Alex Snyder

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Player Profile – April 2005
Alex Snyder

Name	Alex Snyder
Nickname	Canadia, Snydo, Bogart...
Birthdate	April 18, 1983
Hometown	Vancouver, BC
School	University of Colorado
Year	Senior
Major	Integrated Physiology

Alex Snyder has been an integral part of Colorado's team since her sophomore year when she was a handler that helped Kali make the semifinals of the UPA College Championships. Since then, Colorado had a bit of a rebuilding year, but Alex is one of the captains that is working hard to bring Kali back to the UPA Championships. Despite a slow start at President's Day this year, Colorado (and Snyder's forehand) have turned heads at Centex and Kansas' Fools Fest. Read below to find out more information about her ultimate beginnings, history, skills/profile, and college season.

Ultimate Beginnings:

What other sports do you have a background in and when did you play them?

It seems like I played a little bit of everything growing up. Basketball was my life for most of high school, definitely the later years, but I also played volleyball and soccer.

Where and when did you first learn to play ultimate?

A high school that I attended for my sophomore year, Prince of Wales, had a sweet ultimate program and I was hooked there. Luckily after I left Prince of Wales and returned to my other high school I was able to continue playing for PW since my other school did not have a team.

What about the sport has made you continue to play since then?

What is not to love about this sport? Probably the biggest draw for me to continue playing is the ultimate community. I love the people that I play with and against. It seems that ultimate people are my people, and this is why I keep coming back again and again. Not to mention that you can be in the most intense and competitive competition one weekend and then play pick up with beverage in hand the next weekend. The options are endless and they are always fun.

Who would you describe as your main mentor(s)?

Definitely Heidi Pomfret and Leslie Schein. Heidi coached CU’s team my freshman and sophomore years and taught me not only the fundamentals about playing women’s ultimate but also what it meant to be passionate about the sport and how to really play with heart. Leslie was probably one of the best teammates and captains I have ever had, not to mention she was an amazing player. Both of these women hugely influenced who I am as a player today.

Ultimate History:
Snyder throws v. Jess Guh (Stanford)
in the 2003 College Championship semifinals

What teams have you played on?

Kali, CU women’s team, 4 years
Rare Air, Colorado women’s team
Hussy, Vancouver women’s team
Team Canada, Junior Women (won Gold at Worlds 2002 in Latvia)
DFA, coed high school team (won Canadian Nationals 2000 and 2001)

What has been your greatest ultimate achievement/memory?

One of my best achievements was winning Worlds in 2002 and being one of the captains of the team. The tournament was tons of fun and our team was great. I would also say that winning Southwest regionals in 2002 was pretty sweet, which put Kali as the 1 seed going into Nationals that year.

What has been your worst (most heartbreaking, most challenging, or most embarrassing, etc.) ultimate memory?

By far the most heartbreaking moment/game of my college ultimate career was losing to Stanford in semi finals at Nationals in 2002. I also have this memory of Alicia White hand blocking me at Easterns in 2003, (with the entire Humboldt men’s team on the sideline) which just doesn’t seem to want to go away.

What type of recognition/honors/awards (if any) have you received for your ultimate play?

Southwest All Region Team in 2003 and 2004.

Snyder v. Shannon Overly (Stanford) Ultimate Skills/Profile:

What position do you play? Has this differed on different teams you may have played for?

I am primarily a handler and no matter how hard I try this seems to be the position for me. Maybe one day I will be the deep receiver I would love to be... maybe one day... I also play deep deep in zone defenses.

What do you view as your strengths on the field?

Probably my biggest strength on the field is my versatility. I can be a main handler and move the disc, set up offenses or pick apart zones (which is one of my favorite things to do) or I can cut deep and be a strong down field look.

What are you working on most to improve?

I am currently working a lot on my longer throws which have seemed to be in a downward spiral of ruin since I injured my throwing hand 2 years ago. I am also working on my man-to-man defense, especially my mark.

What is your role on your college team (include leadership roles on and off the field)?

This is my third year of captaining for Kali, a position which I love, but I also can’t wait until next year when I can sit back play some frisbee and let someone else worry about whether or not we have rental cars/hotels/tournament fees/money/jerseys and whatever else the team requires.

