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baltimore-celtic

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Baltimore Celtic

Overview

Baltimore Celtic is a founding member of the Boys ECNL, established in 2013 in Cockeysville/Towson, Maryland. The club was formed by coaches and players who separated from Baltimore Bays Chelsea Academy after the U.S. Soccer Development Academy restricted participation in high school soccer. 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 85-1191269.

Baltimore Celtic operates U8-U18 boys and girls teams and has won 6 national championships within its first years of operation (multiple state, regional, and national titles). The club also operates a South branch in Anne Arundel County.

Financials

No full 990 filings available on ProPublica. The Baltimore Celtic Soccer Foundation (EIN 85-1191269) was designated tax-exempt in August 2020 and appears to file the 990-N e-postcard (organizations under $50,000 in gross receipts).

A club operating at the ECNL level with multiple teams should have revenue well above $50K. The operating entity likely files under a different structure or EIN. Financial data is unknown. (HIGH priority to resolve)

Teams & Players

Team count and player count unknown. Boys U8-U18, Girls U8-U18 programs. Uses McDonogh School as primary venue. Tryouts for 2026-27 season in late April/May.

League Affiliations

Facilities

  • McDonogh School — Primary training/game venue (Owings Mills, MD)
  • Practice locations at Severna Park HS and Arundel HS (South branch)

Leadership

  • Ryan Barbera — Owner
  • Carl Delmont — Board Member / Co-Owner
  • Brad Sellar — General Manager
  • Brian Rowland — Technical and ECNL Director
  • Tiffany Ginski — Director of Operations

College Placement

Not documented. Club competes at the highest national level (ECNL founding member) which typically produces strong D1 placement.

Competitive Position

Strengths:

  • ECNL Boys founding member — significant league equity
  • Girls Academy member
  • 6 national championships in first ~5 years — exceptional competitive record
  • Privately owned (Barbera/Delmont) — potentially simpler acquisition structure than nonprofits

Weaknesses:

  • Financial opacity — no full 990 data available
  • Smaller operation than Bethesda SC or Pipeline SC
  • Facility-dependent (uses school venues, no owned fields)

SYNRGY Relevance

Baltimore Celtic’s ECNL Boys founding membership is a scarce asset. The private ownership structure (Barbera/Delmont) may make acquisition negotiations more straightforward than with nonprofit-governed clubs. However, the lack of financial transparency is a due diligence concern.

Open Questions

  • What is the actual operating entity and its revenue/expense profile? The Foundation appears to be a separate entity. (CRITICAL priority)
  • How many teams and players does the club have? (HIGH priority)
  • What is the ownership structure? LLC? S-Corp? (HIGH priority)
  • What are the terms of the McDonogh School facility arrangement? (MEDIUM priority)

Graph View

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