FAQ
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Frequently Asked Questions
Have questions about our programs, tryouts, schedules, or teams? We've compiled the most common inquiries to help you get quick answers. If you don’t find what you're looking for, feel free to reach out—we’re here to help!
What is the difference between recreational, academy, and competitive soccer?
Recreational - Best for beginners, casual players, or kids who play mainly for fun with friends.
Academy - Ages between 6 and 9 who want more skill development with professional coaches.
Competitive - Ages between 10 and 18. Highly committed players aiming to compete at higher levels.
How do I register?
Registration is completed online through our website under the Registration tab.
Are payment plans or financial assistance available?
Recreational:
Yes.
To receive a Free or Reduced Lunch code, a director must see the FL/RL Form; viewing the form can be done in person with a hard copy, or on the phone, or emailed to Jessica Knehans at rec@oklahomaceltic.com
If the school provides meals for every student at your school, a government assistance card/paper will need to be shown.
Academy/Competitive
Yes.
Financial aid is available for qualifying families. You'll need to apply by completing the scholarship application forms and providing proof of income. These forms can be found on the website under the respective programs.
When and where are practices held?
Recreational
The time/day will be up to the volunteer coach. For location, we try to group players and teams by the school district their families attend. This will usually be at a local park or school.
Academy/Competitive
The Academy usually has team practices on Monday and Thursday, but this can differ depending on the coach's schedule.
Competitive teams practice Monday or Tuesday and Thursday, and the RL teams, Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.
All academy/competitive teams will practice at Gillis-Rother Soccer Complex - 1001 E Robinson Street, Norman, OK 73170
How can I contact the club?
Please email the respective program director. You will find their email here: https://oklahomaceltic.com/about-us/staff/
How is playing time handled?
Recreational teams emphasize balanced playing time.
Competitive teams follow the program philosophy and the coach's discretion.
What is the refund policy?
Recreational
We allow registered players to withdraw for any reason prior to teams being announced, and receive close to a full refund of registration fees
Academy/Competitive
Withdrawing at anytime once the season starts, registration fees will be reduced to 50% for any future balance remaining on the parents'
account. Celtic will adjust this if there are any extenuating circumstances, such as injury/medical conditions or relocation, but documentation will be required.
Can I play with my friend?
Recreational
Yes! We have buddy forms available for you and a friend to fill out so you can play on the same team. If you would like to play with more than one friend and have a parent in the group who wants to coach, the volunteer coach can complete a team form with multiple players!
Academy/Competitive
Not by request. Teams and players are formed by skill set, and this is determined by the coaches in the age group.
Can I coach my child's team?
Recreational
Yes! We are always looking for volunteer coaches. As a coach, you can choose the practice day, time, and location to fit your schedule.
Academy/Competitive
No. All academy/competitive teams are coached by professional coaches.
What equipment do I need for my child?
Recreational
You will purchase 2 jerseys (green and white) from Play It Again Sports to wear for games, a soccer ball, cleats, and shin guards. We do offer a free cleat night before each season, where you can come to receive gently worn cleats.
Academy/Competitive
All uniform requirements are purchased online through soccer.com.
Can my player guest play outside of the Club?
Academy/Competitive
Players within Oklahoma Celtic Football Club must communicate with their coaches and request to guest-play outside the Club. Our goal is to provide players with enough opportunities so that guest play isn't necessary too often. We will also look to educate players on periodization and ensure they are getting the right rest-training/game ratio. We want our players to have opportunities to play, but we want to ensure that safety and communication remain priorities. The process for requesting guest play outside the Club is: a player should communicate the request to their Coach; the outside Club coach should communicate with our coach; and a request will then come to the directors, who will approve or deny it.
If I have an issue or complaint regarding my child's team, what is the process of communication?
We hope the environment we create and the expectations we set limit concerns, but if you have any concerns, we strongly encourage you to follow the communication channels set by the club.
The first step is to talk to your player's coach. Please wait 24 hours following a game, set up a good time to meet, or get on a phone call. The goal would be to resolve any issue at this step. Our challenge to the coaches would be to communicate a clear solution and set expectations moving forward.
If you feel the issue remains unresolved, the next step is to contact the Director of your players' program (Boys, Girls, Boys Pre-RL, Girls Pre-RL, Academy, Junior Academy, Recreational).
If you are still unsatisfied with the outcome following communication with the coach and program director, you can contact the Executive Director. The Executive Director can address any matter with the Board, when necessary. This allows us to simplify the process and hopefully address any problems efficiently and effectively.