What type of pre-game or pre-tournament rituals (if any) do you have?

In the morning before warm up I listen to some hip-hop fire up songs to get me awake and then I always set at least 2-3 goals for that day.

College Season:

Describe your team's experience at Centex this year. How did that compare to previous tournaments of the season?

Going into Centex I think the team felt a lot of pressure about what was riding on our performance. We knew that it was a kind of now or never situation to prove to ourselves and everyone else that we could play with the best of them. Bringing only 14 women to the tournament we also knew it was going to be a long weekend but that definitely did not hold anyone back and we managed to come out playing hard and tough. Doing as well as we did at Centex was hugely rewarding for our team because it was truly a team effort with everyone contributing in all the games. Compared to previous tournaments such as Tempe and Presidents day, which is hard to compare with the conditions and all, Centex was the first time that our team really came together and made our offense and defense work. We finally started playing like the team we all knew we could be.

How strong do you think your college team will be this year? How does this compare to previous years that you have been on the team?

Our team this year is extremely athletic and if we can work out the kinks we have with our fundamentals and our plays we will be a very strong team. The addition of Michael Whitaker as coach for Kali this year has been huge and I credit his work for the team as the major reason why we are where we are today. He will no doubt be working us hard for the next month to mold us into the National caliber team that he envisions.
My first two years on Kali we were an extremely strong team, making semi finals of nationals both years. I think this year we have the ability to be just as good if not better then those years.

Describe how your team has dealt with the cycles of graduations that college teams must deal with.

Graduations have had a huge impact on our team over the last two years because not only did we graduate several great players but we also had trouble keeping some of the newer players, which cut our numbers greatly. Last year left our team with only one 5th year player and no other seniors. Luckily we managed to keep a solid core from last year and also picked up a lot of strong, athletic players this year. Players who were forced into leading roles on the team last year continue to be huge for us this year, with more players stepping up to take charge this year.

What are your personal and team goals for the season?

The team’s main goal for the season is to win Southwest Regionals and thus make Nationals. Other then that, growing together as a team and continuing to have a lot of fun are always on the list.
Snyder's forehand at Tempe 2005

What do you most look forward to during the upcoming season?

Southwest Regionals!!! Can’t wait to get all those great teams out here to Colorado and battle it out, and I guarantee it will be a battle. Over the last few years our region has really stepped it up and become one of the strongest in the nation and I can’t wait to get a chance to play all of the awesome teams.

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Photo Credits: All photos courtesy of Alex Synder.

Ultimate Beginnings:
What other sports do you have a background in and when did you play them?
It seems like I played a little bit of everything growing up. Basketball was my life for most of high school, definitely the later years, but I also played volleyball and soccer.
Where and when did you first learn to play ultimate?
A high school that I attended for my sophomore year, Prince of Wales, had a sweet ultimate program and I was hooked there. Luckily after I left Prince of Wales and returned to my other high school I was able to continue playing for PW since my other school did not have a team.
What about the sport has made you continue to play since then?
What is not to love about this sport? Probably the biggest draw for me to continue playing is the ultimate community. I love the people that I play with and against. It seems that ultimate people are my people, and this is why I keep coming back again and again. Not to mention that you can be in the most intense and competitive competition one weekend and then play pick up with beverage in hand the next weekend. The options are endless and they are always fun.
Who would you describe as your main mentor(s)?
Definitely Heidi Pomfret and Leslie Schein. Heidi coached CU’s team my freshman and sophomore years and taught me not only the fundamentals about playing women’s ultimate but also what it meant to be passionate about the sport and how to really play with heart. Leslie was probably one of the best teammates and captains I have ever had, not to mention she was an amazing player. Both of these women hugely influenced who I am as a player today.

