National gymnastics coach Duke Nelligan has eased the pressure on teenagers Rosie Finnigan and Morgan Beckles ahead of the CAC Games, insisting: "We're just looking to compete hard and proud."

Finnigan and Beckles will be walking into the proverbial lion's den when they make their first major international appearances in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico later this month.

Both BHS 14-year-olds compete in the all-around event which consists of vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercises, and Nelligan knows the quality of competition awaiting the promising duo will be fierce.

"This will be new for both of the girls and it's going to be hard to predict how they will respond," said Nelligan, who took over as national coach late last year.

"They will be up against some very accomplished athletes and I expect Mexico, Venezuela and Brazil to send very strong delegations.

"We have a developing programme and we're looking to do the best we can.

"We're not concerned about scores or prizes, we're just concerned about representing Bermuda and competing hard and proud."

Both Finnigan and Beckles were part of the team that vaulted, somersaulted and cartwheeled their way to medal glory at the Island Games in Åland last summer.

Spearheading that success were Caitlyn Mello and Kaisey Griffith who signed off from the national programme at last year's World Championships in London.

Griffith finished 75th and Mello came 78th out of 146 competitors.

Nelligan is now urging the programme's up and coming youngsters to follow in the footsteps of Mello and Griffith and put Bermuda gymnastics firmly on the map.

"We lost two very important members of our programme in Caitlyn Mello and Kaisey Griffith," he said.

"Now we're reaching back and telling the little ones that Caitlyn and Kaisey are the Bermudians they need to emulate."

As part of Nelligan's broader vision for the sport on the Island, he wants the talented gymnasts in the national set-up to further their competitive careers at university level.

He said Finnigan and Beckles had already started researching which universities would best allow them to continue their gymnastics education.

"Morgan and Rosie have already googled college gymnastics. We've taken them to the University of Maryland to show them what goes on at that particular university.

"I came from a university system and in the US that's the big prize at the end of the rainbow for gymnasts.

"Both Caitlyn and Kaisey had the potential to compete in the university system but I probably didn't get here early enough...

"...there's more to your gymnastics career than just getting a high school diploma.

Nelligan envisages the national programme being run entirely by Bermudian coaches in the future.

The American coach said: "My big vision for Bermuda gymnastics is to see the programme run by Bermudians and coached by Bermudians.

"But in order for that to happen our young athletes need to go off to university, develop their skills, develop their trade and then become coaches."

The CAC Games are a multi-sport regional championships event held every four years.

This summer's Games will be staged in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, from July 17 to August 1.