University of Massachusets Athletics
All In The Family
December 28, 1999 | Men's Gymnastics
The following article appeared in the January 2000 issue of the Maroon & White, the monthly newspaper of the UMass Athletic Department. For subscription information, contact athletic development at (413) 545-4290.
by Susan Coscione, The Maroon & White
Brett Nelligan, a freshman on the UMass men?s gymnastics team, was destined to be a gymnastics competitor since the day he was born. The College Park, Md. native has had a few influences in his path to gymnastics stardom, although he says it was his own decision to compete in the sport.
First, both his parents are gymnastics coaches. His mother, Christine was a gymnast at Bridgewater State and is a club gymnastics coach for Hills Gymnastics in Gaithersburg, Md., where Olympic standout Dominique Dawes used to train. His father, Robert, is the women?s gymnastics coach at the University of Maryland and was a former Minutemen himself from 1969-71, where he competed on the floor exercise and vault. The squad went 18-7 during his three years of competition.
In fact, Nelligan is the first child of a Minuteman alumnus to ever attend UMass on a gymnastics scholarship, but his father?s experience at UMass had nothing to do with his choice to join the Minutemen this season.
"I decided to come to UMass because of its strong gymnastics program," Nelligan says. "It?s a solid choice for academics, and all my family lives up here."
UMass head coach Roy Johnson is shocked that Nelligan is the first child of a gymnastics alum.
"We have such a long tradition here in gymnastics," Johnson says. "So I?m surprised we haven?t had anyone?s children compete here before Brett."
Since Nelligan grew up with both his parents as gymnastics coaches, he was given plenty of opportunities to become accustomed to the sport, himself.
"I think the big difference is his father and mother have stayed in the sport at such a high level," Johnson says. "So your kids kind of emulate that experience. When his dad was in the gym for six to seven days a week, he probably became a little gymrat. He probably grew up looking at the stuff like it was easy."
"My parents have always provided me with opportunities to work out in gyms," Nelligan says. "And my gym was very far away, so they would drive me there for 45 minutes everyday."
And Nelligan?s parents aren?t his only family members to compete in the sport of gymnastics. His aunt and uncle do, too.
Nelligan?s Aunt Linda competed at UMass from 1973-76 on the floor exercise, vault and parallel bars. The team was 29-5 during those four seasons. And his Uncle Peter Korman, who is married to Linda, is the Olympic Coordinator for gymnastics and served as the coach for the 1996 and upcoming 2000 Olympic squads. Korman competed in the 1976 Olympics as an athlete, winning the bronze medal in the floor exercise.
Nelligan has enjoyed the perks that come along with being related to the Olympic coach.
"I went to the Olympics in Atlanta, and it was great," Nelligan says. "Hopefully, my uncle will take me to the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, too."
Now Nelligan is ready to add another step to the Nelligan family ladder when he begins his collegiate career at UMass this winter. He already has spectacular credentials coming out of high school, where he was a five-time Maryland State Champion for Gymnastics Plus and was the recipient of the Maryland State Sportsmanship Award.
Nelligan is hopeful he?ll be able to make an immediate contribution to the 2000 Minutemen squad.
"My best events are probably going to be the pommel horse, still rings and vault," Nelligan says. "And hopefully by next year I?ll get a little stronger and increase my skill level on the horizontal bar and on the floor."
With his family?s history of gymnastics, one would think Nelligan was destined to be a success in the sport from the very beginning. But either way, the UMass family is happy to have such a dedicated and talented gymnast to add to its roster this season as the Minutemen embark on their quest to repeat as ECAC Champions.