Over the course of this semester in my final photography lab, I worked on a project that focuses on Kauffman Stadium, emphasizing on looking past the venue for the game, but to look for the community and how a sport keeps a city alive. Photography and baseball go hand in hand, both starting around same time period and evolving together. There are millions of images that shows us results, show us plays and show us action, but that game wouldn’t be able to exist without the fans backing them up. Community shows up. Community is what is keeping the game alive.

Halfway through this project, we got the news that the Royals were moving locations into downtown Kansas City by the 2030 season. That changed my perspective immediately and it was bittersweet taking my camera into the K. Knowing I was capturing the last few years of fans and community in the historical Kauffman felt surreal.

Because of my photojournalism and past roles, I tend to be among those photographers that capture the action rather than the side that a majority of MLB is—fans. While I am lucky enough to have held a role that allows to me to capture the “stars of the show” and the “real” action, the real stars are the people of Kansas City. The real stars are the fans that show up to every game, despite a losing record. The real stars of the shows are the families that want to have a fun day and attend a game after the kids are out of school.

America’s Pastime wouldn’t exist without community and how that support is what fills stadiums and builds momentum for a city. Baseball is a culture and an American identity. Community shapes baseball for years upon years, and it wouldn’t be the same without it.