This is Snyder’s third time trying out. He made the Air Force and Armed Forces teams in 2007, with the latter bowling against the world’s best at the Professional Bowlers Association U.S. Open (ESPN telecast).
“The people I looked up to as a kid bowling, I was able to bowl and compete with them,” he said. “That was a pretty amazing experience.”
He recalls starting his involvement with the sport when he was 4 years old. Being a military family, his parents bowled in a league on base Friday evenings, and he bowled Saturdays in a youth league.
Snyder didn’t become competitive until high school and college. He won scholarships by winning tournaments across the southeast U.S. He even dabbled in bowling professionally but saw it wasn’t a way to support himself or his family.
He has continued to bowl at each of his Air Force assignments, racking up 30 perfect games, 15 800-point three-game series, 33 strikes in a row and a highest one-year average of 230, based on more than 90 games.
“Every place I go, one of my first stops is to check out the local bowling center and see what kind of leagues and tournaments they have,” Snyder said.
In the past he bowled four evenings a week and in weekend tournaments, but now he is married and has a 3-year-old son, it’s harder to devote himself to his sport. His wife and son – who has two of his own bowling balls and can bowl five games at once – join him in bowling sometimes.
Even with his increasingly busy schedule, Snyder can’t turn away from doing what he enjoys, and he bowls in intra-murals Monday nights at the Wright-Patterson AFB Bowling Center and at other lanes in Beavercreek. His goal is to compete in at least one tournament per month, using at least one of the nine bowling balls he owns.
“I definitely like to compete,” he said. “A lot of people don’t realize how competitive bowling is, and that it takes a certain strategy just like any other sport, involving not only how you play the lanes but how you’re playing against someone else, whether that is one-onone, a team or doubles.”
Snyder also appreciates that bowling is something he can do for the rest of his life and that it helps him meet people who are outside of the military community.
“Meeting different types of people has allowed me to get involved with the community quite a bit,” he said.
As for the upcoming bowling trial camp, he said it would be great to make the Air Force and Armed Forces teams once again.
“My ultimate goal would be to represent the United States in Team USA’s open competition,” he acknowledged.
“It is a great honor to represent the mighty 88th. Hopefully this old guy can hang out and compete against these young guys,” Snyder said.
His required Air Force physical training of weight lifting, cross training and cardio fitness definitely helps his endurance level – and his game.
“Bowling may not be not the most recognized sport, but I have been doing it all my life,” Snyder finished.
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