Goulburn Bears finish seventh in Waratah League Youth Men Division 2 competition

Despite only winning a third of their Waratah League Youth Men Division 2 games this year, the Bears put up a fight in all of them and coach Eddie Teague said that was a big positive for the club.

"We ended up disappointed with not making the playoffs which was our goal, but we were competitive in all of our games," he said.

"In one stretch, we lost four games by a basket each time and the losing finalist only beat us by one point.

"The league is made up of country and Sydney based teams and the most encouraging thing was that we beat all of our country sides and it went down to the Sydney sides."

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Results aren't always the be-all and end-all and for Teague, seeing his side improve week after week was just as important and that was what happened.

"At the start of the season, we didn't play smart basketball but as the season went on, we got better," Teague said.

Reflecting on the season, Teague said the highlight for him was seeing the packed stands every home game.

"Coaches from the other sides said their favourite venue to play at was Goulburn," he said.

"We had the biggest and most vocal crowds in the competition and that made us a better team at home than away."

The youth men competition is for players aged under 23 but because a lot of the players will be over the limit, the Bears will play in the men's competition next season.

Other teams in the competition will have a lot more experience than the Bears, but Teague said it would be an exciting challenge.

"You don't reach your prime until your late 20s, so they're only getting better," he said.

"We're trying to get them playing in stronger competitions.

"No matter what competition we play in, it's difficult in country regions."

The Bears ended the season seventh on the ladder with six victories and 12 losses.

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