“Brookwood” Gymnastics Season Starts With Great Optimism

January 7, 2026

The Brookwood Gymnastics team is excited to begin another competitive winter season, welcoming both new and returning athletes from Westwood and Brookline. As Brookwood Gymnastics is a combined program that brings together gymnasts from both towns, it results in a unique and supportive team environment. This season, the team consists of 14 athletes and is proudly co-ed, with students representing both communities as well as a dedicated team manager. As the team captain, I am especially looking forward to leading such a hardworking and motivated group of athletes into the season.
 
Since the start of winter practices, the team has been working diligently to prepare for all of the upcoming meets. Our practices focus on building new skills, improving current skills, and consistency across all four events: vault, bars, beam, and floor. Each gymnast brings different strengths to the team, and we spend time developing our own individual skills to earn us all the highest scores possible, while also working toward strong overall team performances. Support and encouragement play a big role in our success as we are constantly cheering one another on. Gymnastics can be both physically and mentally challenging, and having teammates who uplift each other on every event makes a meaningful difference in our performances.
 
Throughout the season, Brookwood Gymnastics will compete against several strong programs in the Bay State League. This year’s schedule includes home and away meets against Newton North, Wellesley, Framingham, Needham, Natick, Braintree, Walpole, and Weymouth. Home meets are always especially exciting as they allow us to compete in front of friends, family, and members of the Westwood and Brookline communities who come out to support the team. One of the highlights of the season is the Bay State League meet, which takes place toward the end of the winter. This meet brings together all teams in the league to compete one final time for awards and the opportunity to advance to further postseason competition. It is always a rewarding and memorable experience, marking how far the team has come over the course of the season.
 
The Brookwood Varsity Gymnastics team is made up of athletes from less experienced freshmen to returning juniors and sophomores, representing both Westwood and Brookline, along with one team manager from Westwood. Under the guidance of Coaches Ashley Walsh, Heather Ellis, and Assistant Coach Jerri McMannis, the team continues to grow both athletically and as a unified program. As the season progresses, we look forward to showcasing our hard work, supporting one another, and representing both towns with pride. We are excited for what this season has in store and can’t wait to start competing.