season, with registration scheduled for Saturday at Whitney Gymnasium (9 a.m.

to 11 a.m.) and competition set to begin next Friday evening at the same venue.

The BGA is hoping to build on last year's success at the United States Gymnastics Federation-sponsored Vermont State Championships where they were represented by a seven-girl team of Catherine Hawkins, Laura Murphy, Angela and Alison Atherden, Messerette Richardson and Katy Wright who competed in and won the Level Five team prize and Jenny Wright who was third in Level Eight competition.

Two of the Level Five members, Hawkins and Murphy, also won individual prizes, Hawkins in the 12-14 age group and Murphy in the 9-11 age group. Wright, the oldest member at 17, also qualified for the Northeast Regional Championships but was unable to attend because of exams.

The association also sent a boys team to compete in a friendly meet along with the girls to Vermont and with about 12 boys in the programme it is hoping to expand the participation by boys. There are about 25 girls, the majority of whom are in the seven-to-12 age bracket.

"This year we're hoping for a much bigger competitive group,'' said coaching co-ordinator Eddie Murphy yesterday. "We started a boys programme last year and will be expanding this year. In the past there has only been an interest in a girls team but a couple of the parents in the association were very keen to get boys involved.'' Murphy said that the aim is to bring local gymnastics up to a high enough level so as to compete in the CARIFTA and Pan Am Games in the next few years.

"We've got a very young group of kids in our organisation, and apart from Jenny every other kid is under 12. We're trying to build up gymnastics like track and field and swimming.'' The association is hoping to bring in a team from Vermont during Thanksgiving in November and after that the focus will be on preparing for the next Vermont State Championships, which are scheduled for next April.

YOUNG LONGTAILS -- The Bermuda team at April's Vermont state Championships.

Back row, from left: Angela Atherden, Jenny Wright. Front row: Alison Atherden, Laura Murphy, Katy Wright, Catherine Hawkins, Messerette Richardson.