Courtesy Photo | Marine Barracks Washington is proud to announce that Cpl. Chandler Brown, a native of...... read more read more
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MARINE BARRACKS WASHINGTON, D.C. – Marine Barracks Washington is proud to announce that Cpl. Chandler Brown, a native of Highlandville, Missouri, will represent the Marine Corps on the All-Marine Softball Team. Brown, an infantry rifleman, is currently serving as the drill master for Marine Barracks Washington’s Color Guard.
All-Marine Sports allow exceptional Marine athletes to compete at elite levels, including national and international championships, producing nationally ranked and Olympic athletes who embody the competitive intensity and resolve of the Marine Corps.
Brown’s journey with softball began at a young age. “My grandpa used to throw me the little playpen balls in the living room and I would hit those with a plastic bat until I broke one of my grandma’s China dolls and we had to move it outside,” said Brown. “My grandpa took me to my first T-ball practice and I started that at a very young age. Then I started playing coach pitch a year early in my hometown, and then started playing recreational ball at the local county. In seventh grade, I started playing for the middle school team, and in high school, I got to play with my best friends all growing up. We had a chance to go to college and play baseball together, but there were just some things going on and I decided that it was time to hang it up.”
After high school, Brown started to play slow pitch softball with his church team, competing across Missouri, Kansas, Texas, and Oklahoma.
This year marks Brown’s first time competing on the All-Marine team. “I coach the battalion softball team here at Marine Barracks Washington, which includes Pfcs. all the way up to Master Sgts. and Capts.,” said Brown. “Someone on the team brought this opportunity to me, thinking I might be good enough. I never saw it that way, but Gunnery Sgt. Thompson thought I could do it.”
Gunnery Sgt. Thompson shared his thoughts on Brown, “When I first got to 8th and I last summer, I saw Cpl. Brown play softball leading up to the Battle of the Bases tournament. I immediately contacted a friend of mine that plays All-Marine softball and told him I had a kid that was going to be beneficial to the team. The best part about Cpl. Brown is not that he is a good softball player; he is a stand-out Marine and an all-around good dude. There is no doubt in my mind he will accomplish anything he sets his mind to.”
Brown researched the program while training with the Battle Color Detachment at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, last February. Marines interested in joining the All-Marine Softball Team submitted packages to the coaching staff, who narrowed the field from approximately one hundred down to forty prospects. Brown excelled during online tryouts from April through July, submitting videos each week showcasing his skills. After several rounds of cuts, Brown was selected to participate in the team’s training camp at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, running from July 28 to August 12.
Following the training camp, the team will compete in the Armed Forces Championship at Devon Park, formerly known as the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, from August 12-19. This location is just a few hours away from Brown’s hometown, and he looks forward to the support of his family.
Brown plays shortstop and the unique 5-man position. He explained, “5-man is a position unique to slow pitch softball where you have ten infielders instead of nine, with the 5-man typically playing between second base and shortstop.”
“It means a lot to be part of this," added Brown. "Here at Marine Barracks Washington, we represent the Marine Corps day in and day out, especially in the Color Guard section. But to be able to travel once again and actually compete against the other branches – we work with the other branches a lot and there is always jabber about who is the best at this or who is the best at that – so I’m excited to actually put it into play on the field and see who comes out the best.”
Located at the intersection of 8th & I Streets in southeast Washington, D.C., the Barracks serves pivotal roles in both ceremonial functions and security operations within the nation's capital. The Marines of Marine Barracks Washington train to exceptional standards of professionalism and precision to honorably represent the Marines stationed and deployed throughout the world at parades, ceremonies, and funerals.
| Date Taken: | 07.29.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 07.29.2024 15:43 |
| Story ID: | 477268 |
| Location: | DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, US |
| Hometown: | HIGHLANDVILLE, MISSOURI, US |
| Web Views: | 606 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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