Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week, Garrett Snyder: Growing into

greatness

Barry Faulkner

Flailing away against the totality of his talent, opponents of

Corona del Mar High tennis ace Garrett Snyder quickly lose sight of the

fact that he is about as physically imposing as Ally McBeal.

A “slight” exaggeration? Of course. But when finding a weakness in the

Sea King sophomore’s systematic skills proves futile, frustrated foes may

be forced to examine his genetic code.

“He has no weaknesses,” veteran CdM Coach Tim Mang said. “I’d like to

see him work on his strength, but that will come. He’s a stick right now,

but he’ll get stronger as he matures.”

Snyder has begun a weight training regimen and is confident he will

one day be able to wield sufficient force to play the power game that

pervades as one shuffles up the sport’s competitive ladder.

In the meantime, he’ll continue to polish the all-around proficiency

few prep players ever approach.

“He’s the smartest player on my team,” Mang said. “He knows how to use

all his shots, when to go for the kill and when to use his touch. He

figures out his opponents very well and he really knows how to set up his

points. He can come to the net and serve big when he needs to and his

forehand and backhand are equally effective. He’s very mentally tough,

he’s an unbelievable competitor and he’s really a team player.”

Little wonder the Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week is ranked No. 8 in

Southern California in the 18s age bracket, though still close to two

weeks away from his 17th birthday.

It should also be of little surprise he is rarely tested in the Sea

Kings’ lineup. Through last week, he had yet to lose a set in singles

(21-0) or doubles (18-0) in dual matches this season.

“When you watch Garrett play singles, you might wonder how he does it,

because he doesn’t blow people away,” Mang said. “But he just keeps

winning. And he has so many 6-0 sets, it’s unbelievable. Against the top

teams that we play, his record is even more incredible.”

Last week alone, Snyder swept PCL singles foes from Laguna Beach (6-2,

6-3, 6-1) and Northwood (6-0, 6-3, 6-0). In between those two CdM league

victories, he teamed with Randy Myers to sweep three doubles sets in a

crucial 10-8 nonleague win over reigning national champion Peninsula

March 4.

And all this with a case of mononucleosis, which has sapped some of

his strength and limited his practice time.

Snyder said he is feeling better lately and plans to complete the

season.

While he excels in singles (he won a bronze ball at this year’s Fiesta

Bowl tournament) and doubles, he will team with Brian Morton to play

doubles in the upcoming Ojai Valley Tournament (they’re top-seeded in

high school draw), as well as the Pacific Coast League and CIF Southern

Section postseason tournaments.

“As a sophomore, I think my best chance to win (in the postseason) is

in doubles,” Snyder said. “I plan to play singles my last two years.”

He returned to CdM, where he attended eighth grade, after attending

Santa Margarita as a freshman. He said he enjoys the camaraderie and team

focus of high school tennis.

“I love just being around the guys,” he said.

An avid sports fans who played other sports growing up, Snyder began

playing tennis at age 5. He was playing in junior tournaments by age 8

and his success led him to specialize in tennis.

His all-around skill is a product of conscious training and planning,

as he strived to learn every facet of the game.

Even when he watches other sports on television, he said he tries to

glean tidbits that can help him win.

“I learn little things from every sport,” he said. “You never know

when you might pick something up.”

As he continues to pick up strength, there’s no telling just how good

Snyder could become.