December Newsletter 2025

Welcome to the Kings Hammer Swan City December Newsletter! This edition features Happy Holidays, Lakeland Christmas Parade, Winter Camp, Free Girls Soccer Clinics, New Program: Juniors, Referee Spotlight, GK Union Save of the Month, and more! If you have a player, coach, or team to be highlighted in future newsletters, please send photos and stories to acorbett@kingshammer.com. Each newsletter will be posted on our website as well as our social pages.

Happy Holidays!

As our Fall Season comes to an end, we want to reflect on the hard work, development, and teamwork shown by our players, coaches, and families. It’s been an exciting season, and we are incredibly grateful for the dedication and support from our entire Kings Hammer Swan City community.

Thank you for being such an important part of this journey. From all of us at Kings Hammer Swan City, we wish you a wonderful holiday season. We look forward to seeing everyone back on the field in the new year for more soccer ahead!

Lakeland Christmas Parade

We were so excited to be part of one of Lakeland’s favorite traditions on Thursday December 4th. We loved being out with our Lakeland community—and our incredible soccer family— it really meant the world to us. Thank you to every person who waved, cheered, or showed support as we passed. We loved representing our club and the soccer community we’re so proud to be part of. A night we’ll be talking about for a long time!

Winter Camp Registration Open

Give your player a fun and productive way to stay active over the holiday season! Our Winter Camp is designed for players of all experience levels who want to sharpen their skills, build confidence, and enjoy the game in a positive, energetic environment.

Camp Information:

December 29–31: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Lake Parker Park (Lakeland, FL)
Boys & Girls Ages U6 (2020) – U16 (2010)

Players will work on technical development, decision-making, and game awareness through fun, competitive activities led by our Swan City coaching staff.

Enhance your skills while enjoying the holiday season!

Click here for more information & to register!

𝙁𝙍𝙀𝙀 𝙂𝙄𝙍𝙇𝙎 𝙎𝙊𝘾𝘾𝙀𝙍 𝘾𝙇𝙄𝙉𝙄𝘾𝙎 – 𝙅𝘼𝙉𝙐𝘼𝙍𝙔 & 𝙁𝙀𝘽𝙍𝙐𝘼𝙍𝙔

We’re excited to announce FREE Girls Clinics this January and February as we continue our mission to grow the girls’ game in our community!

These clinics are designed to give your player the chance to connect with other players, learn new skills, and enjoy the game in a fun and welcoming environment.

Clinic Dates: Saturday, January 17th & Saturday, February 21st

Time: 9:00–10:30 AM
Location: Lake Parker Park
Who Can Attend: Girls U12 (2014) through U18 (2008)
All skill levels are welcome.

Click here to register now!

NEW PROGRAM ALERT!

Kings Hammer Swan City Juniors In-House program is here for our U5(2021)-U8(2018) players at Lake Parker Park! A fun, player-centered program focused on skills, fitness, and a love for the game — all led by our professional staff.

Perfect for new players and those already in Recreation looking for extra training.

Click here to register now — spots are limited!

Central Florida 3v3 Winter Fest

Our first-ever 3v3 Tournament at Lake Parker Park on December 13th was a huge success! We are incredibly grateful to all the teams, families, and supporters who came out to make the day such a fun and competitive experience. Congratulations to all of our finalists and champions: U9 Boys – Team Stull (KH 2018 Boys) took home the title; U10 Boys – Auburndale Scream U10 earned the win over Lava Scorpions; U12 Boys – CCFC Clermont claimed the championship against Boca Juniors; and U12 Girls – Auburndale finished as champions. We loved seeing the energy, on display and look forward to hosting more events like this in the future.

Fall Recreation Season

What a fun Fall Recreation season with all of our players. Our youngest players (Munchkins and MIni Kickers) learned, laughed, and took their first big steps in the game we love. We finished off with our U8’s with Champions Cup and U10’s-U15’s with Judges Cup Dec 5 and 6th and our players were full of smiles, effort, and great sportmanship. We are already excited to see everyone back on the fields for the Spring Season, Early Bird Registration Begins Jan 1st, 2026.

