June Newsletter 2026

Welcome to the Kings Hammer Swan City June Newsletter! This edition features: Remembering Kayne Simmons, New Uniform Cycle, DPL Nationals, NAL Championships, WPSL Summer Recap, Player Evaluations, Summer Training Opportunities, ODP Subregional Event, Featured Education: “A Letter from the Technical Desk: When the Moment Gets Loud”, 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.

Forever Our Teammate, Kayne Simmons

It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that our Kings Hammer Swan City community shares the loss of one of our own, Kayne Simmons. Kayne was more than a player. He was a teammate, a friend, a son, and a valued member of our club family. His love for the game, his smile, and the impact he made on those around him will forever be remembered.

While our community is devastated by this loss, we are committed to honoring Kayne’s memory and supporting one another through this difficult time. We invite our families, friends, teammates, coaches, and community members to join us in celebrating Kayne’s life.

Celebration of Life Information

Blount & Curry Funeral Home-Terrace Oaks Chapel
12690 N 56th St. Temple Terrace, FL 33617
July 10, 2026
11am-2pm

Share Your Memories & Photos of Kayne: For those who knew and loved Kayne, click here to share photos, memories, and messages for his family.

“The game will go on, but it will never be the same without you.” Forever Our Teammate. Forever in Our Hearts.

Kayne Simmons 4/2/2013 – 6/12/2026

New Uniform Cycle: Order Your Kit Today

A friendly reminder that the 2026–2027 season marks the beginning of a new two-year Kings Hammer uniform cycle. All players will need to purchase a new uniform kit for the upcoming season.

To ensure uniforms arrive before the start of the fall season, families are encouraged to place their orders as soon as possible. Please refer to the uniform ordering email previously sent for complete details and instructions. If you have any questions regarding uniforms, please contact Adrienne Corbett at acorbett@kingshammer.com.

Order early and get ready to represent Kings Hammer this fall!

Kings Hammer Swan City Girls Shine at DPL Nationals

2011 Elite Girls Fall Just Short of Advancement

Our 2011 Elite Girls put together an outstanding tournament, finishing the group stage with two wins and one loss. The team finished second in Group A, tied on points with the group leader, but narrowly missed advancing to the knockout rounds on goal differential.

While the outcome wasn’t what the team had hoped for, their performances throughout the tournament showcased their quality, determination, and resilience. Competing against the nation’s best, these players demonstrated the hard work and commitment that has defined this group all season.

We are incredibly proud of everything these young ladies accomplished and look forward to watching them continue to grow both on and off the field.

2012 Elite Girls Compete Among the Nation’s Best

Our 2012 Elite Girls also earned their place at DPL Nationals after an impressive season that saw them finish second in conference play, securing their spot in Group A at the National Championships.

Although the tournament didn’t produce the results they were hoping for, simply qualifying for Nationals is a tremendous achievement. The experience of competing against some of the best teams in the country will only continue to fuel their development.

We are incredibly proud of the effort, resilience, and sportsmanship this group displayed throughout the event. Their commitment to improving every day is something our entire club celebrates, and we know this experience will serve as another important step in their journey.

Congratulations to both of our DPL National teams for representing Kings Hammer Swan City with class, passion, and relentless determination. The future is incredibly bright for these players, and we can’t wait to see what comes next.

NAL Championships

Our 2011 Elite Boys traveled to Manheim, Pennsylvania to compete in the NAL Championships, continuing what has become an incredible tradition for this special group.

For the third consecutive year, this team has earned the opportunity to compete at a championship event—a testament to their consistency, hard work, and commitment to improving every season. They continue to set the standard with their determination, resilience, and team-first mentality.

While the tournament didn’t end with the result they were hoping for, their effort, character, and competitiveness never wavered. Competing against some of the top teams in the country is an achievement in itself, and our club couldn’t be prouder of how these young men represented Kings Hammer Swan City.

Congratulations to our players, coaches, and families on another outstanding season.

WPSL Summer Recap

Our Kings Hammer Swan City WPSL squad has been one of the highlights of the summer.

From exciting home matches at Southeastern University to hard-fought battles on the road, these ladies have represented our club with passion, commitment, and pride every time they stepped onto the field. Our supporters have made every home match special, creating an incredible atmosphere while helping raise funds that directly support our girls’ youth program. Thank you to everyone who came out, cheered from the sidelines, and helped make this inaugural WPSL season one to remember.

As we prepare to wrap up our season, we want to thank our players and coaching staff for an unforgettable summer. Your commitment, professionalism, and passion for the game have inspired the next generation of Kings Hammer Swan City players while representing our club with pride every step of the way.

Individual Player Evaluations

New to the area? Missed Competitive Tryouts? There’s still an opportunity to join the Kings Hammer Swan City family!

We are currently offering Individual Player Evaluations for players interested in our competitive program. Whether you’re new to the community or unable to attend tryouts, our staff would be happy to evaluate your player and help find the best fit within our club.

Click here to sign up!

Summer Futsal Training is Here!

Join Coaches Ed Alderson and Saul Estrada indoors this summer at Simpson Park Community Center for high-energy futsal training designed to improve faster feet, better touches, and quicker decision-making.

June 23, 30 | July 7, 14, 21, 28
Simpson Park Community Center
U8-U10: 5:30-6:45 PM
U11-U12: 6:45-8:00 PM
Open to Boys & Girls U8-U12.

