Chris Snavely: Starting from Small Beginnings
12/14/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey
Dec. 14, 2004
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Lancaster, Pa., is well known for two things, MSU football sensation Jeff Smoker and a high population of Amish people. So, how did Michigan State's defenseman Chris Snavely become interested in hockey?
"I started skating in an old warehouse in Lancaster when I was 2-years-old," said Snavely. "I just enjoyed skating and just kept going from there."
Snavely grew up with no hockey around him. No nice indoor hockey rink. No friends that wanted to play. No family background in the sport. He was just a young kid who loved to skate and was interested in hockey.
Lancaster is about 45 miles west of Philadelphia. It is a medium-size city with at population of just over 56,000. Growing up in Lancaster, Snavely was different from the rest.
"I kind of got made fun of because I played hockey, and everyone else played basketball, football and soccer," Chris said. "When I started playing, my neighbor really wanted to play hockey too. He was four-years-old when we first went skating together. He bought all the stuff to play but that was probably the last time he ever wore it or went skating. Other than that, none of my friends ever played except for the ones I met on the ice."
When Snavely first told his parents he wanted to play hockey, his dad, Steve, said he wanted to participate too. So Steve learned to skate for the first time right along side of Chris in that old warehouse. That same warehouse that had no running water and only had ice seven months out of the year because there was no insulation.
"He would get me up at about five in the morning on Fridays during elementary school and take me to the warehouse to skate with him," said Snavely. "We went to skating schools together, and we really did just about everything together. He was a big influence on me. He still plays to this day; every Sunday night he plays with a group of guys called `the Old Timers'."
 Prior to his arrival at MSU, Chris Snavely spent four years with the Cedar Rapids Rough Riders of the USHL.  | |
"I left home when I was 16 just before my junior year in high school," remarked Snavely. "So my high school life was depleted, I guess you could say. I went to school in Iowa for about four hours a day, from about 7 to 11; then I would go play hockey on the junior team. I really enjoyed it. I loved it there."
At first, he had a hard time adjusting being away from his family and Pennsylvania.
"I learned a lot about family living," remarked Snavely. "It was very hard to move away from my actual family. I had four families while I lived in Iowa. With the first one, we really didn't get along very well. But after the first month of living in a really different environment than what I was use to, I ended up getting a new house and then began to feel more comfortable. I now think of it as that I have three families out there in Iowa."
During his last two years with the Cedar Rapids Roughriders, Snavely ranked among the top 10 scoring defensemen. He also holds the franchise record for most career games played.
When finishing his career in Iowa he began his college search. While looking at quite a few schools he made his final decision on MSU because of its tradition.
"I just got here and I really loved everything about it," said Snavely on his decision to come to MSU. "Hockey is so well known here. The tradition here is unbelievable and it just fit me great. The guys were so nice. I began to think that I could also enjoy receiving my education here while playing hockey."
Even though Snavely is still a ways away from his parents and two younger brothers, they are still right beside him supporting him. At least one member of his family tries to come to MSU once a month to watch him live in action. The rest of his games have to be watched on satellite TV back in Pennsylvania. He also receives support from his Iowa families too, who try to get out to Munn Ice Arena every season to watch him.
Snavely is one of a few Spartans on the team that has grown up in a non-traditional hockey town. Forward Chris Lawrence grew up about 90 minutes away from Snavely in Havertown, Pa.; defenseman Brandon Warner is from Huntertown Ind.; and defenseman Ethan Graham grew up in Xenia, Ohio. All of these players have shown the same love and commitment for the sport that Snavely has.
"It is very interesting growing up in a non-traditional hockey town, people ask you a lot of questions about hockey because they don't know what the game is all about," Ethan Graham comments. "It is a nice feeling to know that you are doing something unique and non-traditional."
From growing up and skating in a warehouse with his dad, to finishing high school away from his family, and then to gliding on the ice at Munn Ice Arena, Snavely has shown his dedication to hockey. Was there ever a time that he thought about giving up or did he ever wonder if he could make it this far?
"I had a lot of people tell me that I shouldn't or don't want to play hockey because I am too small and this and that," remarked Snavely. "But it was always my goal to play at a major division one university. There was never a time I wanted to give up. Still to this day, I just love it."
For Snavely, it's still all about starting from small beginnings.
By Debbie Rolinski, MSU Sports Information
