Photo By Sgt. Harley Robinson | Capt. E. Thomas “Tom” Pinnell, center, Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron (MWHS) 3,...... read more read more
Subscribe
E. Thomas “Tom” Pinnell III, 17 at the time, stood in front of the goal on the poorly lit soccer field, late November 2005. Night had fallen and the ground had barely thawed. The pressure was on, the score five to four, and the entire game rested on the opposite team’s shooter making this goal. The stands were packed with people bundled in their jackets and beanies. Pinnell’s breath was visible in front of his face. The shooter kicked and Pinnell was ready. As if in slow motion, he could see each individual panel on the ball coming right at him. The ball headed to his diving range. He jumped and smacked the ball to the side. The crowd went wild; Pinnell and his team were going to state.
Fast forward, Pinnell is now a captain in the Marine Corps, the assistant judge advocate for Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron (MWHS) 3, and recognized as Marine Corps Air Station Miramar’s Athlete of the Year for the second time, receiving a certificate of accomplishment during a ceremony at MCAS Miramar, California, March 7.
Pinnell attended Edwardsville High School in Edwardsville, Illinois, where he played soccer and baseball from his sophomore to his senior year. After high school, he attended St. Louis University and played Division 1 baseball for four years on scholarship.
“I joined my first league for soccer around age five or six, but I felt I never had the foot skills to play soccer that well so baseball was my sport,” said Pinnell. “Though baseball was my preferred sport, I was good with my hands so being on the goal in soccer became a natural place for me.”
In 2009, Pinnell graduated as an undergraduate from St. Louis University School of Law and commissioned into the Marine Corps in 2010.
Throughout his years in the Marine Corps, Pinnell managed to stay active in sports. He holds the record for the leading scorer in the San Diego Indoor Recreational Soccer League for the past five seasons. Pinnell also plays short-stop for the MWHS-3 Eagles softball team.
Pinnell’s accomplishments provided him the opportunity to play for the All-Marine Soccer team in 2015, as goalkeeper.
All-Marine sports grant exceptionally talented Marines the ability to compete in higher level competitions, such as the Armed Forces Championship, National Championship, Coseil International du Sport Militaire (CISM) and the Olympics.
After the Military World Games, the coaches from all four branches scout players to play for the national all-military team, Team USA, to compete in the CISM Military World Cup.
In the 2015 Armed Forces Championship, Pinnell was named top goalkeeper and was recruited for Team USA to compete at CISM. It’s these accomplishments that set him apart to be named MCAS Miramar’s Athlete of the Year.
“The military coaches selected me from the All-Marine team in 2015, but unfortunately I couldn’t get away from work,” said Pinnell. “This year, they held the 2017 CISM Military World Cup in Muscat, Oman. The coaches knew me and reached out to me to come try out. Since I was selected for that team, Bob Stopp, the Marine Corps Community Services athletic director, nominated me for MCAS Miramar’s Athlete of the Year.”
Qualifying for the all-military team twice in a row is a difficult feat, and Pinnell is only the second Marine to be presented this award twice.
“It really means a lot to have Pinnell representing Miramar,” said Col. Jason Woodworth, commanding officer of MCAS Miramar. “The balance he has between his job, his family and his athleticism says a lot about his character and dedication. It’s a privilege to have him working here.”
Pinnell is humbled by his achievements and grateful for the opportunity the Marine Corps granted him to continue playing the sports he loved growing up.
“It feels awesome to win this award,” said Pinnell. “I think the fact I won it twice is a reflection of the amount of support I’ve had here at Miramar… how awesome my command and the Marine Corps has been. In most jobs, there’s not a lot of opportunity to break away for a month and do something for your personal benefit. To win twice, it’s really exciting.”
| Date Taken: | 03.07.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 03.09.2017 17:49 |
| Story ID: | 226364 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, CA, US |
| Hometown: | EDWARDSVILLE, IL, US |
| Web Views: | 644 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Another one: Pinnell awarded his second Athlete of the Year, by Sgt Harley Robinson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT