Heidi Snyder grew up surrounded by the game of racquetball, attending BYU racquetball tournaments and cheering on the team.
It wasn’t until college that she decided to take it seriously. And that’s because her dad, Paul Snyder, is the head coach of the BYU racquetball club team.
Paul, who was once a member of the college racquetball team, began coaching the team in 2007.
Through many experiences brought through racquetball, Paul’s and Heidi’s relationship has only grown stronger.
“Our foundation in our relationship didn’t mean a ton with racquetball until she actually became a student at BYU,” said Paul.
Heidi has learned many life-long lessons from her dad as her coaching, receiving advice that she continues to use in her everyday life.
Initially, Heidi felt scared to take up her space on the court, but thanks to her dad’s guidance, throughout the years, her confidence has grown, learning that it’s okay to take your shot and space.
“I love seeing her succeed, I love seeing her tackle her fears,” said Paul.
Some may think that having a parent as a coach brings the pressure of needing to win, but in the Snyder household, it’s the opposite.
“One of his sayings is ‘Win or lose, you get a milkshake,’” said Heidi.
This saying and more pieces of advice from her dad and coach helped her never feel the pressure of winning.
At the 2025 racquetball nationals, Heidi placed third in both women’s singles and women’s doubles, and how she got to the top of the level was through lots of refining and dedication.
But she embraced the challenge and became one of the best collegiate female players in the country, her father recalls.
“We’ll see here at nationals in a few months, but she has a chance to take it all, and that’s just come from a lot of her dedication and hard work,” said Paul.
As a perfectionist, Heidi used to struggle with not winning games, but her dad has helped change her mindset about failure.
“He’s flipped failure from being like this bad thing to being a learning experience. So every time you lose, that’s when you’re growing,” said Heidi.
Coach Paul Snyder and the BYU racquetball team are currently in the midst of the 2025-2026 competitive season, with their next match on Dec. 3.
The team will end the season at the University of Minnesota for the 2026 National Championships.