McKenna Burkhardt has been a crucial fixture in the Temple Field Hockey program since beginning her career as a freshman in 2019.
In just a few years, Burkhardt went from earning consistent playing time to being second-team all Big East. She helped navigate the team through a coaching change and losing seasons and pushed them toward being nationally-ranked this season.
Burkhardt has contributed to every part of the field, elevating her skills and leadership presence in the locker room.
“She is someone who did not find her position until her third year,” said head coach Michelle Vittese. “Now she is someone that her teammates can look towards as a coach on the field.”
In her fifth and final year, Burkhardt is trying to enjoy the season while preparing to embrace her future after Temple. Burkhardt, a member of Temple ROTC, will begin her stint in the U.S. National Guard after the season ends.
Though her uncle and grandfather served before she was born, Burkhardt wanted to join the Army through her own intuition. Watching others around her serve in the military gives Burkhardt a rush of adrenaline, which fueled her desire to join so many years ago.
When Burkhardt attended Liberty High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, there was no Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program, so she had to wait until her freshman year of college to join ROTC.
But Burkhardt didn’t immediately jump on the opportunity to join because she was unsure if she could balance ROTC with field hockey, classes and other responsibilities.
Then, she watched fellow freshman track athlete Sophia Gulotti successfully maintain her athletics career and ROTC. After a semester of adjusting to college, Burkhardt felt inspired by Gulotti and her passion for the military, and she decided to give Temple ROTC a shot in Spring 2020.
While working towards a position as an officer in the Army, she was required to fulfill clinical hours in the field, and Burkhardt discovered another passion: becoming a paramedic. The job requires full-time attention, so Burkhardt had to consider whether she could take on yet another responsibility during her college career.
Burkhardt’s dual passions for the military and paramedic work overrode her concerns, and she decided she wanted to pursue both at the same time, which led her to join the National Guard.
“When I became an EMT, I fell in love with it, and I just can’t imagine myself not doing something like that,” Burkhardt said. “It was really hard to pick between being a paramedic and the Army, so I am going to do the National Guard, which allows me to do both.”
Balancing ROTC and field hockey and now her National Guard duties, which include monthly training, has not been easy for Burkhardt. She missed the 2-1 win against Lehigh Sept. 17 because she had to tend to her responsibilities in the National Guard.
Despite the conflict at times, her military training has translated to her play on the field. Burkhardt is one of three captains for Temple and a leader for teammates and coaches.
“On the field, she’s the first one to be giving encouragement when someone messes up and really helps keep the team together and focused on our goal,” said midfielder Caitlyn Amsden. “And off the field, her hard work in the classroom and in ROTC has really set an example for me and everyone on the team.”
While a military career path is Burkhardt’s dream, realizing she’ll have to leave behind her favorite sport is difficult.
Burkhardt started playing field hockey later than a majority of Division I players, first joining a team in seventh grade. She became obsessed with the sport and improved very quickly. Now, this is likely her last year ever playing.
“The thought is definitely becoming real,” Burkhardt said. “There are only two months left in the season, so just thinking about no longer playing the sport that I have played since middle school is tough.”
In the past four years, Burkhardt has watched the field hockey program go through various changes, like finishing under .500 in her first three years before Vittese took over in late 2021, but the last two years have been Burkhardt’s most successful. She led the team in goals last season and now anchors a very strong defense.
Temple has made the Big East Tournament with Burkhardt, but they have failed to win a postseason game. With just one year remaining, Burkhardt has one goal: make a Big East championship game.
“The last three or four years, we have been knocking on the door of the championship,” Burkhardt said. “Win or lose, just being able to get to that championship would be great since it is on our home field this year.”
Burkhardt’s importance to the program is tough to understate. She captained a rebuilding team and helped fortify the back line. Her impact on Temple Field Hockey will be felt on and off the field for years to come, even if she’ll have to move on from the game she loves in a few short months.
“She has been a very integral part of the growth that this program has made,” Vittese said. “She has helped build the foundation and the culture that our group has today.”
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