May Newsletter 2026

Welcome to the Kings Hammer May Newsletter! This edition features, Supplemental Tryouts, Summer Camps, New Turf Coming to Town & Country, Postseason Play, KH Academy Teams Joins DPL, KHA G08-1 Ohio President’s Cup Champs, Individual Player Achievements, Featured Education: “A Letter from the Technical Desk: Summer Challenge”, 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.

Kings Hammer Cincinnati Tryouts Wrap Up, Supplemental Opportunities Still Available!

Kings Hammer Cincinnati would like to thank all players and families who participated in this year’s tryouts! We had an outstanding turnout across all locations and age groups, and we appreciate everyone’s flexibility and patience throughout the process.

Although primary tryouts have concluded, supplemental tryouts will be held over the coming weeks for players still searching for the right opportunity. If you know someone interested in joining Kings Hammer Cincinnati, there is still time to be evaluated.

Our NKY Academy Program is holding Supplemental Tryouts on Monday, June 1st from 5:30-6:45pm at Town & Country for players U8-U12.

Click here for more information and to register!

If you know someone that is interested in a different location or age group, please have them fill out our contact form by clicking here!

Kings Hammer Summer Camp Series

Ready to hit the pitch this summer? Hang with your friends and perfect your technical skills during the summer vacation with our 2026 Summer Camp Series! Kicking off this June, we’re bringing Kings Hammer summer camp fun to a convenient location near you, including:

Want to join in on the fun with your friends and teammates this summer? Click here to register now!

New Turf Coming to Town & Country

Exciting improvements are coming to Town & Country! This summer, the turf fields will be fully replaced with a brand-new surface and redesigned layout, creating twice as many game fields to support either two full-size 11v11 fields or four 9v9 fields. The new fields are expected to be ready early in the 2026/27 season this fall.

The upgrade also marks the return of Kings Hammer Elite programming to Town & Country as its primary home. Elite training sessions and games will be based there throughout the season, with additional locations used as needed to support the full schedule.

As part of these facility upgrades and scheduling adjustments, CHCA will become the primary training location for Sycamore teams moving forward, providing a consistent, high-quality training environment throughout the year. Teams will also continue utilizing Francis Rec, Weller, Swaim, and Sycamore High School for games and supplemental training sessions as needed.

We look forward to sharing more updates throughout the summer!

KH Cincinnati Teams Ready for Postseason Play

Congratulations to all Kings Hammer Cincinnati teams who have advanced to postseason tournament play in their respective leagues! We are proud of each team for their hard work and commitment throughout the season and wish them the best of luck as they begin postseason play.

MLS Next National Championship: May 24-31 in Salt Lake City, UT.

KH Elite Cincinnati B09-N

Girls Academy National Playoffs: June 18-23 in Norco, CA.

KH Elite Cincinnati G11-N
KH Elite Cincinnati G12-N

Girls Academy Aspire National Playoffs:

KH Elite Cincinnati G11-N
KH Elite Cincinnati G09-N

Ohio State Cup: Pool Play May 24-25 at Warren County Sports Park

KHA Cincy G09-1
KHA Cincy G11-1
KHA Cincy B14

Kentucky State Cup: Pool Play May 23-25

KHA NKY G13-1, Jonas Vance
KHA NKY G12-1, Natalie Smith
KHA NKY G11-1, Jonas Vance
KHA NKY G09-1, Wil Cagle
KHA NKY B13-1, Wil Cagle
KHA NKY B12-1, Matthieu Dufourcq
KHA NKY B11-1 Tony Spaulding
KHA NKY B10-1, Tony Spaulding
KHA KNY B09-1, Matt Lodge

Ohio Presidents Cup: May 16-17 in Dayton, OH.

KHA Cincy G08-1 (Presidents Cup Champions)*

Kentucky Presidents Cup: Pool Round May 16-17

KHA NKY B10-2, Austin Cagle

Kentucky Challenge Cup: May 30-31 in Elizabethtown, KY.

KH Pre-Elite G14-1
KH Pre-Elite G14-2
KH Pre-Elite G15-1
KH Pre-Elite G15-2
KH Pre-Elite B14-2
KH Pre-Elite B15-1
KH Pre-Elite B15-2

Kings Hammer Cincinnati Joins The DPL for the 2026-27 Season

Kings Hammer Cincinnati is continuing to elevate the player experience and pathway for our athletes! We are excited to announce that beginning in the 2026-27 season, our academy-level girls teams (third team in each age group) across Greater Cincinnati will compete in The DPL.

This exciting addition provides another high-level platform for player development, competition, and exposure while continuing to strengthen the opportunities available within the Kings Hammer pathway.

KHA G08-1 Crowned 2026 Ohio Soccer Presidents Cup Champions

Congratulations to our KHA G08-1 girls on winning the 2026 Ohio Soccer Presidents Cup Championship!

This incredible achievement is a testament to the team’s hard work, dedication, and commitment throughout the season. We are so proud of the entire team and coaching staff. Congratulations!

18 Players Selected for GA Talent ID

Congratulations to 18 of our Kings Hammer Cincinnati Girls Academy players selected to participate in the GA Talent ID last weekend! We also want to congratulate Girls Elite coach Ryan Schaeffer, on being selected to coach in the event!

