When Logan Bomgardner was younger, he was a tad rambunctious. "I was full of energy," said Logan, who is now 11 and a student at Lititz Elementary School. Fortunately for Logan, his father, Andrew, was coaching Manheim Central Middle School wrestling at the time. When Logan was 8, Andrew started taking him to the Manheim Mat Club, eventually moving him to Lancaster Alliance Wrestling (LAW), a nonprofit organization also based in Manheim that is dedicated to fostering, promoting and encouraging the sport of amateur wrestling.

This year, Logan placed third at the state PAUSAW (Pennsylvania USA Wrestling) freestyle tournament held at Alvernia University in Reading in June. He was the only student in Warwick School District to qualify for the event. Logan was scheduled to wrestle in three matches in the boys 12 and under category. When he lost his first match, he moved into the consolation bracket. Before his second match, Logan admitted he felt a little down, but he was up for the challenge. "My fear turned into strength, and I pinned a kid in 21 seconds," said Logan, whose score pushed him into fourth place. "For the consolation final match, the other boy had to forfeit, which put (Logan) in third place," explained Andrew, who noted that through LAW, Logan has had many opportunities to wrestle in tournaments, including a competition on June 19, in Cherokee, N.C., where the youngster wrestled for a team from Long Island, N.Y. called Prestige Worldwide. Logan's record for that event was 2-2, and he bested a Georgia State silver medalist.

When Logan was still wrestling at the Manheim Mat Club, he suffered an epileptic seizure. "I was embarrassed," recalled Logan, whose seizures are now generally controlled by medication. "(But) I got over being embarrassed by just going back to wrestling." About two years ago, Logan began wrestling freestyle and Greco-Roman style with LAW, and he now wrestles there up to six visits per week. "We do a lot of gymnastics and dynamic flexibility exercise and a ton of wrestling," shared Will Betancourt, executive director of LAW. Betancourt said that LAW opened in Manheim in 2009 and has a membership of 300 students from novice through Olympians. About 40 of those members are girls, who wrestle through a partnership with Beat the Streets Lancaster. The organization takes students around the U.S. and to locations in Canada, Puerto Rico, and beyond. "We provide the opportunity for kids to wrestle at a higher level," said Betancourt.

"One of the things (I like) about LAW is that it's not just about wrestling; it's about the individual," said Andrew. "They are making them into nice young men and women." Part of LAW's mission is to build character, sportsmanship, self-confidence, self-esteem, and positive attitudes toward dedication, persistence, and hard work.

Betancourt has been impressed with Logan's outlook. "This kid always has a smile," said Betancourt. "He is genuinely excited to be in the sport, and those are the kinds of athletes I love being around."

Readers who would like to know more about LAW may search for "Lancaster Alliance Wrestling" on Facebook.