Palatine Celtic Soccer Club x Capelli Sport ­

Capelli Sport to Become the Official Uniform and Equipment Supplier for Palatine Celtic Soccer Club

Capelli Sport is excited to announce a multi-year partnership with Palatine Celtic Soccer Club. This 4-season deal will make Capelli Sport the official uniform, apparel, and gear supplier for Palatine Celtic’s players, coaches, and select staff. This partnership will last through the 2025 season, and will see PCSC’s YSSL, IWSL, and NISL players compete in Capelli Sport jerseys.

Founded in 1968, Palatine Celtic Soccer Club has long been a presence in the Cook County soccer scene. Committed to providing expert instruction to any athlete with the drive to play, PCSC hosts 85 recreation league teams for both girls and boys, as well as 30 travel teams for girls and boys ages U8 to U18. Many former Celtic players have gone onto success at the collegiate level, including play with top NCAA division I schools.

Director of Soccer of Palatine Celtic Soccer Club, Andy McDermott said:

“We at Celtic are so excited to be partnering with Capelli Sport!  Not only will our players look and feel like professionals, but our club is already working with Capelli Sport to go above and beyond a traditional uniform deal.  Our coaching staff and directors will represent the club at a whole new level, and parents and families will have special opportunities to receive new Celtic gear as well.  As we dedicate ourselves to make our culture and community the most positive developmental soccer club in the area, I am overjoyed that we get to personify that mission with a brand-new look and feel that we will all take pride in wearing.”

President and CEO of Capelli Sport, George Altirs said:

“We are proud to partner with one of the most well-respected soccer organizations in Illinois. By partnering with Palatine Celtic we can expand our presence in the region while offering PCSC’s players the chance to compete in premium uniforms. PCSC will also benefit from the connections and opportunities that come from being a part of the Capelli Sport network.”

About Capelli Sport

Based out of New York City, Capelli Sport was founded in 2011 with the mission to provide quality, functionality and design for high-level performance on the field. Capelli Sport now operates around the globe, distributing world-class training gear, apparel and equipment and partnering with elite soccer clubs and organizations. Learn more at capellisport.com and f­ind Capelli Sport on Twitter (@capellisport) and Instagram (CapelliSport), or visit the Capelli Sport Facebook page.

Hi everyone, I’m Andy McDermott, the Director of Soccer at Palatine Celtic Soccer Club.  I’ve been on soccer fields most days for the past 40 years – as a player, coach, and executive in youth and professional soccer – but my most important role is a soccer dad!  All of these experiences and perspectives have combined to motivate me to make Palatine Celtic the best possible soccer environment for each player in our club – from the beginner on their first day, to the advanced player who has earned a scholarship to play in college!

I am very excited to be a part of this bright future.  We have almost 1000 players involved in our Recreational Program, and I am expecting our Competitive Program to grow over the next couple of years to include - at every age group on both the boys and girls sides - a First Team, Second Team, and hopefully a Third Team.  This will allow us to provide the best possible development environment for each player.

With player evaluations and 2022/2023 team formations coming up, I wanted to share a few thoughts on our renewed focus on Individual Development in a Successful Team Environment.  We are determined to find the right situation for each player in our club, and we’re committed to offering each player the right combination of Athletic, Technical, and Tactical training to help that player reach their full potential.  This individual emphasis means that we are NOT focused on “winning at all costs.”  I’ve coached all over the country, and I’ve seen countless times how a coach can pick the biggest, fastest players and win games by teaching that team the wrong way to play.  Unfortunately, this leads to two negative outcomes: first, the smaller, “later developers” may walk away from the game because some narrow-minded coach sends them the message that they aren’t good enough.  Second, the “early developers” never acquire the skill and knowledge of how to play the right way, and eventually they get left behind when all the other kids catch up to their early growth rate.  The right answer, of course, is to guide each player in developing the skills and abilities of high-level soccer players, while helping them all to fall in love with the game!  And yes- we will always try to win, but winning should be the result of positive play, not the sole mission of the coaches and parents.

So, what does this mean at Palatine Celtic?  I’d like to share my list of some of the benefits that Celtic has to offer:

• First, I’d put our staff of professional, licensed coaches up against any club around.  As coaches, they’ve led players at all levels, and as players, they’ve been Celtic players themselves, high school varsity state champs, college scholarship earners, and professional players! I love working with these men and women, and I’m honored to have my own children be coached by them.
• Did you know we are one of the only youth soccer clubs in Illinois to have our own lighted soccer facility with FIFA-sized turf and natural grass fields?  It’s even called Celtic Park!
• Our Athletic/Technical/Tactical mindset is not just something we talk about.  Our club training philosophy is built upon it.  Each training session includes:
  • Athletic: our custom-designed Celtic Athleticism Program (CAP) takes each one of our competitive players through the nuts and bolts of running faster, increasing quickness/agility, and developing injury prevention.  It’s not just taught once or twice, but it is practiced and developed in every training session.  I have a lifelong obsession with Performance Training, and did my Mentorship Training at EXOS in Arizona.  Our goal is to maximize the athletic ability of every player at Celtic.  
  • Technical: the second phase of each training session is focused on Ball Mastery.  This includes learning and practicing the ability to control the ball, pass the ball, and shoot the ball.  Our goal is for every player in our club to become so comfortable on the ball that they are able to solve their own problems, work their way out of trouble, and have the confidence to take risks on the field.  NOTE: We are also creating a video series on Celtic Soccer Homework, which will be extra 10-15 minute skill acquisition challenges that Celtic players can complete at home.  Spending time with the ball is critical for young players, and we want to enable them to develop as quickly as possible.
  • Tactical: the third phase of each session will be teaching the knowledge and ability of players to interact with other humans on the field- teammates and opponents.  Our mission here will be to increase the “Soccer IQ”of every player, so that they are prepared and confident in unpredictable situations.
• Winter Training.  Moving forward, our winter training will be designed specifically for the individual development of each player.  This will consist of three main focuses:   
  • Futsal Training, led by Coach Philip Surprise, who along with playing professionally in the MLS and MASL Indoor Soccer, was a member of our US National Futsal Team.
  • Speed and Strength Training – led by me and our trained coaching staff, to increase athleticism and strengthen bodies for performance and injury prevention.
  • Ball Mastery and Small-Sided Games - We have a professional-level 180’ x 90’ turf fieldhouse at Falcon Park Community Center for small-sided games and training.  We’ll have dedicated game, finishing, and goalkeeping sessions each week, along with our futsal and speed/strength work. 
• We compete in the top leagues and tournaments available, and we’re always evaluating new opportunities to see what is the best environment for each one of our teams.
• We are about to reveal our brand new uniform and equipment partnership with Capelli Sport!  Wait until you see these new kits and the cool gear that Capelli is providing for us- makes me want to be a player again. 
• Lastly – I’ll invite you to compare the costs of joining Celtic with the costs of any other club in the area.  I think you’ll agree that we offer incredible value as we are less expensive and we offer top-level coaching, facilities, and opportunities for all levels.  I know how important this value is to many families; I have four young soccer players myself! 

Thanks for considering Celtic.  We are not just a soccer club, we are a community with a positive culture.  We’d love for you to join us!