“Iron” Mike Snyder was a dedicated husband, father, friend, and coach. A Philadelphia native, he made his home in Princeton, NJ for 30 years before his untimely death in 2019. Mike was a lifelong athlete and fitness fanatic who, throughout his life, played competitive sports, ran several marathons, and made exercise part of his daily routine. He was a pillar of the wrestling community in both Princeton and at Duke University. Mike’s friends coined the moniker “Iron Mike” to illustrate his indomitable strength, both physically and emotionally.

Mike was passionate about sports as a fan, a participant, and a coach. One of his greatest joys came from coaching youth sports and watching his own 4 children participate in countless youth sports organizations. Mike believed passionately in the transformative nature of playing sports. He felt strongly that lessons learned from playing on a team at an early age lay the foundation for strong character development and leadership throughout life. Mike forged countless enduring friendships on the sidelines, creating a true sense of community among parents and their children. With his friendly, outgoing demeanor and generous spirit, he never let any child or team within this community miss out on these special experiences due to an inability to pay fees or buy equipment.

The Iron Mike foundation seeks to make this his enduring legacy, providing individual grants to enable participation in youth sports for children of families demonstrating need and to other qualifying non-profits whose mission is in alignment with our own.