News coming out today that Kings Soccer Academy and Hammer FC have merged. This is what we all thought was coming after the announcement of the Kings/Hammer teams for U13 and up last year. Not sure of many details but should be interesting. Should make them the second largest club locally behind Cincy United.

News coming out today that Kings Soccer Academy and Hammer FC have merged. This is what we all thought was coming after the announcement of the Kings/Hammer teams for U13 and up last year. Not sure of many details but should be interesting. Should make them the second largest club locally behind Cincy United.

 

Been out of club soccer for a couple years but why in the heck would Hammer FC want to merge with Kings?

The top level teams from the clubs merged last year so it only makes sense to merge everyone else.

Been out of club soccer for a couple years but why in the heck would Hammer FC want to merge with Kings?

 

To be honest with you the tables have turned as far as club soccer goes between Kings and Hammer. Hammer still has great talent and excellent trainers but Kings seems to have better teams in the last couple of years. Hammer I know has less players in the club over the last few years. Looking to combine two great small clubs to compete with Cincy United.

Kings need Boy players that are quality. Over the past few years, the Kings have become the premier GIRL's club. Just look at all of the awards abd trophies at the top level the past few years.......

Kings need Boy players that are quality. Over the past few years, the Kings have become the premier GIRL's club. Just look at all of the awards abd trophies at the top level the past few years.......

 

Take Jon Pickup's team out of the mix over the last 3 or 4 years and what has Kings accomplished? This is nothing more than a money grab for the Kings as Hammer began falling apart a few years ago when they brought Buck Lally in to clean house and take them to the cleaners.

From the outside looking in though it sure seems that Hammer has done a lot better at getting kids to college than the Kings have. I know one of the older girls Kings teams (the one leedom plays for) seems to get the better of the Hammer team but the Hammer team seem to have more scholarships.

At tryouts this year, and this has a lot to do w/ the different ways that they run their organization, the NKSA had over 70 boys at the U13 level try out. Kings/Hammer's Elite red/blue tryouts had to combine w/ the under 12s to get a full go. Of course, Kings select teams didn't have their players try-out as they are parent coached and pick their teams. Like I said, it is just a different way of doing things. However, when you have boys that have to choose b/n the pricing of the NKSA and the pricing of the Kings w/ no knowledge of what team they'll be on, or what level they'll play, the NKSA makes it easier. We had to make the choice this year, and I really like the boys' would be practicing 3 xs per week, but nobody knew how the team would be set up, or what level they would be playing in. NKSA, two days after tryouts ended, had 3 teams together and knew which divisions they were aiming for in the CUSL. It made it very easy to decide.

I'm looking at about 70 little boys and girls, age 4-7, wearing Kings Hammer t-shirts for their Monday night skills session. Nice program for the little ones. The coaches have lots of energy and the kids are having fun.

Kings Hammer is building their future here.

I'm looking at about 70 little boys and girls, age 4-7, wearing Kings Hammer t-shirts for their Monday night skills session. Nice program for the little ones. The coaches have lots of energy and the kids are having fun.

Kings Hammer is building their future here.

 

Monday night's are very crowded at T&C. Luckily the weight room wasn't.

 

Luckily the weight room wasn't.

 

It never is

At tryouts this year, and this has a lot to do w/ the different ways that they run their organization, the NKSA had over 70 boys at the U13 level try out. Kings/Hammer's Elite red/blue tryouts had to combine w/ the under 12s to get a full go. Of course, Kings select teams didn't have their players try-out as they are parent coached and pick their teams. Like I said, it is just a different way of doing things. However, when you have boys that have to choose b/n the pricing of the NKSA and the pricing of the Kings w/ no knowledge of what team they'll be on, or what level they'll play, the NKSA makes it easier. We had to make the choice this year, and I really like the boys' would be practicing 3 xs per week, but nobody knew how the team would be set up, or what level they would be playing in. NKSA, two days after tryouts ended, had 3 teams together and knew which divisions they were aiming for in the CUSL. It made it very easy to decide.

 

My son also plays for the NKSA and we have had a great experience thus far (this is his 2nd year in their program). He has an outstanding trainer that works really well with the boys. We looked at Kings Hammer this year long and hard (also looked at a Cincinnati United SE team that had called), but in the end we decided for him to stay with NKSA. I get the sense that as both develop (KH and NKSA) their will be a healthy rivalry, but in the end, the winners should be the young soccer players in Northern KY.

I'm looking at about 70 little boys and girls, age 4-7, wearing Kings Hammer t-shirts for their Monday night skills session. Nice program for the little ones. The coaches have lots of energy and the kids are having fun.

Kings Hammer is building their future here.

 

My daughter did this 2 years ago. They do a really good job with the little ones. We only did 1 session as they kept starting them earlier and earlier (5/4:45).

 

We're doing the Kings/Hammer route this year with my daughter. We looked at NKSA as she was asked to play on an older team, but I didn't get a great first impression of the coach when talking to him. Plus, he had his core group of 6 girls that have played for him for a few years, so you know how that can go sometimes. We did the club route last year, and that went well, but the unknowns going into this year made us look at other options. She made the u8 girls team, and so far, she's loving it. Not knowing the coach going in kinda sucks, but we couldn't ask for a better one. Granted, we haven't played any games yet as that is when a coach shows their true colors, but I don't think we'll have any issue with her coach.