Calvin University's official student newspaper since 1907

Calvin University Chimes

Since 1907
Calvin University's official student newspaper since 1907

Calvin University Chimes

Calvin University's official student newspaper since 1907

Calvin University Chimes

Hot Seat: Tom Snikkers

Photo+by+Reid+Petro
Reid Petro
Photo by Reid Petro

Jess Koster sat down with senior basketball player Tom Snikkers to ask him questions about his life. Snikkers is Calvin’s eighth-highest career scorer after Saturday’s game against Hope. This is Hot Seat:

Koster: Tell us about yourself: How old are you?

Snikkers: 22

Where are you from?

Jenison, Mich.

How many siblings do you have?

Five. Three sisters, two brothers.

What is your major?

Sports Management

What brought you to Calvin?

Well, I was recruited here by Coach VandeStreek. I’ve known him since third grade, we go to the same church so really that relationship won out versus the other coaches.

What first got you interested in basketball?

I really don’t know. I think maybe just watching my older siblings play it. As long as I can remember, I’ve been playing basketball, football, baseball, everything.

What is the best part about playing basketball?

Probably, the best thing is going out there and having fun with my teammates. It’s supposed to be a game; we’re supposed to enjoy it out there. So when I get that opportunity to go out there and just have fun with my friends, I really cherish it.

What is your best basketball memory?

I can’t think of one right now. Some of the tournaments I played for AAU in high school. Just bonding over those weekends was really fun. Got to play against some of the top players in the country who went division one and now are in the NBA, that was a really good experience.

What do you do in your free time?

Hang out. Just chill. I used to play video games a little not much lately. I really just like to hang out with my friends and my girlfriend.

What is your favorite color?

Probably maize.

Favorite music?

Hip-Hop.

Favorite book?

It’s either the Hunger Games or Season of Life.

Favorite movie?

That’s a tough one too. Probably just any Will Ferrell movie.

Favorite sports team?

One of the Detroit teams, Pistons or Lions.

What do you hope to do when you grow up?

I hope to be an athletic director at a D-I program.

What are you hopes and goals as a basketball team this year?

At the beginning of the year we set goals that we want to achieve as a team and one of those goals was to win the conference. We have an opportunity to do that these next couple of weeks. Winning the conference and then making it to the NCAA tournament and hopefully making a run while we’re there.

How hard was it to adjust to college basketball coming out of high school?

It’s a big difference. Guys are bigger. Guys are faster. They can shoot better. It’s just a big transition. It’s fun, it’s challenging, it’s something you can look forward too.

You are quickly climbing up Calvin’s all-time scoring list. Any thoughts on that?

It’s pretty cool. I try not to follow it too much. I still get people coming up to me every now and then reminding me where I’m at. It’s cool that they recognize that and everything but I’m just happy that we’re winning.

If you had to pick one person, historical or living, to have lunch with, who would it be?

That’s really tough. There’s a few professional athletes I’d like to talk to now. That’s a tough one. Can we come back to that?

Describe one of your most embarrassing moments.

I don’t usually get that embarrassed. I usually laugh everything off. I’m trying to think of when I was really embarrassed. I guess. No… probably not appropriate.

What is the best Calvin dorm?

Schultze.

What is one thing you cannot survive without?

I’m pretty dependent on my phone.

If you were stranded on a desert island, which one of your teammates would you eat first? Remember, Matt DeBoer said you last year.

DeBo doesn’t have that much meat on him though. You gotta think about things like that. Umm… I’d probably go: Ty Kruis.

Commons or Knollcrest?

Commons.

What would I find in your refrigerator right now?

Not a whole lot. Some English muffins. Some frozen pizza.

If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be?

Tough questions! Hmm… real or fictional. Just anybody?

Anybody.

I’m trying not to sound nerdy or anything. It doesn’t matter?

No.

Let’s just say Aragorn from Lord of the Rings.

What was the last movie you went to see?

What was the name of that movie? Gangster Squad.

If Hollywood made a movie about your life, who would you like to see play you?

Hmm. That’s a tough one too. I don’t really know that many… Ashton Kutcher.

What is the best pizza topping?

Pepperoni.

Did you think about who you would like to have lunch with yet?

Having lunch with like the president would be pretty cool. Any professional athlete. I’m a big fan of Kobe Bryant. Maybe Denard Robinson.

What advice do you have for younger players?

Just keep working hard. You’re going to get set back. You’re going to get knocked back, feel down or feel down on yourself but just keep working hard, chugging through.

What are your plans for the future?

I hope to play professional basketball overseas next year. At least for a year, see how that goes. Possibly continue doing that or eventually go into grad school for pursuing that athletic director job.

What is your fondest memory of playing basketball at Calvin?

Well, one of my favorites right now is the last time we played Hope here. We put on a pretty good performance.

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