Head Coach Bryan Snyder of Washington & Lee University joined Pinnacle Volleyball Education for a brief interview to talk about his program, the recruiting process, advice for parents, and a little bit about his own history with the game. Coach Snyder will be joining us at PVE’s Elite Prospect Camp this summer as a court coach.
Pinnacle Volleyball Education (PVE): Can you share a little info about your school? Where is it located, what type of campus is it, and what are some of the things that attract students to your school?
Bryan Snyder: Washington and Lee University is located in Lexington, Virginia, which is a small town of just over 7,000 people in the Shenandoah Valley. Our campus is much larger in area (430 acres) than our enrollment would suggest, with the front part of campus in the middle of downtown, but the back part of campus seeming to be a more “woodsy” setting. We are a liberal arts institution, so we offer a variety of majors, with some of the most popular being our business school, our journalism school, the sciences and politics. We are the ninth oldest institution of higher education in the United States (founded in 1749) and have a long history and tradition of both academic and athletic excellence.
PVE: Tell us a little bit about what you envision for your program? What is most important to you as a coach?
Snyder: We want to continue to improve our level of competitiveness as a program while simultaneously providing the best possible experience for every member of our program. We challenge each individual to improve on a daily basis, and try to tailor our training so that every player is given plenty of opportunities to turn weaknesses into strengths. Ultimately, we want to win a national championship, but we want to do it by always competing with class and by having quality people in our program – those who understand that the team’s success is the highest priority and is a product of individual improvement.
PVE: Obviously each position is different, but what are some of the academic, athletic, and/or personality traits that you look for when you recruit a player?
Snyder: Academically, each prospect has to meet the admissions standards that the University uses to admit all students. We are looking for students who excel in the classroom while also taking the most challenging course load available to them. Because each school and each state has different grading scales, it is impossible to list a numerical threshold for admission, but in general, we are looking for students who are in or near the top 10% of their high school graduating classes and also have strong standardized test scores (SAT and/or ACT). Athletically, we are looking for players who move with balance and have upper body strength – we believe these are two key factors to having good ball control. Obviously height is a plus, as is jumping ability, but those things can be overcome to some degree with other attributes. The skills that are most important for each position will vary, but being able to move explosively while maintain good balance and possessing adequate upper body strength are paramount to being able to apply those skills successfully at the collegiate level. As for personality traits, we want someone who is willing to work VERY HARD and ALWAYS put the team above themselves. We have loud players, quite players, some with more experience, some with a more competitive nature, etc., but they all have to be good teammates and be willing to sacrifice their own goals for the good of the team, at least in the short term.
PVE: Tell me a little bit about what your timeline is in the recruiting process. When do you try and identify players, begin communication, have visits, get commitments, etc...
Snyder: We generally identify prospects during the sophomore year of high school or very early in the junior year, and we begin communication with them immediately once we believe they can help our program. Unofficial visits can happen at any time, and we begin offering official visits in January of the junior year of high school for those prospects that are high on our list and are also expressing strong interest in our University and volleyball program. For us, we will typically begin making offers/taking commitments in the summer after the junior year of high school – that is a very complex process at the division III level, and there will have been quite a bit of conversation before then, but that is typically when things begin to solidify from both sides.
PVE: What is your preferred method of communication when it comes to recruiting?
Snyder: I am open to communicating in any way that falls within NCAA regulations and works for the prospect. Email is the easiest way to communicate for most of our contacts, but phone calls are also very important. I will generally text with recruits after we get farther along in the recruiting process and we have established a relationship.
PVE: What advice do you have for prospective student-athletes and their parents when they go on a college visit?
Snyder: Be sure that you see ALL of campus, not just the athletic facilities. You will spend a lot more time in the dorms, classrooms, library, dining hall, etc. than you will in the gym, so make sure you are comfortable with all of that. Do all of the events that the admissions office offers (tours, information sessions, Q&A sessions, interviews with counselors, etc.) – they will provide you with a ton of information.
Contact the coach BEFORE visiting! We are generally not just sitting in our offices waiting for people to stop by, so communicate ahead of time, and we will be sure to set up time to meet with you while you are on campus. Also, make sure you have a list of questions ready to ask the coaches when you meet with them.
