Severna Park’s Tinelli Transfers Talent To Coaching

Severna Park resident Tina Tinelli didn’t want to continue her soccer career after being named all-county defense at Chesapeake High School. She thought that she could not balance work, school and sport.

Then she received a call from Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) women’s soccer head coach Jim Griffiths, who persuaded her to come out for the team.

That leap of faith turned into an extraordinary experience that changed her life and impacted her future dreams of wanting to stay in the game she began playing as a young girl.

“My second year at AACC we went to the national championship tournament in Alabama, and we lost in the title game,” Tinelli said. “But after a very quiet ride home, we arrived at AACC and the entire athletic department was there to greet us.”

That school spirit resonated with her.

Tinelli and her teammates had one more meeting to wrap up the 2024 season and afterward Tinelli, who was out of eligibility, approached Griffiths and said, “I’ll see you next year.” She had decided that the game was still in her future.

“At first I was a little surprised, but I was hoping Tina would continue to be part of the program,” Griffiths said. “We always got along, and I respected her work ethic on the field and being an outstanding student.”

Tinelli was named All-American her sophomore year, but while playing soccer those two years she became a master of time management by balancing work, practice and classes. In addition to her standout performances on the pitch, she achieved a perfect GPA over her two years at AACC.

She had a packed schedule: a 4:30 a.m. wakeup call for her full-time job, followed by team practice, then going home to attend online courses and complete assignments. Her outstanding work in the classroom was rewarded: Tinelli was selected as AACC’s valedictorian for the Class of 2025.

“There’s not many college athletes who have been named All-American and valedictorian in the same year,” Griffiths said.

Tinelli earned a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity from the University of Maryland and now serves as assistant coach for the AACC’s women’s soccer program.

She works with goalkeepers, organizes drills, and tries to create game-like situations for players who are adjusting to faster-paced college competition.

“I’m really enjoying coaching,” Tinelli said. “It’s exciting to be part of helping the players get better and being around the game that I love.”

For AACC, having a player who had recently come through the system stay on as a coach added extra clout to the staff and earned immediate buy-in from the new faces.

“When Tina joined the coaching staff, she had instant credibility, and she also is a great role model for our incoming freshmen on the importance of doing well in the classroom,” Griffiths said.

Although her playing days are behind her, Tinelli expressed a deep appreciation of what AACC meant to her as a student who was ready to stop playing soccer after high school.

“Playing at AACC was so beneficial to me as I established relationships that will last a lifetime; (I) had an opportunity to travel to many states, compete at a high level, and renew my love for the sport that I played for 17 years,” she said.

Tinelli plans to coach for the foreseeable future and hopes one day to become a head coach at the high school or college level.

For now, she will pass along her knowledge, work ethic and passion for soccer to future generations.