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Honoring the Game by Respecting our Officials

In last month’s Club Newsletter, we explored our Respect for our Opponents and ways that we could improve the game by extending our respect to each player and every team we face.  This month we continue our efforts to Honor the Game through respecting the ROOTS by looking at our relationship with the Officials.

Late September and early October’s crisp sunny weather has provided great weekends for soccer. In addition to all of the regular season games on the schedule, the past month has seen our Kings Hammer teams participate in a number of tremendous events; providing hundreds of teams from throughout the region the opportunity to compete.

All this action has people talking about great games, brilliant goals, and superb saves.  Unfortunately, many conversations I have heard have also been centered on the large number of games disrupted by inappropriate, and in some cases, abusive behavior centered on the referees. For some reason, when the whistle blows to start the game many players, coaches, and spectators seem to lose appreciation (and respect) for those responsible for overseeing the game.

And this problem is not isolated just to soccer. The continued lack of respect for officials can be seen every weekend at any sporting event, club, AAU, HS, college, and yes even the pros (watch an FC Cincy game for perfect examples, or go to any hockey game, where the officials are booed as soon as they are introduced…PRIOR to the game!)

In a recent address to her members, Dr Karissa Neihoff, the president of the National Federation of State High School Associations, talks about the problems faced in all sports across the nation (see link below.)  In the video Dr Niehoff addresses the results of frequent abuse of referees-a national shortage of officials resulting in numerous cancellations, postponements, or relocations of games and match.  I am sure many of you have faced similar problems recently to your events.

In order to ensure that we continue to develop, and keep, referees at all levels we all need to work together to create a more RESPECTFUL environment. Let’s start with agreements every family has already made when they sign up their child.

Responsibilities of a KHSC Parent (spectator)

-excerpt from the Kings Hammer Soccer Club Parent Code of Conduct

  • Parent agrees to set a good example by modeling the highest standard of sportsmanship.
  • Parent agrees to refrain from using foul language at club events and from abusing, harassing, or berating players, coaches, referees, opponents, or spectators.

Another step may be to understand more about the referees we see each weekend.  Here are some indisputable facts regarding the men, women, boys, and girls out on fields throughout the season working to officiate youth soccer matches:

  • They ARE PEOPLE!
  • They are sons and daughters, mothers, and fathers
  • They are likely working or going to school in the community where they are refereeing
  • Many of them are getting started at middle school age
  • They do not make a living refereeing youth soccer
  • They are out there because they LOVE the game
  • They want to get every call correct but will miss a few every game
  • They have one set of eyes and 14, 18, or 22 players to keep them on
  • They don’t care which team wins or loses, only that both teams participate fairly and safely
  • They are being verbally abused nearly every game by spectators, coaches, and players
  • The game CANNOT be played without THEM

Finally, take some time to encourage everyone at our games to find ways to avoid inappropriate or abusive behaviors. Check out the link to “Your Playbook for the Game” from Liberty Mutual in addition to these actions:

Suggested Ways to Avoid Yelling at Referees

  • Stand away from the sidelines
  • Be in charge of videotaping the game for the team. Knowing you could be heard on camera lessens the likelihood of inappropriate comments
  • Have paper and a pen (large marker is best.) Anytime you feel the urge to yell, or scream write the comment down…then tear it up
  • Bring lollipops. Anytime you feel the need to comment stick a sucker in your mouth.

As a club, we are committed to supporting our referees and providing an environment that is respectful of the efforts they make to keep our games fair, safe, and fun. We are reviewing options for how to effectively encourage appropriate behavior from players, coaches, and spectators of every match. We are also exploring additional steps which may be taken when participants or spectators cross the line and are unable to maintain the level of respect and restraint needed to maintain a positive experience for everyone.

Additional Resources on Respect of Officials

Our goal is to continue to develop all of our players and their respective teams with an improved player development model and pathway during the new Fall 2022 – Spring 23 season after the tryouts.

Your player’s coach both as a volunteer and paid licensed and certified coach is part of our team and will continue to be part of our soccer club and community. The new partnership is aware that our responsibility as a youth club is to provide more support and resources to each coach so that our players and parents experience is even better.

We plan to have most of our current coaching team to continue to lead their assigned teams for the upcoming season unless there is a conflict with their schedule and/or another opportunity they prefer to pursue in the club which we may consider and appoint a new coach as a result.

Uniforms are set to change for the Fall 2022 – Spring 2023 season and we plan to keep the new and upcoming kits for 2-year period as that is the cycle suggested by the manufacturers.

Our new uniform/player kit brand will be Nike.

Pricing will be very comparable to our current brand of uniforms/player kits as we plan to add more value to the assortment of products that our players currently receive.

No. We will be using Soccer Village as our vendor for our families to order their new season uniforms/player kits.

Soccer Village will provide sample sizes during tryouts for the new uniforms/player kits so that you can order the correct sizing for your player.

Click here to view the Soccer Village website.

Fees will be an all-inclusive model that will cover all expenses (except uniform and personal travel).

No separate club fees and team dues.