We’re proud of all the hard work each of you has put in to receive this recognition!

Players Selected for Beadling SC ID Event Featuring Gotham FC Pathway Scouts

Kings Hammer Cincinnati is proud to recognize five players who were selected earlier this month to attend the Beadling SC ID Event, where the Gotham FC Player Pathway were present to scout players in a high-level environment.

Congratulations to Cara Fay, Aniah Zembrodt, Parker Goetz, Riley Johnson, and Callie Raaker on this incredible opportunity to showcase their abilities against elite competition.

We are excited to have these athletes represent Kings Hammer Cincinnati and continue pursuing their goals.

KH Elite G11 Players Earn U.S. Soccer Talent ID Invitations

Earlier this month, Kings Hammer proudly had two players represent the club on the national stage as Alexis Kramer and Aubrey Blakley of our KH Elite G11 team were invited to attend the U.S. Soccer Youth National Team Talent ID Center in Noblesville, Indiana. Congratulations, ladies!

Crown Challenge 2026 Highlights

What an unforgettable weekend at this year’s Crown Challenge presented by OrthoCincy! The event was filled with great competition, teamwork, goals, and plenty of fun throughout the weekend in Cincinnati.

A huge thank you to all of the players, coaches, families, staff, and volunteers who helped make the tournament such a success.

From The National Technical Desk: Summer Challenge

As the summer break arrives, I want to take a moment to step back from the training field and speak to something that matters just as much as anything we do with a ball at our feet — the work you do on the inside.

This is a special summer. The FIFA World Cup is being hosted right here in the United States. That means the greatest players on the planet, the ones you have watched on screens and dreamed about becoming, will be competing in stadiums across this country. I want you to use that. Let it fuel something in you.

So here is the challenge I am putting to you this summer:

Reflect. Dream. Write it down:

Take time during this break to sit with yourself and honestly ask: Where am I right now? What kind of player have I been? What kind of player do I want to become? These are not easy questions, but they are the most important ones a developing player can ask. The best athletes in the world are not just physically gifted. They are self-aware. They know themselves. They study themselves.

Grab a journal (we provide one in club resources in playmetrics). It does not have to be formal or perfect. Write about a moment from this past season that challenged you. Write about what made you proud. Write about what you want to be different next year. And then dream big. As you watch the World Cup this summer, find a player who inspires you. Study the way they move, the decisions they make, the effort they pour into every moment. Pick someone you want to grow toward. That is your target. That is your north star.

What it means to be Kings Hammer:

Our game model is built around Relentless Action: constant drive, constant determination, pushing forward in every phase of the game. But Relentless Action is not just something that happens on the field. It is a mindset. It is how we approach growth. It means when you are handed a break, you do not simply switch off. You reflect, you set your sights higher, and you come back sharper.

We grow people. We grow players. We grow families, staff, and leaders. That is not a slogan. It is the foundation of everything we build here. The player profile we develop inside Kings Hammer is passionate about learning, proactive in taking responsibility, hardworking through the full length of every minute, and a decision-maker who understands the game. Those qualities do not take a vacation. They deepen during the moments when you slow down and think.

As you watch the World Cup, you are watching the highest expression of the principles we train every day: possession built with tenacity and effort, pressing with urgency to win the ball back, transitions seized with opportunity. You will see it at the highest level. Now connect it back to yourself. Where do you see yourself in that game? What role do you play? What version of you shows up when the moment is biggest?

Go into this summer with intention:

Rest. Recover. Celebrate this incredible moment for soccer in our country. But use the quiet moments to do the honest, important work of self-reflection. Journal it. Dream it. And walk back into preseason knowing exactly who you are and exactly who you are working to become.

That is the Kings Hammer standard. That is the Relentless Action we carry into every phase, including the ones that happen off the field.

Enjoy the summer. Soak in the World Cup. And come back hungry.

Go out there and bring the Relentless Action.

– Bronson Gambale, KH National Technical Director

KH Cincinnati Alum Ryan Schlotterbeck Earns National Team Call-Up & Pro Debut

Congratulations to Kings Hammer Cincinnati alum Ryan Schlotterbeck on two exciting accomplishments, making his professional debut with FC Cincinnati 2 in MLS NEXT Pro and earning a US Youth National Team call-up and

Ryan’s journey through the FCC Discovery Program and FCC Academy has now led him to the professional level, and we couldn’t be prouder of all his hard work and dedication.

Way to go, Ryan! We can’t wait to see what’s next.

FCC Academy Bound

Congratulations to Grant Gemmel on signing with the FCC Academy U13 team for the 2026–2027 season! We’d also like to congratulate Wesley Busby on being selected as a U13 Training Player for the upcoming season.

We’re incredibly proud of both players and look forward to watching their continued growth and success!

GK Union Save of the Month

Closing down space & shutting down counter attacks! Our April GK Union Save of the Month winners put their quick thinking on display to keep the opponent off the score sheet! Congratulations to Sophia and Brian from KH Cincinnati on being selected as this month’s winners! Keep up the great work!

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.