Former MLB Player Travis Snider Tries To Change Youth Sports Culture

Travis Snider was the best Little League player in the state of Washington by the time he was 11 years old.

When Snider entered his senior year at Henry M. Jackson High School in Mill Creek, in the fall of 2005, he was one of the best scholastic players in the United States.

Snider was selected in the first round of MLB’s amateur draft the following June, taken 14^th overall by the Toronto Blue Jays. Scouts were as impressed by his maturity and mental makeup as they were his baseball talents.

Stardom was predicted and Snider reached the major leagues in 2008 as a 20-year-old. It seemed the future couldn’t have been brighter for the left-handed hitter.

To those on the outside, Snider seemed to be on top of the world. He had experienced nothing but adulation for his baseball feats.

Instead of reveling in his youthful success, though, Snider was often miserable.

Snider felt he could not live up to the great expectations. Compounding matters, both his parents battled addiction.

“There was a lot of stress, a lot of pressure and playing baseball wasn’t as fun as it should have been,” Snider said.

A Changing Perspective

Snider is 37 now and has three children, so he sees youth sports from a different perspective.

Snider finished his professional career playing for the Atlanta Braves’ Triple-A Gwinnett farm club in 2021. While he logged eight seasons in the major leagues from 2008-15 with the Blue Jays, Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles, he did not become a star.

However, Snider’s experiences as an amateur and professional player have led him to a new mission in life. He formed a company called 3A Athletics, which is based in Seattle and is committed to what Snyder says is “fixing the toxic culture of youth sports.”

The company is launching a premium membership plan at www.3athletics.com featuring exclusive emotional support resources and content designed to help parents, coaches and athletes navigate the world of youth sports and the emotions it triggers.

“There are so many expectations for kids now with travel ball and trying to get college scholarships or drafted into professional baseball,” Snider said. “There is so much focus on it that I think parents lose sight of the fact that sports are supposed to be fun,

“What we’re really trying to do here is trying to empower parents with a reason not to have to follow that herd of buffalo that’s running towards the cliff. It’s not about demonizing the parents but it’s really about empowering them to be more vulnerable because all of us who are parents have the instinct at times to take sports too seriously and forget they are supposed by be fun.”

When Snider retired three years ago, he was hit with a hard reality. He felt his identity and self-worth were tied directly to his on-field performance.

That led to him being diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder and the conclusion was that his anxiety began while he was playing youth baseball.

Partnering With A Life Coach

Snider worked through his issues with the help of life coach Seth Taylor, who is the author of multiple books geared towards youth sports parents, coaches and athletes.

Snider and Taylor decide to partner on the creation of 3A Athletics. The company conducts workshops and seminars for youth sports organizations in addition to its library of guidebooks and other written materials.

Now, 3A Athletic s is offering a membership plan in which subscribers can access a series of video workshops conducted by Snider and Taylor on topics such as “Performance Anxiety,” “Referees and Umpires” and “The Car Ride Home,” as well as access digital versions of all of 3A’s books and other written materials.

For a limited time, the $9.95 monthly membership fee is discounted to $4.95.

“As parents, we are all trying to provide the best life possible for our children. But as sports parents, it’s especially important to open ourselves up to the things we can’t see, and be aware of the impact our past experiences, words and actions can have on our kids,” Travis Snider said. “I want to ensure that the next generation of athletes has a healthier experience playing youth sports, by reimagining parenting, coaching, and supporting our children throughout their athletic journey.”