Five Minutes with a Hardshell: Drew Snider
5/1/2018 12:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
Maryland Athletics recently caught up with Drew Snider (2008-12), who is currently a team captain and all-star for the Denver Outlaws. Snider is also set to represent Team USA at the upcoming FIL World Championships this summer in Israel.
Your young brother Will scored the game-winning goal last weekend against Hopkins. Where were you when it happened and what was going through your head?
“It's funny because I was actually flying to my own game in Dallas, so when I landed I got a text message saying Will had tied up the game. I didn't see the tying goal, but I turned the game on right at the end of regulation as I was sitting in the Dallas Airport. My stream was actually a little delayed. My phone started blowing up which made me think we won, but I just didn't know in what fashion. And then seconds later we are actually watching it happen on the phone and I'm with one of my buddies and we could see Will was open. We were saying 'you got to hit him!' And next thing you know they pass to Will and he scores and we are jumping up and down in the airport so it was pretty cool to watch that. After the game I just texted him “unreal.” It was so cool. I knew his phone was probably going wild. It was unbelievable – I still can't believe it.”
How has your experience been in Denver?
“My experience with the Denver Outlaws has been great. Coming out of Maryland, I had lost in the National Championship my junior and senior year and then in my rookie year we lost in the Major League Lacrosse Championship so I felt a little cursed (laughs). We've actually won two titles since I've been playing for the Denver Outlaws and I think Maryland did an amazing job preparing me for those moments. So my time at Denver has been successful due, in part, to my time at Maryland.”
How are you feeling about representing Team USA at this summer's World Championships?
“I'm super excited about the upcoming World Championships. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity for me. I think international play is going to be interesting – rules are lot different than MLL and college. But I'm really looking forward to coming together in a new team environment and getting perspectives from new coaches. And also I'm excited to travel to Israel – a place I've never been. It will be great to compete for a world title wearing the red, white and blue. That's something that growing up I never thought I'd have the chance to do, but hard work pays off and I'm thankful for all my coaches and teammates who have helped me get to where I am today.”
What are you up to when you aren't playing lacrosse?
“The majority of my year is spent running Cityside Lax which is a youth lacrosse organization in Seattle. And then we also just started Cityside Hoops, which is a basketball organization I started with my good friend who played in the NBA, Spencer Hawes. And then I also coach O'Dea High School, so those are my main jobs that keep me busy outside the MLL season on a day-to-day basis.”
How did Maryland help prepare you for life after college?
“I think for most players that play at Maryland, there's a lot of transferable attributes you can pick up along the way that apply in the real world like work ethic and consistency. That's really helped me. I'd also say that Maryland prepared me for the real world by getting me outside my comfort level. Being from Seattle, going to Maryland definitely made me learn about myself and I think I'm more confident and open to more new opportunities because of my experiences there. And finally, I found an entirely new friend group and support system that has also helped me become more of a people person and figure out how to connect with a variety of people from all different backgrounds.
