When asked what makes the bears so successful, club secretary and lifelong member Kylie Carroll was pretty certain why.
“We really pay close attention to the development of our players,” she said.
“Starting young, we teach them how to play the game rather than making it about winning.
“Just as an example, one of our development coaches, Craig, who has been with us for over 30 years, took second and third division under 11s and just developed them over the years. He eventually took them to three grand finals but they just couldn’t beat this one dominant side.
“Rather than worrying about the win, he worried about their development and last year they won the grand final and eight of the boys from the team were selected for the Harold Mathews Cup.”
The club has been a stepping stone for many current players as well as the greats, like Daniel Tupou, Junior Langi, Drew Emelio, and Jack and Trevor Cogger just to name a few.
A Young Guns program is also available for those wishing to learn coaching and how to train players from their experienced staff.
If you think you could see yourself scoring tries in an Origin match, are a footy nut or just want to show your support, then visit beralabears.com.au to find out how.
Berala Bears enjoy one of highest success rates for building champs
BERALA Bears have been making Australian champions for more than half a century. With one of the highest success rates for junior clubs in the Canterbury district for professional career progression, the Bears certainly know what they’re doing.
