37th annual Celtic Cup adds
girls showcase event
U-16 to U-19 girls draw college attention,
440 teams entered in U-9 to U-19 age groups
By Gary Larsen
As a player for the Palatine Celtic Soccer Club, Lauren Ellis has participated in the annual Celtic Cup for 11 years. But this year’s tournament will be special for several reasons for the Palatine High School student and her Celtic teammates on the U-19 team.
“It’s kind of bittersweet this year, because we love it so much, and it’s our last one,” she said. “So we really want to make the most of it. Honestly, we all count down the days until Celtic Cup. It’s a blast. We all look forward to it.”
This year’s tournament will be special for another reason. For the first time in tournament history, the Cup will operate as a showcase tournament for the U-16 through U-19 girls teams. Coaches from colleges throughout the Midwest and one from California will be on the lookout for potential recruits from the 75 teams.
It’s a wrinkle added by Soccer By Design (SBD) Event Management, which is in its second year of running the Cup.
“The Celtic Cup is one of the longest-standing tournaments in the Midwest, and we want to keep on with that tradition,” said Brian Simpson, director of events for SBD.
“But the biggest change nationwide has been among the high school-aged players. The college showcase format has become an important aspect for that group of players, and a chance for them to be recruited.”
The 37th annual Celtic Cup runs Friday through Sunday and includes 440 teams. Boys and girls from the U-9 through U-15 age groups will compete in addition to the older girls.
Chris Gattuso, Celtic's vice president for travel teams, appreciated the job SBD did running last year’s tournament and valued its input for 2016.
“They do a great job, and we know the word ‘showcase’ tends to attract college coaches,” Gattuso said. “We had internal discussions with our coaches and board members, and decided to try it.
“We don’t like to stand pat. We poll coaches at the end of the tournament each year and last year something like 70 percent said it would be more attractive if a showcase was included.”
Ellis, a center-midfielder who also golfs for Palatine High School, is happy that college coaches will be present this year because of her desire to play soccer at the next level.
Coaches or scouts representing schools from California (Saint Katherine College in San Marcos) to Michigan (Ferris State in Big Rapids) will be on hand. Chicago-area colleges St. Xavier, Benedictine, North Park, Roosevelt, Elgin Community College and Rockford University are among others that will participate in a growing list of institutions from six states.
Ellis dismissed the idea that their presence will create any special anxiety among players.
“You’re always a little nervous at the beginning of a game, but it goes away as soon as you start playing,” she said. “And as a player, you always want to compete, and having college coaches there kind of motivates us even more to play at a higher level.
"The high level of play always makes the Cup fun and now that the college coaches come into play, it makes it even more fun.”
For showcase teams, three 80-minute games will replace the five, 60-minute games of past tournaments, with no competition for a title.
With less wear and tear on players’ bodies, college coaches will thus see a higher level of play throughout the showcase games.
College coaches will also be given a recruitment book containing contact information for all showcase players, and Simpson expects the field of college coaches attending the Cup to grow each year.
“That’s the goal,” he said. “Over time we hope to get a reputation for it, so it gets bigger and bigger. Then teams and clubs want to continue to come because they know college coaches will be there, and they have the best chance of getting looked at.”
Ellis and her Celtic teammates are accustomed to playing against Illinois club teams like Eclipse and the Sockers, so she also values the weekend’s opportunity to play against teams from Wisconsin and Michigan.
“It’s always fun to play teams we haven’t played before,” she said. “Getting new competition is really nice because you never know what style of play you’re going to face with those teams.
“This year I think we’re a good mix of skill and being physical. We connect the ball and move together extremely well, because we’ve been together as a team for eight years. So we know how each other plays.”
Teams from U-9 to U-15 will remain in five-game, bracketed groups which will vie for championships.
Celtic Cup games will take place at Palatine High School, the adjacent Celtic fields and at the Gbur Sports Fields at Hamilton Reservoir. To access the Cup schedule, soccer fans can visit the club’s website at palatinecelticcup.com.
Gattuso is a Fremd graduate who played in the tournament as a youth and saw his son and daughter grow up playing in the tournament through high school.
“You get to play in a tournament with awesome fields, great competition, and I always loved playing against out-of-state teams,” Gattuso said. “Even for the U-9 and U-10 kids, that’s really a lot of fun.
