The Celtic Huddle: The Official Podcast of Oklahoma Celtic FC

This episode explores Oklahoma Celtic's holistic approach to player development, introducing exciting new Player Development Initiatives, including mental performance coaching, strength and conditioning programs, and enhanced individual development plans. We also dive deep into the college recruiting process with Director of College Recruiting, Trevor LaFoon, who provides invaluable guidance on navigating the path to collegiate soccer for both boys and girls.CHAPTER LIST:2:39 - 26/27 Celtic Tryout Information4:40 - ECNL-RL League Realignment6:00 - Listener Question9:29 - The Importance of Development11:28 - Player Development Initiative 1: Mental Performance Coach13:52 - Player Development Initiative 2: Strength and Conditioning/Injury Prevention Coach15:50 - Celtic's Holistic Approach to Development16:55 - Player Development Initiative 3: Sleep/Nutrition Education17:37 - Other Player Development Initiatives: Increased Film Focus/Improved IDP18:46: Celtic's Vision for Player Development21:16 - Meet Trevor Laffoon22:05 - About the Director of College Recruiting Role 25:50 - At What Age Should I Start the Recruiting Process?41:33 - The Celtic Pathway

In this episode of The Celtic Huddle, our Boys Competitive Director, Danny Gibson, and our Girls Competitive Director, Niall Burley, peel back the curtain on:- A breakdown of the new leagues we will be joining- The 26/27 Coaching Slate- ID Sessions- Tryouts- Listener Questions (including an in-depth look into the process of team placement)It is a good one, so enjoy it and share it with a friend!If you have a question or an idea for a topic, we would love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] Moments in this Episode:0:00 Intro2:50 Episode Agenda3:30 Age Group Change Update6:50 New Girls Leagues (GA and NPL)18:30 New Boys Leagues (ECNL-RL and NPL)27:50 Girls 26/27 Coaching Slate32:35 Boys 26/27 Coaching Slate40:30 ID Sessions46:30 Tryouts49:45 Listener Questions (team placement process)1:01:50 Outro

In this episode of The Celtic Huddle, we get to know our new Competitive Boys Director, Danny Gibson. We will learn a bit about how he got here, his coaching philosophy and his vision for the Boys Competitive Program and players at Celtic. We also spent some time talking all things OSC Celtic Cup, which will be the largest tournament we have hosted to date with 276 teams! We are excited about hosting teams from all over the region and the positive impact it will have on our local community!We would love to hear from you! If you have a question or an idea for a topic, email us at [email protected].

Our first Celtic Huddle podcast features Executive Director, Ryan Trudgian and Technical Director, Niall Burley. Along with our host, Aubrey Sanchez, they discuss the upcoming age group change (effective Fall 2026), our recent staff retreat, and some of the things we are doing at Celtic to see every player develop, on and off the field.Key Moments in this Episode00:00 - 00:35: Intro00:36 - 02:13: Why the Celtic Huddle?02:13 - 10:58: Celtic Staff Retreat Recap/Takeaways10:58 - 14:40: What is the Age Group Change in Fall 2026?14:40 - 16:29: Some Benefits of the Age Group Change16:29 - 18:18: What Age Group will a player be in?18:18 - 21:05: Age Group Change in our Recreational Program21:05 - 21:25: Age Group Change in our Academy Program21:25 - 22:22: Case by Case Age Group Placement22:22 - 27:59: Year Round Evaluation28:47 - 29:35: Developing All Levels of Players/Teams29:35 - 33:45: Age Group Change in our Competitive Program33:45 - 36:25: New Age Group Pool Trainings36:25 - 40:25: Upcoming Events/Communication from the Club40:25 - 43:03: Closing/Send Us Your Topic IdeasIf you have a question or an idea for a topic, email us at [email protected] Links:NewsletterAge Group ListOklahoma Celtic WebsiteFollow us on InstagramFollow us on Facebook