WHAT IS THE AGE GROUP CHANGE?
Starting in the Fall of 2026, U.S. Soccer is transitioning age groups from the current calendar-year birth system (January 1 – December 31) to a school-year system (August 1 – July 31). This means that age-group placements starting in the Fall of 2026 will align with the player’s school year rather than the calendar year of their birth.
Here is a simplified way of understanding the change. Currently, players are grouped with other players born in a specific year (January 1 - December 31) that includes multiple grades. Starting in the Fall of ‘26, players will be grouped with players in their same grade (August 1 - July 31).
If you would like more information on the “why” for the change, click this link for a great article from US Club Soccer.
WHEN DOES THE AGE GROUP CHANGE BEGIN?
As mentioned above, this change will not happen until the Fall of 2026. The spring season that we just started will not be affected.
WHO DOES THE CHANGE AFFECT?
The move to a school-year system will not affect every player. In fact, it will not affect most players. The change will only affect players born between August - December.
Click this link for a chart to confirm your age-group for the start of the Fall ‘26 season
HOW WILL THE CHANGE AFFECT THE RECREATIONAL PROGRAM?
The new school-year age group system will take effect beginning in Fall of 2026.
**Please note that the Spring 2026 recreational season will not be affected.**
We will be sharing more detailed information and guidance with our recreational coaches and teams over the summer as we prepare for the fall season.
HOW WILL THE CHANGE AFFECT THE ACADEMY PROGRAM?
In addition to our recreational program, the new school-year age-group system will take effect for our Academy program in the fall of 2026.
Our Academy program is a crucial time for development for our young players. We also see a broader spectrum of development in these ages. Because of the wide range of development, remaining in the correct environment is important. When deemed appropriate, club leadership and coaches may make case-by-case placement decisions to ensure our Academy players remain in the environment best for their development.
We currently host Academy player evaluations for team placement in the Fall, with additional Spring evaluations. We believe Spring evaluations help ensure our Academy players remain in the most appropriate environment for their development throughout the year.
HOW WILL THE CHANGE AFFECT THE COMPETITIVE/PRE-ECNL/RL PROGRAMS?
Following the lead of US Club Soccer, USYS, and the ECNL, we will adopt the new school-year structure across our Competitive, Pre-ECNL, and RL programs in the Fall of 2026.
While we will adopt the change across our programs, we will also allow club leadership and coaches to make case-by-case placement decisions when appropriate for the player's development. Our ultimate goal is to create the best possible environment for every player. An environment where they can grow, be challenged, and reach their full potential.
To help us all better prepare for the upcoming transition, Celtic will host school-year age group training sessions. The first session will be on Tuesday, January 27th. These will be internal training sessions for current Oklahoma Celtic players only. The sessions will provide an opportunity for players to train and practice within their respective school-year age groups for the Fall ‘26 season.
**IMPORTANT NOTE**
The school-year age group training sessions are not ID Sessions or Tryouts for team placement for the upcoming Fall ‘26 season. They are simply to help our players, coaches, and families prepare for the transition.
We will host multiple ID Sessions and Tryouts so every player will have plenty of opportunities to be evaluated by our coaching staff for their respective age group for the Fall ‘26 season.
Below are our scheduled ID Session dates:
ID Session Dates:
Monday, March 30th
Wednesday, April 22nd
Monday, May 18th
Thursday, May 28th
*Competitive Tryouts for U11–U18 are tentatively scheduled for June 1–5. These dates will be confirmed and communicated in February.
WHAT IF I STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?
We understand that the changes to age groups can feel daunting for players and families. It is completely natural to have questions or concerns.
Our Competitive Directors have already started the detailed process of communicating directly with every family to ensure that every player and family receives clear, thoughtful guidance as we move closer to the Fall.
If you have any questions or concerns in the meantime, please feel free to reach out to your
Program Director using the contact information below:
Recreational Director: Jessica Knehans - rec@oklahomaceltic.com
Academy Director: Michael Thomas - michaelt@oklahomaceltic.com
U11/U12 Boys: Trevor Hunt - trevorh@oklahomaceltic.com
U11/U12 Girls: James Roberson - james@oklahomaceltic.com
Boys Director: Danny Gibson - danny@oklahomaceltic.com
Technical & Girls Director: Niall Burley - niall@oklahomaceltic.com