Contributed photo 1990 Eldred graduate David Bertram.

Former Eldred star Dave Bertram remembers his roots

The same work ethic that Dave Bertram once learned from Eldred coach Paul Tylawski, he now applies in his coaching of 15-0 Cooperstown

By RICHARD A. ROSS

COOPERSTOWN, NY — People in Sullivan County remember Dave Bertram well. The 1990 graduate from Eldred used to make the Eldred gym vibrate with excitement. That same hard-driving style that defined him as a player is alive and well on the 15-0 Cooperstown team he is guiding in his first year as varsity coach.

During his high school days, Dave also played for the Jersey Jay Hawks and had opportunities to play against the toughest competition including the famous Gauchos of NYC.

After graduating from Eldred, Dave went on to a great career at Division I Niagara followed by a year of professional basketball in Canada. He is one of three Sullivan County basketball players who moved on to make an impact in Division I programs. Schoolmate Tammi Reiss played for the University of Virginia and reached the final four. She then went on to the WNBA. Mack played for Penn State.

Dave Bertram has come full circle. The 1990 Times Herald Record Player of the Year has returned to the high school game, this time in Cooperstown where he lives with his wife Bridget and teaches sixth grade social studies.

Dave remembers his Eldred days well. He says, “Coach Paul Tylawsky believed in two things: teaching the fundamentals of basketball and making sure his players were well-conditioned. That meant drills and running, running and drills. When asked if that early experience has influenced his current coaching, he readily concurred. “I incorporate a lot of running. We’re very athletic which has helped us to play strong in the latter parts of games.” Though some of the drills have changed, the rationale behind them hasn’t. Hard work pays off. That Eldred team which Bertram paced went on to regional play before losing to eventual state champion Alexander Hamilton.

Dave has never liked losing. If and when his team does lose, it won’t be for lack of practice, conditioning and discipline. “You have to be stern at times.” But Bertam also knows how to have fun with his players and can still amaze them with reverse dunks and great perimeter shots.

Bertram coached the Cooperstown JV team for the past two years and compiled an amazing 39-1 record. He states: “It’s really important for players to understand their roles on the team. I’ve got eight great shooters but each one needs to know what is specifically expected of him.

On Friday, Cooperstown will get a real test against 14-1 Canastota. Both teams are vying against each other for the Class C title. Cooperstown is currently ranked 10th in the State in Class C. For more background on Dave Bertram, read the reprinted article that appeared in the Oneonta Daily Star on January 16, 2003.

The following article about 1990 Eldred grad David Bertram appeared in the January 16, 2003 edition of the Oneonta Daily Star.  (See accompanying article by Richard Ross above.)

Redskins emerging as class of Class C

By JEFF VELLA

At any level of sports, a coach’s message can become stale.

When that happens, players begin tuning their coach out and start doing their own thing. Rarely does a team benefit when something like that happens.

The best way to combat complacency is often to bring in a new coach with a new style to breathe life into the players.

Locally, I can’t think of a better example of how beneficial a change can be than the job David Bertram has done with undefeated Cooperstown boys’ basketball team (12-0).

How else can you explain basically the same group of Redskins going from a talented but underachieving 15-7 team last season, to the most formidable Class C team in the area this year?

I remember talking to former coach Mike Cring after his team’s season-ending 57-41 loss to General Brown in the Class C-1 semifinals last winter, and although he showered his players with compliments, he seemed to realize the team should have gone further.

Cring, the Cooperstown athletic director, stepped aside as basketball coach after the season, and his decision to promote Bertram from JV coach was the best thing he could have done.

“I think the biggest difference has been the coaching change,” fourth-year varsity guard Jeremy Holmes said following his team’s 53-47 victory over Hamilton on Tuesday. “I had Mr. Cring for three years, and he was a good coach, but Mr. Bertram is the best coach I’ve ever had. He has a fire that no one else has.”

Bertram, a teacher at Cooperstown, played Division I basketball at Niagara, graduating in ‘94. It’s only natural that hearing Xs and Os from a guy who can still school any of the Cooperstown players means a little bit more to them. “Oh, he’s nasty,” point guard Shane Connolly said. “He can almost dunk from the foul line.”

Bertram remains a staple in the Niagara record book. He’s fourth all-time in 3’s made (128) and attempted (307), and he’s third in 3-point percentage (.417).

“He’s the best player I’ve ever played with,” Holmes said of Bertram, who added the coach occasionally plays with them in practice. “I’m so glad he decided to come aboard.”

It would be nice to be a fly on the wall during some of Bertram’s halftime speeches because Cooperstown has owned the third quarter all season. The Redskins outscored Hamilton 22-8, and that was a mediocre third quarter by their standards.

They had a 28-1 third quarter against Sherburne-Earlville last week and used a 26-10 third quarter to come back on defending sectional champion Waterville in December.

“We always have an eye opener the first half, “Holmes said. “Coach kind of lets us know that we’re better than this.”

It hasn’t been all Bertram though. Junior guard Shane Connolly said a change in the team’s temperament has also been a factor.

“There are different attitudes this year,” he said. “Different guys stepping up and playing different roles. Our coach told us our roles at the beginning of the year and everyone agreed with it. We came out and played as a team. Last year there were (negative) attitudes,” Connolly added, not singling anybody out. “It hurt everybody. It was guys acting like they didn’t want to be there.” Cooperstown, which moved from 15th to 14th in the Class C state rankings Wednesday, is the only Section Three team that The Daily Star covers, so most of its competition remains a mystery. That makes gauging how far it might go difficult but the Redskins have the ingredients to do some damage beyond sectionals.

And who knows? If the Redskins’ defense remains as nasty as their coach’s game, they might be the last area team playing come March.

Lady Godiva Pace unveiled

MONTICELLO, NY — On Sunday, February 16, the Monticello raceway will stage a race for women drivers dubbed the Lady Godiva Pace.

These days, there are a growing number of women who enjoy racing harness horses.

Heading the field is Monticello’s all-time leading female driver, Betsy Phillips, who ranks among the top five female drivers in North America. Recently Phillips passed the 500-win plateau. However, Anne Wheeler, whose stable completes here regularly during the winter season, has reined even more winners in her career than Phillips. At last count Wheeler is approaching 750 lifetime wins.

For more information call 845/794-4100, ext. 557, or contact the raceways publicity office at ext. 455.