EHT sophomore pays tribute to coach with emotional home run

By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Publisher Egg Harbor Township sophomore catcher Kate Korté stepped into the batter’s box on April 23, gripped the bat, and looked out at the field in front of her. She wasn’t focused on the Hammonton pitcher, the score, the baserunners, the fielders. In fact, not much came into sharp focus. It was as if she was in a dream state, the world around her blurry, her head spinning with a mix of sadness, anger, frustration. The previous night, her beloved travel coach, Ken Esser, had passed away at age 54 after suffering a heart attack earlier in the month. Kate had played for Esser’s South Jersey SWAT (Softball With Attitude) team for the past three years and considered Esser her primary softball mentor. She was, admittedly, very emotional during school on Wednesday, April 23. Her mother, Michelle, contacted EHT coach Mary Dunlap and urged Dunlap to make her play that day, Egg Harbor Township sophomore catcher Kate Korte shows her emotion while rounding third after hitting a home run against Hammonton on April 23. The previous night her beloved travel coach, Ken Esser, had passed away. (Glory Days Magazine photo/Dave O’Sullivan) believing that participating in the game and being around her teammates would provide an emotional outlet and some form of stability during a trying time for a 16-year-old. Looking back now, Kate said she is glad she did play. Because what happened after she stepped into the batter’s box became the greatest tribute Kate could have made to Esser. Kate turned around a fastball, launching it deep over the fence in left-center field for a home run. As Kate sprinted toward first, first-base coach Julie Sanchas told her to slow down, the ball had gone over the fence. Thoughts swirled around Kate’s mind as she rounded second, and when she saw the jubilation on Dunlap’s face while rounding third, the emotion overtook her and she burst into tears on her way to home plate. “Once it was hit, I knew it had a shot of clearing the fence. Once it went over I remember just throwing my hands up in the air and feeling excitement for her. I was so happy because what better way to celebrate somebody who has given you so much?” Dunlap said. “I knew it was a deep shot but I didn’t know it would go over the fence. After I hit it, I was running to first and coach Sanches said ‘way to go, kid, just keep on going,'” Kate said. “And then when I was rounding second I thought of my first home run with my travel team and seeing Coach Ken. I saw coach Dunlap at third and I just lost it, and seeing all my teammates at home, it was really emotional.” After the game, a come-from-behind, 13-6 win over the Blue Devils, Dunlap said the weight of emotion Kate had been carrying around that day finally became too much to hold by herself. “She was very emotional after the game when we were in our team huddle. We were all excited because beating Hammonton is big, they always have a great team. She was emotional in the huddle the whole time, and we recognized that,” Dunlap said. “After we did our cheer at the end she just hugged me, because she needed it. She played with her whole heart that game and it just shows a kid who really cares. It was a great way for us to be there for her and also get a great win.” Michelle Korté said it was imperative for Kate to play that day to give her a way to channel everything she was feeling in a positive way. “He passed away the night before that game and she really struggled that whole day. Coach Dunlap had contacted me a few times throughout the day and I just told her to push her, she has to keep her mind and body moving,” Michelle said. “Kate looked like she was struggling in the beginning of the game and then she hit that home run. I think as soon as she rounded first base the coach told her it was over the fence and she burst into tears. Korte’s travel coach of the South Jersey SWAT, Ken Esser, passed away on April 22. He had dedicated much of his life to coaching area high school softball players on his travel team, which is based out of Woodstown. (Photo courtesy of Korte family) “It really showed how strong she is. She struggled throughout the day, but thanks to coach Dunlap and her coaching staff, and some of the teachers, they really pushed her to keep her mind focused. It was one of those rare moments.” Said Dunlap, “She was very emotional before the game. Just from my own personal experience I knew the best thing would be for her to get on the field and have the opportunity just to let go. I knew getting on the field would be the best thing for her. I spoke to her and the whole team about us sticking together as family and trying to get through the everyday obstacles that we have and relying on one another. Everybody picked her up and helped her out. It was a difficult day.” Kate said she credits the EHT coaching staff, as well as her teammates, and teachers, for helping her get through perhaps the toughest day she’s had to face in her 16 years. “I found out the night before and it was really hard. It was very emotional. Throughout the school day it was really hard to stay focused,” Kate said. “He was such a great coach, but the whole coaching staff at EHT really helped me out. Coach Dunlap helped me push through it and keep going.” According to his obituary, Esser was a very dedicated travel softball coach, and the Korté family echoed those sentiments. “(Esser) was phenomenal. He taught them on the field and off the field. He was big on respect, and those girls respected each other, they entered every tournament with a lot of class,” Michelle said. “Every girl he coached, he had a great relationship with. He dedicated his entire life to it. He worked hard to get every girl into college. He was wonderful, we’re really going to miss him.” “Coach Ken was also a hitting instructor and he really helped improve my swing. He was always there for me. When I got up (to bat) and realized he wasn’t going to be there for me anymore, it was really hard. I just tried to stay focused. I knew I had a job to do for my team,” Kate said. “Now that I look back on it, it feels like such an honor that I could do that for him. Hitting a home run in my first at-bat after he passed away, that was great. I was really happy that I could do that for him. I hope I make him proud with everything I do.” Kate said that one of the teaching tools Esser used was to get his players to imagine themselves having great success, whether it was before an at-bat or trotting onto the field to begin a new inning. “One of the things coach Ken taught us to do was to create a personal highlight reel in our heads before we got up to bat, all our best plays we’ve ever had. So now that’s in my personal highlight reel,” Kate said. No doubt the home run she hit against Hammonton is now on a continuous loop in Kate’s mental highlight reel. Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays