John Pine serves as a Cognitive Performance Specialist with the 435th Fighter Training Squadron at Randolph Air Force Base. John holds a Master’s degree in Kinesiology with a concentration in Sport Psychology and Motor Behavior from the University of Tennessee, along with a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and Psychology from Illinois State University. He is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) with expertise in applied sport psychology, cognitive training, and leadership development.  

John’s career began using his job as an academic mentor to begin working with first year student-athletes at Tennessee. Before graduating with his master’s degree John also interned with the Chicago Fire Football Club youth academy. He later served as a Performance Expert with the U.S. Army at Fort Polk, where he facilitated resilience training to enhance unit effectiveness. John then advanced to Site Lead for CRAFT Pilot Training at Columbus AFB, leading a team of seven specialists and overseeing cognitive training programs for hundreds of Air Force pilots. With the 435th he is embedded directly with fighter pilots. In this role, he provides one-on-one consultations addressing perfectionism, stress, and performance recovery, develops training curricula for instructors, and leverages cutting-edge tools such as eye-tracking technology to improve pilot cross-check efficiency. Even taking opportunities to hop in the back seat for several rides to learn first hand what the performance environment looks like. His work directly supports both student development and instructor effectiveness, strengthening performance and mission readiness at one of the Air Force’s premier fighter training squadrons.