Get more touches. Play faster. Develop smarter.

Click here to register now!

Elite Summer Technical Training

Our Elite Summer Technical Training program has been a huge success, with players from across the club dedicating their summer mornings to improving their game.

Each session focuses on developing technical ability, confidence on the ball, and the small details that make a big difference during the season. It’s been fantastic to see so many players committed to their development while pushing one another in a fun, challenging training environment.

The best part? There’s still plenty of time to join us! We have the entire month of July remaining, making it the perfect opportunity to continue building your skills before the fall season begins.

Training Details

Tiger Town Front Field
Tuesdays & Fridays
8:00–9:00 AM
Boys & Girls U8–U19
$20 per session

Whether you’ve attended every session or are looking to jump in for the first time, we’d love to see you on the field this July as we continue helping players take their game to the next level.

Click here for more info & to register!

Summer Camp Action

What a summer it has been! Our Kings Hammer Swan City Summer Camps have been filled with energy, laughter, learning, and a whole lot of soccer. From World Cup-themed competitions and technical training to striker & goalkeeper sessions, futsal, outdoor soccer, and countless small-sided games, our players have embraced every opportunity to grow while having fun.

More importantly, it’s been incredible to watch new friendships form, confidence grow, and players of all ages challenge themselves in a positive and encouraging environment. Our coaching staff has loved every minute of helping these young athletes develop both on and off the field.

As we wrap up our final week of Summer Camp with Futsal & Outdoor Camp at St. Paul Lutheran, we want to thank every player and family who spent part of their summer with us. We hope everyone has enjoyed making memories, improving their game, and experiencing what it means to Play. Grow. Belong. Be More. We can’t wait to see everyone back on the pitch this fall!

Representing Florida. Representing Swan City.

A huge congratulations to 2014 players Jace Talcott, Isaiah Perez, and Reed Corbett on being selected to attend the ODP Subregional Event in Georgia and proudly representing both Florida ODP and Kings Hammer Swan City on the regional stage. The boys have already made a big impact, helping Florida earn a 6-0 victory over South Texas and a 3-3 draw against North Texas in their opening matches.

Keep representing with pride, boys—we’ll be cheering you on from Lakeland!

From The National Technical Desk: When the Moment Gets Loud

Monday night I watched something happen that I want every one of you to understand, because it is not really about soccer. It is about pressure, and what pressure reveals.

Germany and Paraguay went to penalties in the round of 32. You know the setup. Sudden death, lights, a packed stadium, German fans loud behind the goal, the whole weight of the tournament sitting on one ball and one moment. Paraguay was the underdog. Ranked 34th in the world, walking into a shootout against a four-time World Cup champion that had won six straight shootouts in major tournaments. By every measure, the moment belonged to Germany.

And then the moment got too big for them.

Watch the last two German kicks if you have not already. You can see it before the ball is even struck. The walk to the spot gets quicker. The setup gets shorter. There is no breath, no pause, just get it over with. One shot sailed over the bar. That is not a technical failure. That is a player whose mind got there before his body did. Pressure does that. It speeds everything up when what you actually need is to slow everything down.

Then Paraguay’s José Canale stepped up for sudden death. A guy who had not even started the previous two matches. No reputation riding on this kick, nothing earned yet, nothing to fall back on except himself in that moment. And he did the opposite of what we had just watched. He took his time. Big breath. Set the ball exactly where he wanted it. And buried it, ice cold, with an entire stadium of German fans screaming behind that goal.

That is the difference. Not talent. Not even experience, since this kid barely had any at this level. The difference was what each player did with the half-second before contact. One group let the moment speed them up. One young man slowed the moment down.

Why this matters for development, not just performance

I want to connect this to something I believe deeply about why youth soccer, played the right way, builds people for the long run. This game puts you in pressure spots over and over, in front of people, with a result attached, starting when you are eight or nine years old. A missed penalty in a U10 game does not end a career. But it teaches a nervous system how to handle a moment when something is on the line. It teaches a kid what it feels like to fail in public and walk back to the line anyway. By the time that same kid is grown and standing over a penalty with the world watching, or sitting across a table negotiating a job, or making a decision under real pressure in any field, the body already knows what to do with that feeling. It has practiced it a hundred times in cleats on a Saturday morning.

That is the long-term gift of this sport. We are not just building better players. We are building people who have learned, early and often, how to breathe through pressure instead of being run over by it.

What it means to be Kings Hammer

This connects directly to Relentless Action. Relentless Action is not just sprinting back on defense or winning second balls. It is staying present when the moment gets loud. It is the discipline to slow yourself down when everything around you is speeding up. Canale did not out-talent Germany last night. He out-composed them. That is a skill. It is trainable. And it is exactly the kind of decision-making and mental toughness we are building into every player who comes through our program.

So here is what I want you to take from this. Pressure is not your enemy. It is the thing that will eventually tell you who you are. The work we do here, every training session, every tough rep, every moment we ask you to perform when it is uncomfortable, is preparing your mind for the night when the ball is on the spot and everyone is watching. When that moment comes for you, I want you to be the person taking the deep breath. Not the person rushing to get it over with.

Bring the Relentless Action.

– Bronson Gambale, KH National Technical Director

GK Union Save of the Month

May closed out with some great saves as Allie and Rowan from KH Cincinnati kept the opponent out of the net with two brilliant stops!

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.