Player Focus: Ryan Berg

Seventeen year old Ryan Berg has this year become the first Maryborough player to be selected to play for the "Haymes Paint" Ballarat Red Devils. This Senior club plays in the State 3 Football Federation Victoria North West Melbourne League. Being officially a junior for the next two seasons Ryan will gain valuable experience playing with and against the older men. It is not the first time he has played Seniors. He played for our club in 2006 winning the Qualifying Final and finishing third on the ladder in the Ballarat League.

This will be the first year that Ryan has not played for the club since starting as a ten year old in Spurs in the U/10 comp. He only had one season to learn the game before moving up to the more demanding U/14's. Unlike some he wasn't gifted from the beginning. What he lacked in skills he made up in determination and hard work. This pathway has lead him to a very successful soccer career, including winning the U/17 2006 team Best & Fairest in his final year.

Ryan was placed into Rangers and from there he developed into the player he is today. They were a new team, the fifth into the local competition and they had never won any titles. However this was to change under new coach Susan Hayes who molded her players into a dominating team that would win the next six League Titles. Ryan to his credit improved enormously under the coaching of Sue Hayes and playing with better players and was awarded for his new found skills with a spot on the newly formed U/14 Maryborough team playing in the Ballarat League.

Kicking a goal in the first game gave him the confidence to become a valuable team player. This team went on to win the League and Cup Title. Ryan was selected for the U/12 Ballarat Rep Squad along with fellow Rangers and Boro' team mate Aaron Carr. Their team won their division at the Victorian Country Championship held in Geelong.

Ryan has been selected every year since, playing this year in the U/18 team. He was selected for the intensive Country Camp at 13. It was this year that he captained the new U/13 squad that played in the Ballarat League. The young team won the League and Cup Championships with Ryan taking out the Team's Best and Fairest and Coaches Award. Ryan at this time also began playing for the Ballarat Academy of Soccer as well as playing for Maryborough and Rangers each weekend.

He went on to be part of a four year reign for the Maryborough club. Ryan has also represented his school St.Patricks College from year 7 to 12. They remained undefeated last year in the BAS competition.

Ryan also coached his St.Pats Year 8 boys to win the Junior Division of the BAS competition. Impressed with his coaching the BDSA appionted Ryan as assistant coach for the U/12 Rep Team. This team went on to finish second in its division after finishing on the bottom the previous year.

This year he has been asked to prepare the team for the Country Championships to be held in Albury. Ryan will keep his association with the Club, helping coach the U/13 squad in the Ballarat Competition.

Last year he was the Assistant Coach of Rangers, the U/15 Maryborough League and Cup winners. He is also a qualified Referree and has done many Saturday U/15 games after starting with the U/11's.

Just another success story for a Maryborough player that started running around looking for a kick in the dew of the Peel Street Reserve.