Lady Royals continue to thrive under Snider

BROSELEY — The first year for a new head coach is likely to be an adjustment period, but the Twin Rivers Lady Royals haven’t skipped a beat under new leadership.

Michael Snider stepped into his role as the head coach of the Lady Royals for the first time this season, and it’s so far, so good. Anytime a coach takes over with an unfamiliar roster, it’s always a work in progress, but according to Snider, the team has meshed together very well.

“I’ve been really happy with the girls so far,” Snider said. “Everything is clicking together for us. We’ve been doing a really good job of listening and working hard while doing what they’re asked. They’ve really taken me in as their coach despite this being my first year and have immediately bought into what I want to accomplish here, which is always a positive.”

Snider said getting his team to compete every game has been one of his goals, and he feels they’ve achieved that so far. He’s been pleased with their work ethic and has also seen a few positive results.

After winning back-to-back district titles in the last three seasons, the Lady Royals have still maintained solid play within their district.

They’re currently on a three-game winning streak after picking up their previous victory over Clearwater 66-37 to improve their record to 10-5 on the season.

Every team can expect to have a few mishaps at the beginning of the season, but Snider said those mistakes have fueled the Lady Royals to get better.

“I definitely think that we’ve seen a lot of growth since our first game and first practice,” Snider said. “I think that we’ve gotten a lot better, and at this point, going into the second half of the season requires us to be even better. I always want to see constant improvements because we still have room to grow.

“We really struggled with turnovers at the beginning of the year, but we’ve done a much better job here in the last several games with not turning it over so much, so that’s great. I think we’ve kind of settled down into the offense a lot more and have learned how to push through any press defense. Defensively, we’ve been solid, but I know we can improve.”

Though the main goal for a new coach is to win, Snider said getting the Lady Royals and community to buy into his style and philosophy as a coach would be a win for him.

“I’m hoping that by the end of the year, this team and program will continue to believe in me and my plan,” Snider said. “I know we have a long way to go, but if everyone buys in, we can achieve some good things here. So far, it’s been going well for us, and I just want to see it consistently for the rest of the season. If we just keep the same drive we’ve had from the start, we will be okay around the postseason.”