Kinsey Kallaher finds her footing with the Iowa Cubs.
By C. Brandon Chapman
Kinsey Kallaher is used to the grind. That’s a good thing because Minor League Baseball demands it.
When most people think of the Minor Leagues, they picture a relaxed ballpark on a warm summer night, hot dogs, and little kids chasing foul balls.
But that’s not what Kinsey thinks of anymore. She thinks of repainting suites, hosing down the concourse at 9 a.m., fixing the plumbing, pulling tarps, ushering VIPs around, and, of course, shooting hot dogs from a cannon.
That’s because she’s in it.
Not the hot dog cannon, obviously. But in Minor League Baseball.
Kinsey, a recent graduate of the College of Education, Sport, and Human Sciences’ Sport Management program, is currently serving as a stadium operations intern with the Iowa Cubs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs.
And while the work isn’t glamorous — unless sweat, long hours, and hauling trash are now glamorous — it’s exactly the kind of real-world experience she was hoping for.
“Working in MiLB is not for the weak,” she says with a smile. “It’s a lot of long days, as well as wearing many hats and doing whatever needs to be done.
“But it’s also an incredible way to learn.”
Her current duties span everything from pre-game setup to in-game promotions, special events, and maintenance. One day she’s preparing hospitality spaces. The next, she’s operating metal detectors, setting up a concert stage, or cleaning up a spill mid-inning. Ah, yes, plus the hot dog shooter!
The only things Kinsey’s not doing are selling tickets, running the scoreboard, or actually fielding a position for the Cubs.
That variety, and the grit required, is exactly what her time with Sport Management prepared her for.
She didn’t start college knowing this would be the path. In fact, she almost went into business. But a single meeting with Sport Management advisor Corrie McGrath changed that.
“She sold me on the tight-knit community and the hands-on experience. I could picture myself in it.”
Turns out she was right.
From coaching youth sports for Pullman Parks and Recreation, to managing corporate partnerships and LED signage with Cougar Sports Properties, Kinsey soaked up every practicum, project, and challenge the program could throw at her.
Her Sport Management capstone experience included planning a Halloween carnival that drew more than 600 people — six times the attendance of the year before.
“It was one of those moments where everything came together,” she says. “We created something the community loved.”
But her most powerful memories are still personal. Coaching kindergartners who grew into confident third-graders. Or the feeling of Coug football’s game day atmosphere.
“Walking onto the field at Gesa for kickoff against Wisconsin was a moment I’ll never forget. That’s when I knew I had chosen the right career path.”
Eventually, she hopes to land in community relations or fan experience with a professional team, helping others build memories like the ones that shaped her growing up in Pullman.
This fall, CESHS’ Sport Management program celebrates its 40th anniversary — a milestone that highlights decades of turning students like Kinsey into professionals who make sports happen. She said she’s proud to be part of that legacy.
But for now, she’s mostly just focusing on getting up early, staying late, and doing the work that makes baseball happen.
After all, hot dogs don’t shoot themselves into the crowd.
This feature is one in a series of features the College of Education, Sport, and Human Sciences is sharing, leading up to the Sport Management program’s 40th Anniversary celebration on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025.