Sometimes the greatest individual masteries of a skill come from an athlete that leaves themselves open to all channels and avenues in order to strengthen their acumen and skills. For Rebecca Snyder, the field hockey community has been a tremendously diverse classroom that has made her a scholar for the sport.

The Hand senior center defender grew up playing sports her entire life and began field hockey in middle school after starting lacrosse at the age of 4. This year, Rebecca has been the veteran leader of a younger Tigers’ defense that aided the squad to a 15-0-1 regular season.

“[Hand Head Coach Sue Leckey] has cultivated an environment with people who are super passionate about the sport and driven to achieve goals, and I fell in love with that motivation,” says Rebecca. “One thing that has helped me is having a growth mindset. There is so much you can learn from other players and coaches and just being coachable. You also have to learn to take risks and try new things in practice in order to grow.”

A wily four-year varsity mainstay to the sport, Rebecca has crafted out a very strong stamina and endurance to take on the long haul. Yet she exercises her mind in being a cerebral player, knowing when to sever the opposing offense at just the right moment to gain an edge for the defensive front.

“You have to be very conditioned for field hockey, but I like the strategy of seeing where to cut off a pass or throwing in an occasional jab,” Rebecca says. “We also have a new defensive line, and we have really worked well together. I have also gained a lot of confidence by being on varsity for four seasons. Physically, I feel I am in such great shape and have done a lot of conditioning.”

Leckey notes that Rebecca is not only an individual who is a traffic controller within her defense on the turf, but she additionally is quality control when it comes to her squad mates exhibiting respect for both the game and their adversaries.

“Becca is the defensive field general at center back for the Tigers. She makes sure all defenders around her are focused and diligent, but also shows them respect, they are a team within the team,” says Leckey. “Becca is incredibly athletic and strong, sees the field, and is determined to excel at protecting the goal and at having the team’s back. Becca knows that good defense allows the offense to be able to do their work.”

Leckey goes on to mention how Rebecca coalesces quite well with another senior to help fortify the stingy Hand defense that allowed only eight goals in the regular season, while additionally being a tremendous template for becoming a well-rounded scholar athlete to others.

“She is supportive and collaborative with her fellow classmate, goalie Faith Minickene, and together they anchor the Tigers from that end of the field,” Leckey says. “This is Becca’s second year starting, playing a critical role in Hand’s defense. Becca is a great teammate; she is positive, hard-working, and always aware of how we are working as a unit. She offers encouragement and perspective to help Hand be successful and enjoyable. Becca is the model of a student-athlete, her academics are top priority, and this also sets a solid example, especially for our younger players.”

On the back line, Rebecca relishes in the opportunity to lead and have her younger colleagues admire her and look to her for guidance during a game, as she also instills invaluable tricks of the trade she has garnered in her tenure as a Tiger.

“We have a pretty new defensive line with some sophomores and juniors,” says Rebecca. “But it has been a great experience to be the one everyone is looking up to and showing them the tips I have learned. It has been a great environment to learn in, all the way around.”

After the Tigers were just two games away from supplanting themselves as the best team in the state, the squad has that extra spark of motivation to follow through on their target. Yet they stay cool, calm, composed, collected, and in each moment on a daily basis.

“The team is very motivated and working hard throughout the year, but we are taking it one game at a time,” says Rebecca. “We are not getting too ahead of ourselves. We see the potential to win a state title, but if we take it slow and do the little things, we will be there.”

As Rebecca has acquired a gift towards prioritizing all of her obligations and duties in each facet of her life, she concludes that diligence is the only way to dive forward in the working world as she moves toward the future.

“I learned a lot about time management,” says Rebecca. “I also learned that if you put your mind to a goal, you can do it if you are efficient. It is also important to put in the hard work in the offseason. You also need to have persistence to work hard to get somewhere.”