Families will have an improved payment plan option of 8 installments with an initial deposit.

Financial Aid and Scholarships will still be available to our families. More information will be added to the website once tryouts have concluded.

Teams will continue to train at the same locations. A big part of this partnership is to work with the city and other independent locations to improve and invest in facilities to create a better training and playing environment.

Kings Hammer is one of the most recognizable privately held clubs in the Midwest.

Founded in 1993 in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area.

2 US Youth National titles, 2 runners-up, 4 US Youth Region 2 Champs, 42 OH State Cups, 25 KY State Cups.

In 2020, they added a U23 team in the Ohio Valley Premier League, winning the league’s inaugural season in the Fall of 2020.

In 2021, they joined USL League Two, the pre-professional division of the USL in the US and adding a USL-W team for the 2022 season.

Kings Hammer is backed by Corporex, a privately held investment company with broad holdings throughout the United States. CPX creates investment opportunities for their capital partners through traditional real estate assets as well as an ever-broadening array of other opportunistic investments including Commonwealth Hotels, Kings Hammer Soccer LLC, Alpine Mountain Ranch & Club and Five Seasons Family Sports Clubs. Their ability to create exceptional value through these investments is rooted in their 56-year history as a BUILDER. Why Kings Hammer?

A Complete Pathway to support an all-inclusive player development

Grassroots-Premier-Academy-Professional Development

  • Pathway will start with grassroots and premier program for the 2022/23 season
  • All-inclusive pay structure with flexible and affordable payment plans that covers all costs. 

No additional team fees (uniform/player kits & personal travel are not included)

  • Additional showcases and ID platforms through KH events & network
  • Unique travel and network opportunities through KH and its partners
  • Increased scholarship support through club and local foundation
  • Affordable uniform costs with better assortment through Nike and SV partnership
  • Play Metrics operations & comm. Platform connects the entire club
  • Techne training app – Supporting self-improvement at home
  • Sports Recruits (College recruitment platform and support)
  • College recruitment seminar
  • Player/Parent Education through KH Education Division
  • Kings Hammer Speaker Series – Platform created to present relevant youth soccer information. National and International guest speakers
  • Use of camera & technology for further development opportunities
  • Kings Hammer Goalkeeper Union for specialized training

Our goal is to make Kings Hammer Murfreesboro SC one of the most successful regional youth soccer clubs that focuses on player development with the proper core values. We plan to recruit and retain all coaches that will enable us to achieve our player development pathway for our players in the long run.

Kings Hammer Murfreesboro will continue to offer all levels of appropriate aged training for all level players. Click here to see our new and improved player development pathway.

Kings Hammer Murfreesboro will continue to offer programs all year round.

Full details of all programming will be released in May 2022.

Yes, the logo and the name will change to represent the new King Hammer Murfreesboro.

We will be combining local, regional, and possibly national sponsorships to generate the resources and scale up the opportunities for our Murfreesboro area players and teams. The benefit of our partnerships has impacted our families far beyond just sponsorships.

 

Technically, No. The Board of Director of MSC have agreed unanimously to sign a 6-year Partnership Agreement to outsource the management of the club to Kings Hammer to elevate the services we are currently and increase the opportunities to have a bigger economic impact to our community with this partnership.

Kings Hammer provides professional player development, great customer service, and offers an inclusive approach to youth soccer.  Kings Hammer Murfreesboro SC will elevate the scale of a community club with access to the highest-level opportunities for players to reach their fullest potential. Throughout the tiered system of development, players and coaches will be able to develop in the appropriate tiered programming, network and expertise provided by Kings Hammer Soccer Club.

Our Recreational Program, which will be branded as our Grassroots Program will continue to play their games at Richard Siegel Soccer Complex under the umbrella of Kings Hammer Murfreesboro SC with more support and resources for both players, parents and volunteer coaches of the program.

Our Academy and Select Program, which will be branded as our Premier Program will continue to train and play their games at Richard Siegel Soccer Complex as well as other locations they currently travel as part of their JDL and TSL games schedule versus other TSSA member organizations and youth soccer clubs.

Our future Premier Program teams will also continue to travel and attend tournaments within the state of TN and possibly other states based on their specific development need and skill level as a team.

No. However Kings Hammer Murfreesboro SC will have an improved structured player development model and a pathway that can support each individual player to play at different levels and assist players achieve their specific goals.

No. Kings Hammer have strong program representation in both States and their players play in their respective locations. The newly formed King Hammer Murfreesboro SC player will continue to play their JDL and TSL games in our area against other TSSA member organizations as scheduled by our state.

Premier Program teams may eventually travel to tournaments in Kentucky and Ohio as a result our partnership with Kings Hammer and vice versa.

As the club grows, we may potentially combine top players from each location to create regional development teams to compete at higher caliber events, showcases to create additional opportunities our players. 

That is our overarching goal and plan. However, it will take some time until we can have teams that can compete in higher level platforms. As Kings Hammer Murfreesboro, we’ve already started working towards a strategic development plan to prepare our club to be part of these leagues and compete at the highest level possible in a short amount of time.