As a former NAIA Academic All-American soccer player and mass communication major at Baker University, Kristin Bock has found a career in which she has matched two of her passions—soccer and media.

An integral member of the popular Sporting Kansas City franchise, the 2005 graduate is manager of the Sporting Club Network and a sideline reporter for the Sporting Kansas City games. “It is a perfect combination,” Bock said. “I get to interact with kids interested in soccer and stay involved in the game. It has been a great year with so much momentum as we continue to build our soccer team.”

For the past year and half, Bock has served in her current managerial role, overseeing the development of relationships with young athletes and athletic organizations to connect everyone interested soccer and other organizations in the Midwest with Sporting Club and Sporting Kansas City. The network affiliates are provided with unique member benefits and access opportunities to Sporting Club’s facilities, content and events. More than 30 youth teams and 50,000 members are part of the growing network.

“Forming more youth partnerships has been a part of our rebranding efforts for a couple of years since we became Sporting Kansas City,” said Bock, who reaches out to rugby, gaelic football and lacrosse players in the area. “We wanted to connect with the youth soccer program in a way that had never been done before. We want to create a more athletic club and help them become lifelong fans of soccer and Sporting Kansas City.”

Before landing with Sporting Kansas City, Bock majored in mass communications and physical education at Baker. She received a master’s in sports administration from the University of Kansas and has worked as an intern for the NAIA and as a Web producer. She also worked in the sales department for the Kansas City Wizards.

“Getting your foot in the door, proving yourself and making contacts through an internship are important,” Bock said.

Bock relies on the skills she obtained at Baker in her position with Sporting Kansas City.

“I use the writing and editing techniques I picked up while being a sports editor for the Baker Orange,” Bock said. “I’ll always remember Professor Gwyn Mellinger and the green pen.”

The Baker Orange, the student newspaper at Baker University, claimed Kansas Associated Collegiate Press' All-Kansas Award for four-year private colleges April 14-15 at the Kansas Collegiate Media Conference at the Hyatt Regency in Wichita. It marked the 14th time since 1998 that the Orange received the All-Kansas honor.

Chris Duderstadt, a senior from Overland Park, Kan., and the editor of the Orange, was the first runner-up for Four-Year College Newspaper Journalist of the Year, earning $100.

The student media online site, thebakerorange.com, placed first in the private college division.

Dave Bostwick, assistant professor of mass media, is the adviser for the Baker Orange and thebakerorange.com.

Here are Baker's individual awards from the contest for work published between March 2012 and February 2013:

Infographics
First — Tera Lyons, Strasburg, Colo.

Interior page design
First — Lyons

Front page design
First — Lyons

Photo essay
Second and third — Lyons

Illustration
First — Lyons and Rachel Dannen, Olathe, Kan.

Sports column writing
First and second — Sara Bell, LaMonte, Mo.
Third — Chris Duderstadt, Overland Park, Kan.

Column writing
Second — Lauren Bechard, Gardner, Kan.

Sports news writing
Third — Bell

Editorial cartoon
First — Abbey Elsbernd, Andover, Kan.

Photo essay
First — Callie Paquette, Ottawa, Kan.

News photography
Third — Paquette

Sports feature writing
Second — Duderstadt

Feature writing
Second — Meagan Thomas, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Feature photography
Second — Khadijah Lane, Lawrence, Kan.