You must secure the returning players from last year's youth football team.
Returning players are very important for your upcoming season.
You know what you have with a returning player.
If they are young or a second year playing returning you will see the biggest improvement in their skills and aggressiveness.
You can usually have a fairly good outlook on the upcoming season based on the amount of returning players.
You also need to talk to the coach of the lower level youth football teams that will be feeding into your level.
Ask the coach who the upcoming studs are as well as the immediate lower-level.
It is good to have some insight on their strengths and weaknesses.
Most of the youth football teams I have coached that were Championship caliber, all had many returning players.
We have had years where we have many skill players come from the lower level teams.
You can expect a great year when you are taking skill athletes who were running backs on previous teams and they are now lineman for you.
I believe that experience is the second most important quality you want in the youth athlete.
The most important quality is speed.
I'm talking about Greased lighting God Given natural speed.
you do not get this kind of speed often, but when you do it is time to go to church and thank the lord.
I make it a top priority to keep in contact with any and all returning players since I know this will help me prepare for the next season.