By building a culture, winning soon follows
Josh Snyder hesitated when asked to recall the number of years he’s been married. Fortunately, he was home and wife Lacey was nearby.
Same for the ages of his three children. He paused then repeated the question loud enough for Lacey to help out.
Teaching, following his three children’s many activities and coaching his alma mater left Snyder exhausted four months into the fall season.
Northwestern Lehigh was preparing for its biggest game in more than two decades, a PIAA Class 3A football semifinal, when Snyder was bombarded with those questions and more.
The Northwestern graduate is thankful for his family, having his best friends coaching with him and for the group of Tigers they worked with for more than those four months.
It ended with the program’s first state final appearance and a 15-1 record.
Snyder is The Morning Call Colonial-Schuylkill League All-Area Coach of the Year for taking Northwestern to unforeseen heights in 2023, but also for instilling a culture that not only requires commitment to the program but a dedication to one another.
“Playing ball with your best boys,” Snyder said, “being successful, that’s the culture. Hopefully, the younger kids see that, want to emulate that. And then it starts to take care of itself.”
Snyder’s name still can be found in the Northwestern football record books as a standout two-way player in the late 1990s.
What he has done with the program since becoming head coach 12 years ago assures that his name will never leave the program annals.
Northwestern is a powerhouse Colonial-Schuylkill League program known for its diverse and unpredictable offense, aggressive and disciplined defense and a culture that demands teamwork on and off the field.
This year’s Tigers had all that in spades. Not a single player chased personal records or goals. What they chased, they chased together. The players’ selflessness was evident.