Former Milton coach passes
By James Shappell Staff writer
MILTON — Passionate. Competitive. Fun. Loved sports. Helped kids.
These are just some of the descriptions former players, coaches and friends gave of Max H. Shnyder II, former head football coach at the Milton Area High School, PIAA wrestling official and Little League softball coach, who died Monday at the age of 49 while vacationing with his family in Ocean City, N.J.
“The first thing that comes to mind when I think about him is he was always great with the kids, “Sheldon Sumner said. Sumner coached football with Shnyder during his tenure at Milton, from 1998-2004. “He had a way of getting the most out of those kids. Most of them respected him a lot.
“He was just a fun guy to be around. He just enjoyed life so much. He’ll be missed.”
Stephen Bish, former middle school and high school principal in the Milton Area School District, coached softball with Shnyder the year he brought home a state championship. “He had a real passion for coaching, “Bish said. “He lived it and breathed it. I thought he was a really good teacher of the game. I enjoyed his competitive nature.”
Not only a competitor, Bish said, but someone who enjoyed sports and had fun with them. “I truly believe his heart was always in the right place, “he said. “I think the community lost a real dynamic figure. He wore his emotions on his sleeve.
“My heart just goes out to his family.”
Shnyder and his wife, Susan, lived on Old Orchard Road in Milton and had three daughters, Jennifer, Jessica and Jillian.
Dr. William Clark, Milton Area School District superintendent also sent his condolences to the family. “The school district is deeply saddened, “he said. “He did a lot with the kids. “Clark added Shnyder was involved in the community in a number of different ways and it would be a loss to Milton.
John “Pete “Bergen, Milton Elementary School wrestling coach, said he knew Shnyder best as a wrestling official. Shnyder was voted the District 4 PIAA official of the year from 1995-2003, and Bergen said he was also one of the top in the state. The elementary wrestling coach said Shnyder was always “fair “and always showed a real concern for the kids.
“He was always looking out for the best interest of those kids, “Bergen said. The coach recalled one incident in particular when Shnyder was officiating a match during which one of the participants was injured. Bergen said the crowd was riding him a little bit when he turned around and addressed the crowd, explaining the situation to them. The “boisterous ruckus, “as Bergen described it, subsided and was actually replaced by a few cheers, which was followed by the wrestler getting back up and finishing the match.
Frank Dimon knew Shnyder from the wrestling mat and from the gridiron. Dimon had the pleasure of interviewing the Milton coach after each game. “Of the people I’ve dealt with as a sports correspondent, he was probably the most honest, the most forthright, “Dimon said.
That honesty and integrity wasn’t just as a coach on the gridiron, either. Dimon said there was “no better softball coach around, “and there was no better official than Shnyder. His longtime friend said being on top of his game like that in three different sports showed Shnyder’s true competitive nature. “It signifies what kind of man Max was. He was as competitive and wanted to win as much in his 40s as he did in his teens.
“He was a class guy.”
Bob Greenly, Milton Area High School head wrestling coach, said Shnyder was a big part of Milton’s recent success on the mats. “He helped us a lot when we won our seven championships, “he said. “Just a super-nice guy in the room.”
Greenly also credited Shnyder for the recent success of the Milton softball program. He added Shnyder himself was a great amateur baseball player, often times leading the West Branch Amateur League in batting average.
Shnyder was more than just sports to Greenly though. “He was a great friend to me, “he said. “We hunted together, we fished together, we coached together. Every first day of hunting season we’d get together.
“He’ll be missed for sure.”
His players will remember him for both his on the field enthusiasm and his off the field caring.
“He was by far my favorite coach, “David Rute said. Rute was a 2003 graduate of Milton and played for Shnyder two years. “He was real supportive off the field. He was a coach, but he was a friend on and off the field. He was just a really good guy. He’ll be missed very much.”
Rute was voted a captain his senior year by Shnyder, something Rute said he took a lot of pride in. One thing he’ll always remember was Shnyder being the last one to leave the locker room. “He didn’t leave until the last one of us left, “he said.
One memory in particular that stuck out to Rute was following his final game as a senior. As he and about five other teammates waited in the locker room, not wanting to leave, Shnyder stayed with them. Rute recalled all of them tearing up because the season had come to an end.
Bob Benion might have been one of Shnyder’s most successful players on the field. The All-State selection who participated in the Big 33 game has continued his career at Duke University.
“He was one of the only football coaches I ever had, “Benion said. “He’s probably one of the best. He was definitely a players’ coach. He was completely involved in the game and his heart was in it.
“I really don’t know how he had time to do it all. Off the field, he was always involved with the community. I think that really does say a lot about him.
“He was always there for me. High school football was a great experience for me.”
Shnyder’s strong personality and opinions made him what many described as a love him or hate him guy. There have been doubters among the masses, including those that led the charge toward his resignation after an alleged hazing incident during the 2004 football season, Shnyder was a winner. During his tenure as a football coach he won the CSC Championship outright once, and led the team to a tri-championship another time. As previously stated, he also led a Little League softball team to a state championship.
James Shappell: 570-742-9671
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