Coach Ellis on This Year's Boys Gymnastics Squad

The below note is from BHS boys gymnastics coach Richard Ellis:

Braintree High School boy’s gymnastics team will travel to Andover on Thursday 
Jan. 16 for an Eastern Mass Conference gymnastics dual meet competition. 

Andover High School took home the MIAA State Championship last season. 

This will be a tough first meet between the veteran team and a young Braintree 
squad. The Braintree boys suffered a losing season last year and hope to turn 
that around. Senior and Co-Captain Stephen Madden is “very excited about this 
year’s roster."

The boy’s team consisted of 11 athletes last season and currently has 23 training daily.

“This is a very enthusiastic group of student athletes” fourth year coach Rich Ellis said. “There is no one superstar on our squad."

With only five gymnasts returning from last year, many new and talented boys will show their skills in front of the judges for the first time Thursday. Juniors Evan Abreu and Howie Nguyen have taken last years’ experience and worked with the newer boys in the gym.

Coach Ellis infers that they are very good role models and leaders. “It 
is a team sport that is made up of individuals that seek to develop their physical 
and mental strengths. These are qualities that leaders are made of and in part the mission of Braintree High School."

The sport has recovered from the off season battle with the Massachusetts 
Interscholastic Athletic Association. The MIAA Board of Directors had voted 
to discontinue acknowledging boys gymnastics. The perseverance of parents, 
coaches, athletes and alumni helped to reverse the decision and reinstated the 
sport.
 
Braintree will host the State Championship competition Feb. 12.