It’s been a little less than a month since Louisville City FC played its final game of the 2016 season, but the offseason has already been a busy one for Coach James O’Connor and the club’s front office as they work toward maintaining the club’s high on-field performance of the past two seasons.

“It’s a lot of work,” said O’Connor on Friday. “People think when the season finishes you can have a rest, but it ends up being the other way, you end up working even longer and even harder.”

Louisville announced on Friday that at least 11 players from this past season would return to the side in 2017, with defender Kyle Smith, midfielder Guy Abend and forward Cameron Lancaster leading the group that will be back to Slugger Field next season. The club also announced it was in negotiations with goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh and midfielder George Davis IV, both of whom played important roles in the club’s success this past season, to keep them at the club.

“Obviously I’m really pleased to get the players re-signed,” said O’Connor. “I think it was really important to get that core group back. I think when you look at the quality that we have, we were all really pleased with them last year.”