“It’s also good for the community. I know the Cup brings people in for local businesses, and it’s just a great event every year.”
girls showcase event
U-16 to U-19 girls draw college attention,
440 teams entered in U-9 to U-19 age groups
By Gary Larsen
As a player for the Palatine Celtic Soccer Club, Lauren Ellis has participated in the annual Celtic Cup for 11 years. But this year’s tournament will be special for several reasons for the Palatine High School student and her Celtic teammates on the U-19 team.
“It’s kind of bittersweet this year, because we love it so much, and it’s our last one,” she said. “So we really want to make the most of it. Honestly, we all count down the days until Celtic Cup. It’s a blast. We all look forward to it.”
This year’s tournament will be special for another reason. For the first time in tournament history, the Cup will operate as a showcase tournament for the U-16 through U-19 girls teams. Coaches from colleges throughout the Midwest and one from California will be on the lookout for potential recruits from the 75 teams.
It’s a wrinkle added by Soccer By Design (SBD) Event Management, which is in its second year of running the Cup.
“The Celtic Cup is one of the longest-standing tournaments in the Midwest, and we want to keep on with that tradition,” said Brian Simpson, director of events for SBD.
“But the biggest change nationwide has been among the high school-aged players. The college showcase format has become an important aspect for that group of players, and a chance for them to be recruited.”
The 37th annual Celtic Cup runs Friday through Sunday and includes 440 teams. Boys and girls from the U-9 through U-15 age groups will compete in addition to the older girls.
Chris Gattuso, Celtic's vice president for travel teams, appreciated the job SBD did running last year’s tournament and valued its input for 2016.
“They do a great job, and we know the word ‘showcase’ tends to attract college coaches,” Gattuso said. “We had internal discussions with our coaches and board members, and decided to try it.
“We don’t like to stand pat. We poll coaches at the end of the tournament each year and last year something like 70 percent said it would be more attractive if a showcase was included.”
Ellis, a center-midfielder who also golfs for Palatine High School, is happy that college coaches will be present this year because of her desire to play soccer at the next level.
Coaches or scouts representing schools from California (Saint Katherine College in San Marcos) to Michigan (Ferris State in Big Rapids) will be on hand. Chicago-area colleges St. Xavier, Benedictine, North Park, Roosevelt, Elgin Community College and Rockford University are among others that will participate in a growing list of institutions from six states.
Ellis dismissed the idea that their presence will create any special anxiety among players.
“You’re always a little nervous at the beginning of a game, but it goes away as soon as you start playing,” she said. “And as a player, you always want to compete, and having college coaches there kind of motivates us even more to play at a higher level.
"The high level of play always makes the Cup fun and now that the college coaches come into play, it makes it even more fun.”
For showcase teams, three 80-minute games will replace the five, 60-minute games of past tournaments, with no competition for a title.
With less wear and tear on players’ bodies, college coaches will thus see a higher level of play throughout the showcase games.
College coaches will also be given a recruitment book containing contact information for all showcase players, and Simpson expects the field of college coaches attending the Cup to grow each year.
“That’s the goal,” he said. “Over time we hope to get a reputation for it, so it gets bigger and bigger. Then teams and clubs want to continue to come because they know college coaches will be there, and they have the best chance of getting looked at.”
Ellis and her Celtic teammates are accustomed to playing against Illinois club teams like Eclipse and the Sockers, so she also values the weekend’s opportunity to play against teams from Wisconsin and Michigan.
“It’s always fun to play teams we haven’t played before,” she said. “Getting new competition is really nice because you never know what style of play you’re going to face with those teams.
“This year I think we’re a good mix of skill and being physical. We connect the ball and move together extremely well, because we’ve been together as a team for eight years. So we know how each other plays.”
Teams from U-9 to U-15 will remain in five-game, bracketed groups which will vie for championships.
Celtic Cup games will take place at Palatine High School, the adjacent Celtic fields and at the Gbur Sports Fields at Hamilton Reservoir. To access the Cup schedule, soccer fans can visit the club’s website at palatinecelticcup.com.
Gattuso is a Fremd graduate who played in the tournament as a youth and saw his son and daughter grow up playing in the tournament through high school.
“You get to play in a tournament with awesome fields, great competition, and I always loved playing against out-of-state teams,” Gattuso said. “Even for the U-9 and U-10 kids, that’s really a lot of fun.
“It’s also good for the community. I know the Cup brings people in for local businesses, and it’s just a great event every year.”