“Determined. Competitive. Intentional. Resilient.” Tymber Pinon’s teammates have several words to describe her.
Tymber has one for them, too. “They’re family,” said Tymber, a senior on the Skyline softball team. “I can turn to them with anything. I know I can. Especially during that time.”
That time happened during her freshman year on gameday morning. Tymber was getting ready for her second varsity game ever. “That morning it was definitely unexpected,” she said.
Tymber’s dad had a heart attack. By 8 AM, Troy Pinon was gone. Tymber’s brother, Trent, also had a baseball game that day. “We were like, ‘My dad would want us to play,’ and we’re like, ‘We’re going to play this evening,'” Tymber said. “They ended up cancelling it. But we knew that we’d play. It was never really a question for us.”
Tymber feels like her dad is always with her on the field. “100% [he’s with me],” Tymber said. “His sport was baseball. He played college baseball. He was about it.”
And Tymber is all about getting the clutch hits that earned her all-state honors last year. During any cheers, she looks for her dad. “That also made it a lot harder because whenever I’d play, he’d always be there,” she said, “I’d always get to look over there and see his face. That change, it got me every time.”
Tymber’s mom, Tisha, is the team’s physical therapist. And she knows what he would say. “He would be so proud,” said Tisha, “I know he would just be smiling and proud of the woman she’s growing into, and the leader that she is. And the fact that she works for the team.”
And the team works hard for her. Although nothing will replace her dad, she feels like she has an entire roster full of sisters. “Having the girls beside me, they filled that family role for me when it felt like everything else in my life was turned upside down.”
Last year, Skyline ran up against eventual state champion Warsaw in the district championship game. So this is Tymber’s last chance to lead her team to a championship. “That’s all I’ve wanted since my freshman year,” she said. “Show my dad, like, don’t let him down. That’s just what I wanted to do. Show him what I got. For him.”
For him and for this team, the sky is the limit for these Skyline Tigers.
