Major League Soccer recently announced the winners of the 2022 Mark Abbott MLS Club Awards to recognize clubs and individuals driving business, fostering innovation and delivering value to fans and communities. Sporting Kansas City was among the recipients of the awards as the club was named the 2022 Security Team of the Year.
“We're very honored to receive this award," said Sporting KC's Director of Security Nic Vajen. "Sporting KC is a great organization to work for and I’ve had excellent support from my coworkers. The security team, which is comprised of many different pieces, really deserves the credit. They are hard-working, dedicated and receptive to new ideas. The safety and security of our facilities depend on a lot of great people and I’m proud to be just one part of a much bigger team.”
Vajen and Sporting KC's entire security team showed initiative and innovation throughout the 2022 Major League Soccer season. The operations and security teams partnered closely and fostered relationships with local emergency service departments including the Kansas City Kansas (KCK) Police Department, KCK Fire Department, FBI and BEST Security.
Establishing relationships with local government, Sporting's security team spearheaded an effort to pass new policies and regulations regarding the flying of drones over stadiums. This new legislation accompanied the installation of state-of-the-art drone detection equipment at Children's Mercy Park.
The security team at Sporting Kansas City ensures the safety of every guest in attendance for all events at Children's Mercy Park. This includes Sporting KC matches and KC Current matches as well as U.S. Men's and Women's National Team matches in addition to the many public and private events hosted inside the venue throughout the year.
