesboro Elite B11-N

Music City Invitational Champions:

KH Elite Murfreesboro B09-R

Music City Invitational Finalist:

KH Murfreesboro B12-R

Strikers Cup Weekend & Thank You!

Strikers Cup was a great success! We had perfect fall weather, strong competition, and an incredible showing of teamwork and sportsmanship across all age groups. A huge thank-you to our volunteers, staff, and families for making it such a smooth and enjoyable weekend.

Strikers Bash: U7 Mini Tournament Event

Our youngest competitive players had an exciting day at our first Strikers Bash Mini Tournament! The U7 teams played a series of fun intra-club games, soaked up the tournament atmosphere, and celebrated with popsicles afterward. It was a great way to introduce them to the energy of competition while keeping the focus on fun and development. We’re already looking forward to hosting another event this spring to see just how much these young players have grown!

ELITE GIRLS – GA ASPIRE

Excited to welcome our high school girls back to club training! We’re looking forward to seeing them in action alongside our younger elite squads, who are already off to a strong start in highly competitive regional conferences. Congratulations to all the high school girls participating in District and Regional school competitions. Our Kings Hammer girls receiving many awards across the region. We are proud of all the ladies representing their high schools this season!

ELITE BOYS – MLS NEXT & NAL

Player Spotlight: Andrew Allen / Defender

Congratulations to Andrew Allen from our KH Murfreesboro B12-N team, for being invited to participate in the upcoming Us soccer Talent ID Center for 2012 Boys. Let’s GO!!

Our Elite Boys program kicked off its first season with six teams competing in MLS NEXT and NAL. As a club, we are learning, growing, and building a strong foundation for what’s ahead. We’re proud of the commitment and positive attitude shown by our players and coaches as they continue to develop and represent our club at the highest level.

Player Achievements – NSC Program Invitations

NSC Futures (2013s): Bowman Dinsmore, Logan Lesho
NSC Shadow (2012s): Luke Jones, Andrew Allen, Landon Fuentes, Tarpley Barrett
NSC Shadow (2010s): Evan Guevart, Owen Jackson
NSC Shadow (2009s): Tyler Adams, Paxton Godfrey
NSC Shadow (2007/08s): Iniyan Rajkumar, Barnik Khadka

Congratulations to all our Elite Boys for representing KH Aris with excellence at the highest levels!

We’re proud of ALL players and coaches for their accomplishments this fall—keep working hard, supporting one another, and striving for even greater success as the season continues!

Grassroots Fall Season Wrap-Up

Our Murfreesboro Grassroots program wrapped up an incredible fall season this month with a fun-filled final game day, complete with awards and our annual Tent-or-Treat celebration!

A huge thank-you to our club teams and families who joined in the festivities by hosting treat “tents” for our recreational players — your support helped make the day extra special. The kids had a blast closing out the season with smiles, candy, and lots of soccer fun!

Join us for our next session: Spring Recreational League registration is now open! The Spring session begins on March 2nd: For more information on the program and to register click here. *Please note the deadline to register is February 9th!

If you have any questions, please reach out to nathan@kingshammer.com.

Featured Education: “Building Championship Culture” by Nick Holt

At Kings Hammer, we know that the strength of a team lies in its culture. The best teams aren’t just a collection of talented individuals; they’re connected by shared values, trust, and a commitment to something bigger than themselves.

In 2024, I had the incredible opportunity to coach in my second national championship match with the NC Courage USL W team. This group was special, resilient, focused, and determined to finish the job after a heartbreaking overtime loss the previous year. We came back stronger, went undefeated, and won the championship.

What made the difference? Team culture.

What is Team Culture?

Team culture is the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and daily habits that define who we are and how we operate. It’s built in the way players show up, push each other, and hold themselves accountable. For our team, that meant traveling without hesitation, paying attention to every detail, and showing mutual respect on and off the field. That unity became our competitive edge and ultimately led to our championship moment.

Building Championship Culture at Kings Hammer

At Kings Hammer, we have core values that serve as the foundation for every team. They’re not just words on paper; they’re standards that shape how we train, compete, and treat one another.

Respect
Respect your coaches by listening with intent and staying open to growth. Respect your teammates by showing up prepared and representing the club at a high level, on and off the field. Respect your parents; they’re your biggest supporters. Respect the game; compete with effort, pride, and gratitude, even on the hard days.

Passion
Love the game. Bring energy that lifts others and fuels your own performance. Stay engaged, encourage your teammates, and enjoy the process.

Integrity
Do the right thing, even when no one is watching. Take care of the little details; they’re what separate good from great.

Why Not You? Why Not Your Team?
Every successful team I’ve been part of, whether as a player or coach, has shared one key ingredient: an intentional, unified environment built on “we over me.” Starting today, think about how you can impact your team’s culture. Are you fully committed, or holding back when things get tough? Are you consistent in your habits when no one is watching?

Now is the time to reflect and take action. Gather with your teammates. Decide what you value and how you’ll live it every day.

Go be great.

– Nick Holt, KH Middle Tennessee Elite Girls Director

Coats N’ Cleats Drive

This season, Kings Hammer is excited to launch our Coats n’ Cleats Drive to support underserved communities across our region. We’ll be collecting gently used coats, cleats, and soccer gear to help families in need stay warm and stay in the game.

We’ll be announcing collection sites and drop-off times soon, but in the meantime, we encourage you to start setting aside items your family has outgrown.

Help us share the warmth and the love of soccer with our community. Stay tuned—more details coming soon!

Take Our Parent Insight Survey Today!

We want to hear from our parents! Please take a minute to complete a quick Parent Insight Survey below. Your answers will help us better understand how our club can better meet the needs of you and your family.

Click here to take the survey now!

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – FORD OF MURFREESBORO

We’re proud to recognize Ford of Murfreesboro, a longtime community partner and the #1 Ford dealer in Tennessee. Known for their outstanding customer service, transparency, and one of the largest service departments in the Southeast, Ford of Murfreesboro continues to set the standard for excellence.

Thank you to Ford of Murfreesboro for your generous support of our players and programs—your partnership helps us keep growing both on and off the field!

fordofmurfreesboro.com