It has been a busy off-season for the defending
American football youth champions Bristol Aztecs.
Aztec youth season gears up!!
The team lost 17 of its 22 starting players, who graduated to the adult teams at the end of last season, and so recruitment has been the number one priority.
More than 40 recruits attended a recent training session, so the efforts seem to be worthwhile as the new season draws closer. The first home game against Farnham Knights takes place on Sunday, 6 May at the BAWA.
The team has also strengthened its ties with state-side partners; College Jersey is now the official youth team sponsor and helped with the purchase of their new uniforms. They also supplied the youth team with practice jerseys so they can train safely.
The team still has more than £2,000 in running costs to find for the season, or it has to come from the kids' pockets, many of whom cannot afford the sport at this point.
In other Aztecs news,last year's graduating linebacker, Toran Williams, has been offered an American football spot at North Park University in Chicago. The Aztecs Youth were quick to strike up a relationship with this school.
They are not only sending over t-shirts for all the team to wear in games but they are going to be offering several more players football spots from the Aztecs youth team for the seasons to come.
They are also going to help several players advance further and attain full football scholarships in neighbouring schools. The Aztecs Youth team has also added to its coaching ranks, and now has a coach for every position meaning that the kids that come to try out for the team get the best chance possible to improve their future education prospects with a football scholarship to the USA.
For those kids with a hard work ethic, this sport really can open up a lot of doors for them to gain junior college or university educations abroad. Meanwhile, Damon Kirby, offensive co-ordinator for the Aztecs Youth Team, recently became one of the first British coach invited to the USA to talk about the sport.
His talk was a roaring success at the singlewing conclave in Pennsylvannia. The coaches were so impressed they collected money to sponsor a member of the Aztecs youth team for the year who could not afford it otherwise.
If you are aged 15-19 then why not give our sport a go www.aztecs.co.uk or if you are an interested local business that wants to see how you can help please contact us over the same web address.
