Mason Snider has joined the Bill Reynolds Tennis Center as the new Head Professional Tennis Instructor.

Snider grew up playing tennis and chose to take his passion to the collegiate level at Alabama, working his way from the No. 5 spot to the No. 2 spot.

As a junior player, he trained with No. 1 doubles player Jared Palmer for two years. While training at the Palmer Tennis Academy near Tampa, Florida, he played in many national tournaments throughout the U.S. He reached a Top 5 ranking in Florida and a Top 20 national ranking.

Most recently, Snider has been the assistant coach at Maclay school in Tallahassee.

Tennis Director Tim Thompson said Snider’s experience gives him a unique experience which he can relate to players, whether adult or junior, who want to take their game to its highest level.

“Mason and I have known each other for a long time,” Thompson said. “We’ve played tournaments together, and we’ve played against each other. He knows junior tennis. He has been in the system and has a great knowledge base in that.”

Three years ago, Snider had major brain surgery, an attempt to remove a tumor. He still fights the cancer today, but it’s tennis that keeps his head in happier places.

“At the end, they told me to say certain words and I couldn’t say it, but I could tell a story, and it was about tennis,” Snider said. “It’s the best memory I have. Am I going to sit around all day, or do the one thing that I love and remember?”

Thompson said Snider is a great fit for the Bainbridge program and can navigate the ever-growing junior tennis scene in the country.

“He really knows the ins and outs of it since he has been there,” Thompson said.

To learn more about the programs the Bill Reynolds Tennis Center and the Bainbridge-Decatur County Recreation Authority offer, call (229) 248-2020.