This is a copy of an email that was sent by David McIver and Tiffany Roberts of Kings Hammer Soccer Club to members of their club on Friday, May 22. More than a dozen people (thanks, friends!) forwarded it to us within about an hour. By sharing it, we are in no way implying that we agree with any of the content of this message. -Cincy SC

Parents-

I hope this email finds you well as we head into the holiday weekend and prepare for tryouts next week.  Tiffany Roberts and I have had an opportunity to meet with several parents and coaches over the last few days ahead of the tryout process to answer some questions or concerns they were having heading into tryouts.  This time of year is always stressful for everyone, and in reality, it should be an exciting time as we look forward to the continued success and development of the club.

We wanted to take a minute to address some of the great questions that have been asked of me to make sure all of our existing families have factual information before making decisions for next year.

1.      Why Choose Kings Hammer?  Great question and we have a simple yet in-depth answer.  We feel confident in our staff and club structure- Directors, coaches, administrators, facilities, etc… that we offer the best LONG TERM DEVELOPMENT opportunities for our players.  Our philosophy is to develop each individual player to his/her highest ability level through quality training and competitive matches.  It is very important that families look beyond the immediate here and now and begin with the end goal in mind.  For some that is difficult as your kids are still very young.  But if their goal is to continue to develop a passion and love for the sport of soccer, as well as growing technically, tactically, physically and psychologically we have a proven club that can provide those opportunities.  Also try to take a step back and look at the club as a whole across your age group and think about what that looks like as we begin to bring players together into Kings Hammer Academy at 11 or 12 if that is your goal to play at the highest level. We can offer players and teams the ability to play in the highest level leagues, tournaments, etc…as members of Buckeye, CUSL, TPL, OSSL, KY Premier League, Midwest Regional League (Highest level at U13-18), and US Youth Soccer National League (Highest youth league for our players in the US).

2.      Do you support players playing multiple sports at these young age groups? Even as they get into the academy program. Short answer is yes we do.  We feel players playing multiple sports makes them a well-rounded athlete.  Crossing training has proven to also help with injury prevention and burnout.  We do want players to be committed to developing as soccer players during their current soccer seasons.  And we want parents to understand that those kids who play soccer full time, will most likely (not in all cases) be ahead in terms of their development then those that are missing training and matches for other sports. Bottom line is these players are between 7 and 12 yrs old right now and they are still very much developing in all sports.  This cross training, provided they do not get burned out from doing too much, can be very beneficial to their soccer development.  It is usually around the age of 14 when players start to decide which path they are going to take.

3.      Why exactly did you make the changes to some directors over the winter? Simply stated, we have specific expectations, outside of solely the soccer coaching responsibilities of the job, that were not being met. Trust me when I say, we did not want to have to make any changes.  It is never a smooth transition and we know there is always an opportunity for some uncertainty and questions.  However, we felt it was in the best interest moving forward again focusing on the LONG TERM Development of our players and the club.

4.      Are you aware of the new east side club, Cincy SC?  First off, we are aware of the new club and the idea that players and some coaches will be tempted to see what it is all about.  I think there are some misconceptions and misguidance from the new club and their director as to what they are offering.  The new club is not currently affiliated with Ohio South, CUSL, or Buckeye leagues which is where they would need to be affiliated to play games.  So right now they cannot participate in any leagues through Ohio South.  They have to be affiliated as a club and they are not.  So listing that they will be playing in these leagues is actually not accurate information.  They must be approved by these leagues to even be eligible to participate.  Based on how the new club has gone about recruiting players and coaches, they will have a very difficult time gaining acceptance in the near future.  If they affiliate through another club, that club is responsible for the actions of this new club and therefore, they would also be in violation.  Additionally, there are specific dates that clubs are permitted to have tryouts and this new club is in violation of that as well.  We owe it to our families to make sure they have all the accurate information to make an informed decision. I urge you to look at the long term development from all aspects- team environment, club environment, combining of age groups as the kids get older, individual player development, etc…

5.      Do you expect most of your coaches to return? We know of a coach or two not returning, but we are retaining nearly 95% of our staff.  And we are excited to continue to work with those staff members as a part of Kings Hammer. 

6.      What do tryout numbers look like in the club? Currently we are at around 1400 players registered for tryouts.  This reflects about 250 more registrants than at this time a year ago.  This is a good indication that families are excited about what we are building with Kings Hammer.  Keep in mind this is only heading into year three of the full club merger so we are still growing and working to improve in several aspects related to club development.

Again, we thank you for your continued support of Kings Hammer and look forward to working with your child again next year to continue with their development and love for the game.

Thank you very much and we look forward to seeing you all at tryouts!

David McIver
Kings Hammer Soccer Club
Men’s Executive Director I KHA Boys Director of Coaching