PVE: If you had to give prospective student-athletes and their parents one piece of advice as they start their college search, what would it be?
Snyder: Find a school that you would attend even if you didn’t play volleyball!! Choose the school for the academic programs and post graduate opportunities that are available – that is why you are going to college. Hopefully you can find a school that meets your needs and also has a volleyball program that is a match for your physical ability and skill set.
PVE: What kind of financial aid is available at your school?
Snyder: We offer both need-based aid and merit scholarships. We are a division III school, so we do not offer athletic scholarships. Potential student-athletes are eligible for all avenues of financial aid, but are not given any preferential treatment over other applicants.
PVE: Freshman year can be difficult for a lot of student-athletes. What recommendations or advice do you have for incoming freshmen and their parents?
Snyder: I would say two things – first, organization and proactive communication can go a long way in alleviating many pitfalls, and second, no matter how bad things are going, there is help available and many other students have gone through what you are going through, so just stick it out and work hard – it will all turn out okay!
PVE: What is your most memorable volleyball experience as a player or coach?
Snyder: I’ll give one of each. As a player, I can still remember getting a kill on the last swing I ever took in a competitive volleyball match. We were in the finals of a one-day tournament, and I got set on the pipe, and just crushed one to the zone 5 corner – I always enjoy thinking about that one :) As a coach, I have had so many, but a very special one was the hug I shared with our senior libero, Lauren Edmonson, after we beat NYU 15-13 in the fifth set to advance to the Sweet 16. Seeing how happy she was and the fact that she wanted to celebrate with me was pretty special!
PVE: What led you to a career coaching volleyball?
Snyder: Honestly, I was in the right place at the right time. I had served as a student-assistant coach for the women’s team at Washington and Lee during my senior year, and after I graduated, I began an internship in the sports information office. During that time, I was able to continue to volunteer with the volleyball team when time permitted, and I worked it out with my boss to be able to travel with them as much as possible serving a dual role as volunteer assistant coach and sports information contact. A position came open at another school for a Head Sports Information Director/Head Volleyball Coach, and although I had never been in the head position in either sports info or coaching, I think I was probably one of only a few people with actual experience in both. I was offered that job, and once I began coaching and building a program, I knew that was what I would do for the rest of my life!
PVE: What's one thing you wish everyone knew about your school or program?
Snyder: Our alumni network is amazing! Even though we are a smaller school, our alumni are very engaged and support our University at a very high level (our endowment is in excess of $1.5 billion dollars). We are not necessarily a household name, but if you look up any “top” lists of college rankings, you will find us in there with all of the schools that everyone knows. You would be hard pressed to find an alum who has negative things to say about their experience while at Washington and Lee University!
PVE: This question is for the parents of PSA's. What advice would you give parents when it comes to helping their child navigate the recruiting process?
Snyder: Let the players do most of the communication with the coaches. It is certainly okay for parents to ask questions while on an official/unofficial visit and to contact the coach once things get serious and an offer may be approaching. However, the majority of the contact should come directly from the prospect – we need to develop trust and a relationship with the prospect since we will be spending a lot of time with them and we will be working together closely to achieve common goals. Also, as mentioned above, make sure you look at schools that meet what you are looking for – don’t make the volleyball program the #1 factor in the decision.
PVE: This one is also for the parents. What advice would you give to parents when their child gets to college and they go from being a team leader in HS and a regular or key contributor in club to maybe not earning a whole lot of playing time right away? How can parents help their child get through that time stronger?
Snyder: Just be supportive and encourage them to talk to the coaching staff. Complaining to parents and/or teammates about lack of playing time, or any other issue that is bothering them, will not solve anything. As a coach, I am ALWAYS available and willing to listen to our student athletes concerns. I would say about 95% of the time we can find a way to compromise, but sometimes, we just have to agree to disagree, because the coaching perspective is always going to be different from the player perspective. Coaches have to manage the whole group and make decisions that are best for the entire group, even when that decision is sometimes not what a player thinks is best for him/her.
Many thanks to Coach Snyder for taking the time to speak with us today. Coach Snyder will be joining us at PVE’s Elite Prospect Camp this summer as a court coach.