In the Spotlight – Gareth Uys (President & Coach)

GU: If you enjoy playing the game; respect your teammates and coach; and have the right spirit and attitude, then you will naturally improve as a player and team, and plenty of wins will come.

That said, my focus is not on winning. We all want to play well but winning must never be our main objective. We are here to have fun, improve our skills and encourage each other so we can all share in the team’s success.

I also believe that junior coaches should be knowledgeable, enthusiastic and energetic. Passion is transferable and when coaches don’t care, kids can tell. I don’t play favourites but give all players an opportunity in key positions.

I believe an apathetic coach can do more harm than good, which is why all our coaches at Brothers are passionate about developing junior talent and giving every player a good experience. 

GU: At this age, it’s all about the fundamentals. There is plenty of time for complicated game plans, strategy and set plays but at this level, it’s mainly about running, passing, tackling and, most importantly, attitude. 

These are the basics that every kid needs to get right because it will set them up for success in the future. 

It’s amazing how fast kids learn and you can actually see tangible improvements week-to-week.

GU: It’s my local club and I love footy.

Brothers is in the middle of a Rugby Union heartland. There’s also plenty of support for soccer, cricket and basketball but rugby league has been neglected in this area, despite being an incredible sport to play, watch and support.