Mackenzie Baker worked as an intern this summer with Sporting Kansas City and gained experience in emergency disaster management with a professional sports team. Children's Mercy Park was the first site of the Tournament of Nations, a tournament featuring the women's national teams of the United States, Japan, Australia and Brazil. (Submitted photo)

Sept. 6, 2018

Baker builds safety, security knowledge with pro soccer team

By Tara Garcia, communication assistant

A Northwest Missouri State University student gained real-life experience as a safety and security intern this summer with Sporting Kansas City.

Mackenzie Baker, a junior emergency and disaster management major from Olathe, Kansas, worked with the Major League Soccer team to create and update emergency plans for the team’s facilities.

Throughout her internship, she learned the ins and outs of what it is like working in emergency disaster management for a professional sports team. She also created active shooter and evacuation plans for the Pinnacle National Development Center and Children’s Mercy Park.

Additionally, Children's Mercy Park was the first site of the Tournament of Nations, a tournament featuring the women's national teams of the United States, Japan, Australia and Brazil. U.S. Soccer employees arrived a week ahead of the game and Baker was involved in discussions about team training schedules, stadium operations and security measures. She created documents providing security information for each team and dignitaries attending the opening game.

"On game days, I would run around, doing pretty much anything I could,” Baker said. “It was a very collaborative environment, and if someone needed help, I’d help them.”

Baker sought the internship with Sporting Kansas City because she wanted to gain experience from a professional sports team. She worked closely with the staff at Children’s Mercy Park. She worked with medics at the site and gathered information from people about their injuries.

“Sporting Kanas City was the only team that offered the specific safety and security internship,” Baker said. “I wanted to meet people within the field and learn how to run a security team for big events. Many people just see the security at the games. They do not think twice about all the measures that have been put in place to keep them safe. In addition to the security guards, there are police officers, medical teams and meteorologists all helping make sure that fans have a safe experience.”

After completing her degree at Northwest, Baker is interested in working in the emergency management and counter-terrorism field. She wants to make a difference in people’s lives.

”I think working in counter-terrorism would be very interesting and it would feel amazing helping prevent attacks,” Baker said.

In addition to her membership in the emergency and disaster management club, Baker’s Northwest involvement includes Panhellenic Council, the administrative and governing body that unites the University’s five sororities, and she is a student employee in Career Services.