By Eli Goldfarb
MONTICELLO — On Friday night, Monticello High School hosted the Monticello Gymnastics Club’s 27th annual gymnastics exhibition.
It was a showcase of the club’s many classes and teams, ranging from the Tiny Tot class of those in preschool, to the level 8 team, and age ranges from 18 months to 17 years. The gymnasts, both girls and boys, performed a wide variety of routines, from dance numbers, balance beam numbers, tumbles, bars – both parallel and uneven, rings and a brief martial arts demonstration.
Monticello Gymnastics Club, also called Tweed’s Gym and Fitness, is a non-profit organization run by the Booster Club. From its location on Bedford Avenue in Monticello, the club has been teaching young athletes since 1975.
The head trainer, Pedro Tweed, is no stranger to the world of gymnastics, as he has been performing since he was in high school. He got started doing gymnastics and martial arts while growing up in New York City’s Benjamin Franklin High School, and has been travelling around the area and performing since then.
In 1974, he performed at the Brickman Hotel in South Fallsburg, where he found the town’s Recreation Department and volunteered to start teaching gymnastics.
“He wanted to offer a gymnastics program for those who may not have been able to afford it and give them an outlet for their energy,” said Jennifer Shamah, who is the President of the Monticello Gymnastics Booster Club.
The club certainly does this well. Having classes five days a week for kids ranging in ages from 18 months to 17 years, and at many different times, mostly after school in the 3:45 p.m. and 4:45 p.m. time range, there are many options for those who want to try out the classes.
There will even be a summer program running from Tuesday, July 5 to Saturday, Aug. 13, with classes at various times from children of various age groups being taught.
The Monticello Gymnastics Club is well established. With over 35 years of experience, Pedro Tweed and his wife, Crystal, currently have more than 100 kids enrolled in various levels. A total of 25 of those boys and girls are on teams that compete in both local and regional competitions.
For more information about the classes, please give the gym a call at 794-2835.