In October 2013, the Kutztown Patriot shared the story of the Gehmans, a self-proclaimed volleyball family, and their son Logan who decided to make a drastic change by pursuing volleyball in Southern California after the death of his father.
Now, after spending nearly two years playing volleyball in Redondo Beach, Logan has returned home to play his junior year for the Brandywine Heights High School team with hopes of passing on the experience he has gained from his journey.
Logan’s father, Doug passed away in November 2011 while attempting to cut down a tree from a 40-foot tall tree bucket. The tree fell toward him, knocking him out of the bucket, and he was transported to the hospital but was pronounced dead upon arrival.
“The accident really put things into perspective,” said Tracy Gehman, Logan’s mother. “My daughter had this dream of coming to Southern California to see what the volleyball scene was all about, because she plays, too. After everything happened, she just presented the idea to me and said, ‘Mom, let’s move to California.’ Of course, Logan wanted to go, too, and I wasn’t going to stay here alone. We all thought, ‘What are we waiting for?'”
After some planning, in August 2013, Logan and his sister Chynna headed west.
“It was the very end of the summer, and school was ready to start,” said Logan. “We lived in a one-bedroom apartment because we were waiting for our mom to move out, and I heard the club teams in the area were really good, so I tried out.”
Logan ended up making it onto Team Rockstar, where he says he received some of the best coaching there is.
“I had some incredible training I will never forget, and my coach played for the U.S. National team,” he said. “I started out playing beach with the club team, and I had never played beach before when I got there. I got so much better at playing it, and one point in the season, we placed in the top 10 in the nation.”
Logan also had the opportunity to be a part of the first ever beach league for Redondo Beach High School.
“It was the first year that high schools in California were putting together beach teams,” he said. “It was the first beach league ever, and our school ended up winning it. After that season was when club really picked up.”
Logan honed his skills at beach volleyball, playing through the season with Team Rockstar, and when the indoor season for Redondo Beach High began, he made the varsity team.
“We ended up finishing third or fourth in the nation,” he said. “We were also invited to go to a Hawaiian tournament over our spring break called Kamehameha, and we ended up winning it all. It was cool. We were there for about a week, and we had a day or two of free time. We were within walking distance of the beach in Waikiki, so we walked to the beach a lot.”
Logan went on to play another season for Team Rockstar, and the team ended up getting a bid to play in the Junior Olympics, or nationals, in Houston, Texas through Team USA.
Logan also partook in summer tournaments through the California Beach Volleyball Association and played another beach season with his high school.
“A lot of seniors had graduated at that point, but we had a great season and ended up taking third overall,” he said.
For a short time, Logan also played for another club team.
“I decided since I didn’t know how long I would be there, I wanted to play for another beach team, so I tried out for MB Surf,” he said.
It was halfway through Logan’s first season with Manhattan Beach Surf, and his last season playing beach volleyball, that the family decided to move back to Pennsylvania.
“I was ready to come home after being there for two years,” said Logan. “As incredible as it was, it didn’t always feel like home.”
Logan left California with the experience he had been searching for.
“He was able to compete at a high level,” said Tracy. “He always thought he could do it, but to be given the opportunity to play the best volleyball he’s ever played is something that made him grow as a teammate and as a person. It’s taught us that nothing is impossible.”
Chynna, Logan’s sister, was also able to use the experience to decide she wants to become a coach and personal trainer.
“The whole experience helped us grow as people and as a family, and we want people to know that even in hard times, success is possible,” said Tracy.
This week, Logan began his season with Brandywine Heights High School.
“It’s been really good,” he said. “We’ve been doing well. I’m excited to be back with my old coach. It looks like we are going to have a good team. I’m hoping to bring experience back and help the team be able to work through rough patches. Volleyball is such a mental game, so I especially hope I can help them through mental rough patches.”
Logan plans to use this year to begin making contacts with coaches at Division I colleges for recruitment.
“What I would really like to do is play professionally, and this is a big year for me,” he said.
Logan’s two years in California have given him a greater appreciation for the sport, and a changed perspective.
“Being in California was a life-changing experience,” said Logan. “I think deciding to move out there created excitement in a time of grieving. The overall experience completely made me a better person, volleyball player and family member. I am extremely grateful for that.”