Celebrating the Holiday

Team chemistry doesn’t just happen on the field — it’s built through shared moments, laughter, and connection. We loved seeing our teams celebrating the holiday season together. Moments like these strengthen friendships, build trust, and remind us that the bonds formed within our teams are just as important as the skills developed during training.

Referee Spotlight

Meet Tim Bussell, a name and face that’s been part of Lakeland soccer community for decades. Tim began refereeing in 1978 in Michigan, moved to Lakeland in 1989, and spent 13 years coaching the Florida Southern College men’s team.

He’ll tell you he’s a coach first, player second, and referee third — but around here, he’s all three in one. You can find Tim on fields all over Lakeland, giving back to the game he loves.

Thank you, Tim, for your dedication to our players, families, and community.

From the National Technical Desk: School‑Year Age Groups: Prepared, Player‑First, and Ready

Beginning with the 2026/27 season, U.S. youth soccer’s leagues and governing bodies will move from a birth‑year system (Jan 1–Dec 31) to a school‑year system (Aug 1–Jul 31), designed to reduce “trapped player” scenarios and let more kids play alongside school‑grade peers.

At Kings Hammer, we’ve planned for this change and will evaluate every player, team, and location to ensure the best environment for individual growth. We have always been about the player, and we are prepared to ensure that this continues to ring true!

Player Benefits

Fewer disruptions → Reduced 8th‑grade and senior‑year “trapped player” issues.
Play with classmates → Stronger team chemistry, higher enjoyment, better retention.
Smarter environments → More consistent social/physical maturity within age bands, clearer progression.
Flexible pathways → Players may remain aligned with their birth year or gain another competitive year within their graduation‑year band—flexibility that keeps the player and environment first.
Cleaner calendar → Evaluation, tryouts, and placements align more naturally with the school year.

What to Expect (High‑Level Timeline)

Dec–Feb 2026: Baseline club communications
Feb–Apr 2026: Publish evaluation windows and birth/grad‑year sessions
May–Jun 2026: Tryout period for the 2026/27 season; player/family touchpoint; updates before decisions
May–July 2026: Final placements; school‑year bands take effect

2026/27 School‑Year Age Bands (Aug 1–Jul 31)

U8: Aug 1, 2018 – Jul 31, 2019
U9: Aug 1, 2017 – Jul 31, 2018
U10: Aug 1, 2016 – Jul 31, 2017
U11: Aug 1, 2015 – Jul 31, 2016
U12: Aug 1, 2014 – Jul 31, 2015
U13: Aug 1, 2013 – Jul 31, 2014
U14: Aug 1, 2012 – Jul 31, 2013
U15: Aug 1, 2011 – Jul 31, 2012
U16: Aug 1, 2010 – Jul 31, 2011
U17: Aug 1, 2009 – Jul 31, 2010
U18: Aug 1, 2008 – Jul 31, 2009

Our DOCs already have master documents they are working on and reviewing that show every player in our club and where they currently fall in regard to the new graduation‑year bands (Jan-July or Aug-Dec). This is helping us see the bigger picture and start planning now to elevate sessions in the spring. As always, we will do what is best to help each player thrive here at Kings Hammer and develop to their full ability. Questions should be directed first to your program’s DOC. Thanks, and I look forward to seeing all of you grow over this winter and bring it out on the fields this coming winter and spring.

GO KINGS HAMMER!

– Bronson Gambale KH National Technical Director

Interested in Coaching?

If you love the game and want to make an impact in the Lakeland soccer community, we want you on our team.

Join Kings Hammer Swan City and help us continue growing and developing players on and off the field.

Interested? Click here to submit your information!

GK Union Save of the Month

Practice makes perfect! Check out Brian & Savannah utilize their Kings Hammer GK Union training exercises in our November Save of the Month. From Brian being quick off his line to Savannah leaping at the precise moment, these are two saves you don’t want to miss!

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 upcoming 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.