by Dan Ninham, Contributing Writer
Logan Amaya is Seminole and Comanche and is a ninth grader attending Westtown School in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Amaya plays lacrosse at the national level and wrestles for his school.Logan’s main athletic accomplishment is in lacrosse.
He said, “In 2023 I played with the Jr. Kings box lacrosse team when we went to California to compete in the USBOXLA National Championships and we won the gold medal in the elite division.”
“I also got to play up with the Westtown School High School team last year as an eighth grader. I had a hat trick in one varsity game, we beat our league rivals Academy of New Church for the first time in 30 years, we won our league for the first time ever, and we also won the PAISAA State Championship,” added Amaya.
“On a more personal level, I feel that my greatest accomplishment is getting to play and be coached by, in my opinion, the greatest lacrosse player of all time, Lyle Thompson,” said Amaya.
“I have gotten to play tournaments with him as my coach multiple times playing with the Future Elites, who also were organized by Gewas Schindler who is also one of my favorite coaches of all time. This team was an all indigenous team, so getting to play for the creator with teammates beside me playing for him as well.”
Logan looks at his indigenous roots as leading him on and off the field to play the Creator’s game.“When I play, I don’t focus on the win or loss of the game, but to entertain the Creator,” said Amaya. “This helps fuel me to play my best and gives me motivation to not focus on one aspect of the game, but to excel in every component of the game.”“My dad is my best mentor by far,” said Amaya. “I would not be where I am today, whether it is lacrosse, academics, life in general, or even wrestling, he has helped me in these journeys and pushed me beyond my mental barriers to achieve my best self in whatever it is. I also understand that he is the one paying for all these opportunities for me to be successful, and he makes sacrifices for me so I can excel.”
Avery Amaya is Logan’s father and also at times his coach and trainer. He said, “I’ve seen Logan demonstrate the potential to be the best lacrosse athlete that he can is in three parts: his deep, genuine love for the game, his resilience, and his commitment to continual improvement.” “Over the last four-five years, I could count on two hands how many days Logan has gone without picking up a stick,” said Avery. “The lacrosse field is where he seems to find and share his most positive energy. It gives him a common thread with people no matter what town or state we’re in, whether it’s in a box arena or an outdoor field, whether he’s playing with and against elite competitors, or if he’s playing backyard ball with a tennis ball and new players, he is always grounded, generous, and focused.”
“While he’s had much success playing the game, he has also experienced his share of downs; whether it was being cut from a team he loved, not performing as well as he’d like in a game, or dealing with serious injuries, he’s always taken it in, processed it, and moved forward to often end up on even better teams and always as a better player and athlete. He’s never let the short term setbacks affect his passion for lacrosse,” added Avery. “Something my grandfather, Jorge Amaya, helped me understand, is that as long as I am playing in the North American continent, I should feel comfortable playing wherever I go. I can feel this comfortable playing because I know I am not the only one of my ancestors who walked on the land I am on. I know that wherever I am, or any brand new facility built, is that the first people to step foot on this land were my ancestors, so I should never feel uncomfortable,” added Logan.“
My Grandpa has shared many stories of my deep indigenous heritage, especially my Comanche side, where my great grandmother was Comanche, was fluent in it, and was very connected in her Indigenous community,” said Logan.Jorge Amaya is Chicano, Seminole and Comanche. Grandpa talked about his grandson Logan and said, “When Logan was very young at an early elementary age I would take extended trips from Colorado to Philadelphia, and I’d have the opportunity to spend quality ‘alone’ time with Logan.”
“When he was about four years old, I observed that he had to deal with a ‘customary greeting’ from some older and more physically mature boys. These two boys had developed the habit upon seeing him, of running up to him and to immediately commence ‘greeting him’ with playful, but painful, punches to his chest and stomach, and Logan would politely not resist.”
“One day, when we were alone, I asked him about the boys ‘playfully’ punching him, and asked him if he wanted to learn how to stop it. He replied, ‘Yes, Grandpa’. Having coached varsity high school and freestyle wrestling for 30 years, I gently taught him how to ‘gently’ neutralize an aggressive playmate. I dropped to my knees so we could be of the same approximate height and I instructed him on how to ‘bear-hug’ and wrap his arms around the boys’ body and trap his arms as an aggressor and slowly drop that aggressor to the ground. We repeated the wrestling move several times and I also explained that it’s ok to defend yourself and that it’s ok to free your physical and mental strengths,” added Jorge.Grandpa Jorge continued, “The next day, while at the local park festival, we observed the family friends arrive in their car and their son, on cue, immediately exited the car and dashed towards Logan to initiate his ‘playful punching’. However, this time, Logan stopped the boy’s approach midstride, and immediately bear-hugged him before he could deliver any blows, Logan neutralized him and then gently placed him on his back in the grass and continued to lay on him until the boy finally cried out to Logan to release him and let him up. He repeated the same routine when the other boy arrived and was greeted with a bear-hug. They never punched him again.”
“I am also very lucky to have other important mentors to my lacrosse life such as Curtis Smith, D1 All-American at Ohio State and Pro Box Lacrosse player, and Kevin Finneran, former Team USA Captain and Pro Field and Box Lacrosse Hall of Famer,” said Logan.Curtis Smith coached Logan at Westtown School and he’s good friends with his Dad, Avery. He and Avery are also cofounders/owners of a lacrosse training academy.“
I recognized straight away that Logan genuinely loves lacrosse, and enjoys nothing more than working on his craft,” said Craig Smith. “I consistently see him with a stick in his hand, working on his shooting/passing/dodging, and I have never heard him say no to additional opportunities to improve. Logan is incredibly coachable as well, he loves to ask questions and is receptive to any/all feedback.”
“Logan consistently gives back to the sport and volunteers his time and knowledge in helping younger players with their skills. I’ve seen him go out of his way on many occasions, specifically with my nine year old son in helping him develop basic techniques. Logan has an amazing, friendly demeanor and works extremely well with young players when teachin and coaching,” added Smith.Kevin Finneran coached Logan individually and in a team setting. Coach Finneran said, “On multiple occasions during games he was just as happy for his teammates to score the winning goal as he would if it were he. He truly loves the roots of the game of lacrosse and shows in his humbleness, by spreading the traditions of lacrosse’ Native American culture’s and by expressing himself with his wonderful ponytail hair in honor of the great Lyle Thompson.”Gewas Schindler and Lyle Thompson were not available for comment.
