Training On Her Terms: How TPH Academy Kansas City Supports Alexis Snyder’s Flexible Training Schedule

Most mornings begin the same way for TPH Academy Kansas City sophomore Alexis Snyder. She laces up her skates and steps onto the ice before the rest of the day settles in. What has made the biggest difference recently is the flexibility to shape her schedule around the training that matters most.

“The thing I like is that I can just go whenever I want,” Alexis says. “I basically go out to the ice at different times every day. And then I always skate in the morning.” That flexibility also allows her to balance another role at the rink. “And then I also coach, so I can go out to coach whenever I need to in the middle of the day.”

Before joining TPH Academy Kansas City, her schedule required constant travel between multiple rinks each week.

“I skate all the time. And I was running three different rinks on a weekly basis, and it was just tons and tons of driving,” she explains.

That routine began to change when Alexis and her family learned more about TPH Academy and met with TPH Kansas City Director Christy Rutherford.

“When [AdventHealth Sports Park at] Bluhawk opened up last October, we had seen TPH and kind of knew about the school,” she says. “So when summer rolled around, we met with the Director, Miss. Christy, and she informed us more about TPH. I was very excited to join.”

Now her training, academics, and time at the rink all happen in one place.

“I enjoy the flexibility that I have with my schedule and my ability to be able to skate however long, however much I need,” Alexis says. “Just the ability that I have to taper my schedule or adjust based on my daily needs, weekly needs, monthly needs.” Being back in a classroom environment has also been meaningful. “And then also just being around my classmates and then having gym and just everything in the same place.”

Alexis has also become involved in coaching younger skaters through Learn to Skate programs.

“I've been helping with Learn to Skate ever since I was 13 or 14,” she says. “You can coach once you're 16. So, right when I turned 16, my coaches and the directors here helped me get to be a coach.”

The campus layout allows her to move easily between school and the rink.

“I've been able to coach way more hours just because I put my skates on in the classroom and I just walk over to the rink, coach for 30 minutes, take my skates off, and get right back to school.”

Alexis has also seen steady improvement in her strength training.

“One of the areas I can really see improvement is in the gym,” she says.

“So in the gym, we have testing monthly or bimonthly, and that was something I didn't have before,” Alexis explains. “Every couple of months, I would do rep maxes and then I'd be able to see my strength increase.” With more frequent testing, she has been able to track progress more closely. “With monthly or bimonthly testing, I'm able to see my improvement on a smaller scale, but steadily over as the school year has kept going. I've really been able to hone in on that improvement and build confidence.”

Her long term goals remain clear.

“I have not yet reached the two highest triples,” she explains. “Getting those two triples this year would be huge, and then competing with them, meaning that they're consistent.” If that consistency comes together, she believes the next step could follow. “And then I think with those triples, I could definitely make it to Nationals. And after Nationals, getting international assignments would be a wild success for me.”

For Alexis, reaching those next-step goals progress comes from the mindset she brings to each day.

“That looks like putting in 100% every day for me, attacking every session,” she says. “One of the things I've learned over the years is just not being afraid of getting sore or just not being afraid to give it all for the next day. Giving it all every day.”

She also focuses on the details that support long term development.

“Learning what the most important things are, like sleep or my schedule,” Alexis says. “Relying on the resources and my training.” That mindset keeps her looking for small improvements. “Constantly looking out for new things has been another thing that I've learned over the years. What tiny thing can I improve this season or this day or this week or this month to make me a better athlete?”

Mentorship has also played an important role.

“One of the amazing things that I love about TPH is we have the mentorship program, which has really helped me to make it to that next level,” Alexis says. “I can constantly ask Coach Cody for anything I need,” she says. “We just did it the other day, ‘What can make me more focused in the morning?’”

Figure skating often requires long hours of independent practice, something Alexis embraces.

“There's this quote in the room that I love: ‘Work hard when nobody's watching, because future you is always watching you’.”

“Especially in figure skating, you have a lot of practice time alone, a lot of decisions to make alone,” she says. “Rely on the people around you. Look for resources. Constantly change. Try to change things up.”

At TPH Academy Kansas City, Alexis Snyder has found an environment that allows her to keep building toward the goals she has set for herself on the ice.

Ready to level up like Alexis? Start your journey at TPHAcademy.com/Apply-Now.

About TPH Academy:

TPH Academy is an academy-style, focused environment where dedicated student-athletes study, train, and play at their highest potential. TPH Academy’s core purpose is to lead the world in the holistic development of student-athletes, advancing – in and beyond the game – the next generation of impact players. For more information about TPH Academy, please visit tphacademy.com and check out the 2024-2025 TPH Academy Impact Report.