Vagabond Celtic Force Volleyball Club Finds a Home at Palos Courts

Palos Courts has served as the home of Celtic Force Volleyball Club since 2001. When the club first was formed in 1998, it used a variety of gyms around Worth, Lemont, Palos and Orland. The place the Force now calls home has a long history and many uses.

Celtic Force is co-owned by Mike Brennan and Kathy Steel. They have more than 50 years experience in the club volleyball world between them. Steel came aboard as a parent in the early 1990s. Brennan has been coaching since the early 1980s.

“My daughter never played for Celtic Force," Steel said. "She played for the club I had before this one in the early 1990s called 'Airborne.' We started after Brennan had been at a tryout while coaching with another club. There were over 100 kids there for maybe 15 spots. He said, ‘This is ridiculous. We can do this.' That started our quest."

Ten years ago, the Force moved to Palos Courts and the move changed the entire dynamic of the club, according to Steel.

“We have a home now," she said. "We weren’t vagabonds going from gym to gym all over the area. I don’t leave here with bags of balls and carts. I also think the kids have a sense of pride in the building. They are very comfortable here. It gives them a bit of a home court advantage when they’re here."

Celtic Force is a volleyball club for girls ages 10-18. There are clinics available to girls and boys as young as 8, however. And, now, more than ever there is a prestige factor that goes along with playing for Celtic Force.

Since 2007, the club has sent athletes to Duke, Notre Dame, Loyola, UIC, Valparaiso and Western Illinois, just to name a few.

On Aug. 10, Celtic Force coaches held a volleyball clinic for students in grades 1-8. The co-ed clinic was free and open to the public. The club will have an additional clinic on Aug. 24. Celtic Force will take participants at the door, but encourages would-be participants to call ahead and reserve a spot.

“This is our way of giving back to the community," Steel said. "It’s saying, ‘hey,' to the neighbors and asking them to bring their kids over."

Celtic Force and the boys’ point series are USA Volleyball accredited, and while the boys don’t have a club just yet, Steel said interest is picking up and a boys club could be coming soon.

“We’re going to try and do a younger boys team this year," she said. "We haven’t been able to get that going before. The older teams that practice here as part of the Point Series are phenomenal."

Boys tryouts will start after Labor Day. Girls tryout dates will be determined later this year.

USA Volleyball requires Celtic Force to hold tryouts after the high school volleyball season is over.