Ultimate History:	Snyder throws v. Jess Guh (Stanford) in the 2003 College Championship semifinals
What teams have you played on?
Kali, CU women’s team, 4 years Rare Air, Colorado women’s team Hussy, Vancouver women’s team Team Canada, Junior Women (won Gold at Worlds 2002 in Latvia) DFA, coed high school team (won Canadian Nationals 2000 and 2001)
What has been your greatest ultimate achievement/memory?
One of my best achievements was winning Worlds in 2002 and being one of the captains of the team. The tournament was tons of fun and our team was great. I would also say that winning Southwest regionals in 2002 was pretty sweet, which put Kali as the 1 seed going into Nationals that year.
What has been your worst (most heartbreaking, most challenging, or most embarrassing, etc.) ultimate memory?
By far the most heartbreaking moment/game of my college ultimate career was losing to Stanford in semi finals at Nationals in 2002. I also have this memory of Alicia White hand blocking me at Easterns in 2003, (with the entire Humboldt men’s team on the sideline) which just doesn’t seem to want to go away.
What type of recognition/honors/awards (if any) have you received for your ultimate play?
Southwest All Region Team in 2003 and 2004.

Snyder v. Shannon Overly (Stanford)	Ultimate Skills/Profile:
	What position do you play? Has this differed on different teams you may have played for?
	I am primarily a handler and no matter how hard I try this seems to be the position for me. Maybe one day I will be the deep receiver I would love to be... maybe one day... I also play deep deep in zone defenses.
	What do you view as your strengths on the field?
	Probably my biggest strength on the field is my versatility. I can be a main handler and move the disc, set up offenses or pick apart zones (which is one of my favorite things to do) or I can cut deep and be a strong down field look.
	What are you working on most to improve?
	I am currently working a lot on my longer throws which have seemed to be in a downward spiral of ruin since I injured my throwing hand 2 years ago. I am also working on my man-to-man defense, especially my mark.
What is your role on your college team (include leadership roles on and off the field)?
This is my third year of captaining for Kali, a position which I love, but I also can’t wait until next year when I can sit back play some frisbee and let someone else worry about whether or not we have rental cars/hotels/tournament fees/money/jerseys and whatever else the team requires.
What type of pre-game or pre-tournament rituals (if any) do you have?
In the morning before warm up I listen to some hip-hop fire up songs to get me awake and then I always set at least 2-3 goals for that day.

College Season:
Describe your team's experience at Centex this year. How did that compare to previous tournaments of the season?
Going into Centex I think the team felt a lot of pressure about what was riding on our performance. We knew that it was a kind of now or never situation to prove to ourselves and everyone else that we could play with the best of them. Bringing only 14 women to the tournament we also knew it was going to be a long weekend but that definitely did not hold anyone back and we managed to come out playing hard and tough. Doing as well as we did at Centex was hugely rewarding for our team because it was truly a team effort with everyone contributing in all the games. Compared to previous tournaments such as Tempe and Presidents day, which is hard to compare with the conditions and all, Centex was the first time that our team really came together and made our offense and defense work. We finally started playing like the team we all knew we could be.
How strong do you think your college team will be this year? How does this compare to previous years that you have been on the team?
Our team this year is extremely athletic and if we can work out the kinks we have with our fundamentals and our plays we will be a very strong team. The addition of Michael Whitaker as coach for Kali this year has been huge and I credit his work for the team as the major reason why we are where we are today. He will no doubt be working us hard for the next month to mold us into the National caliber team that he envisions. My first two years on Kali we were an extremely strong team, making semi finals of nationals both years. I think this year we have the ability to be just as good if not better then those years.
Describe how your team has dealt with the cycles of graduations that college teams must deal with.
Graduations have had a huge impact on our team over the last two years because not only did we graduate several great players but we also had trouble keeping some of the newer players, which cut our numbers greatly. Last year left our team with only one 5th year player and no other seniors. Luckily we managed to keep a solid core from last year and also picked up a lot of strong, athletic players this year. Players who were forced into leading roles on the team last year continue to be huge for us this year, with more players stepping up to take charge this year.
What are your personal and team goals for the season?
The team’s main goal for the season is to win Southwest Regionals and thus make Nationals. Other then that, growing together as a team and continuing to have a lot of fun are always on the list.	Snyder's forehand at Tempe 2005
What do you most look forward to during the upcoming season?
Southwest Regionals!!! Can’t wait to get all those great teams out here to Colorado and battle it out, and I guarantee it will be a battle. Over the last few years our region has really stepped it up and become one of the strongest in the nation and I can’t wait to get a chance to play all of the awesome teams.