Intangable qualities, such as the ethos of a high-school's athletic program in general and of a team in particular, can be hard to explain and quantify, yet is clearly recognized, especially when it's so infused in the program it's felt even more than seen.

Like actual bears, Berkley Unified's combines elements of playfullness and tenacity, galvanized with a tribal element of "us-versus-the-world" that outsiders may construe as hubris. It's not. The Berkley high-school Varsity athlete does not think himself better than his opponents. Perhaps the contrary--he realizes that ability alone is not enough and that only through consistent and relentless effort will he succeed. So he proves himself worthy every day.

"They come ready to work hard for every practice and game," said Berkley Unified head coach Jeff Fleming of his team. "They have a lot of belief in themselves and in each other. We know that we will be the underdog with most of the teams we play this season."

Fleming intimately understands this mindset because he is a 1987 graduate of Berkley High, a former Varsity athlete, and also a United States Marine no longer in the Corps. When he arrived on the scene five years ago to lead the Varsity hockey program, he may have initially encountered a little too much playfullness and not enough tenacity. So he instituted practices at 5:00 in the morning during the week to determine who was serious about hockey and who was not.

They are no longer needed, because the program has rapidly escalated its expectations in the last five seasons and has crafted a culture that emphasizes the attributes of hard work, discipline and a team chemistry that could be a story problem in a high-school text book.

"We have built a culture that the kids have accepted and that we are proud of," said Fleming. "We've had the same coaching staff for five years."

And that's part of the reason for the success. Continuity is key to get the buy-in from the seniors year in and out. There's enough momentum that the underclassmen now anticipate accepting the invaluable role of mentor in future seasons. They've been given the words and the examples by players who have graduated and who will graduate this year. It's in place.

"We are very much like a family," said Fleming.

And it may have contributed to goalie Stephen Wroe's decision to play all four years for the Berkley Varsity. He could be playing for virtually any team that is age eligible as well as with any elite private school in the state.

"We have the toughest schedule that we can create, and we think it's very competitive," said Fleming. "And we have great support from our fans and from the community. Stephen has had success here and he wants to play hockey after high school and I think he will."

The Bears' program has been rewarded by an elevation to the Red Division of the Oakland Activites Association, having spent all the previous tenure of Fleming's time as coach in the White Division. Now it faces off against opponents like Clarkston, Lake Orion, Rochester Stoney Creek, Rochester United, Farmington and Farmington United. So far, the Bears are demonstrating they belong in the OAA upper echelon. They are currently in second place with a 2-1-1 record, having most recently dispatched of Rochester Stoney Creek 4-1 on January 17. The inagural game was a 3-3 tie against Clarkston. Wedged in between was a 3-2 win over Farmington United and a 3-2 loss to first-place Lake Orion.

"We need to outwork our competition," said Fleming. "We are what we are. We get out there and work hard. It's very much of a blue-collar mentality on this team. We cannot afford to be selfish. We have to work together to succeed."

And stay out of the penalty box. Fleming has, over the course as coach, weeded out that tendency and the players who possessed it in the past.

"This is the first year that the majority of the team has come from Travel hockey," said Fleming, whose team is 10-2-1. "The expectations of just showing up in November and playing on the team are gone. These kids know that they have to commit to the program. We're building on these expectations."

And Fleming, better than anyone, knows not to tamper with the intangible ethos of Berkley athletics in the enterprise of elevating the status and performance of his program.