Kaelyn Korte: a Journey in 'the beautiful game'
What happens when something you've been doing your whole life could be coming to an end? Playing sports from a young age and advancing to the collegiate level is a dream for many athletes, but few are fortunate enough to make it that far.
Kaelyn Korte, an attacking midfielder on the Central Michigan's soccer team has lived that dream, but played her final game as a Chippewa Sunday in a Mid-American Conference quarterfinal double-overtime loss to Buffalo.
“Every day and every game I look at what’s in front of me,” Korte said. “I (was) not really focused on (that it was) the last game.”
Korte grew up in Prior Lake, Minnesota and started playing soccer when she was five-years-old. Her parents recognized her talent after she scored 10 goals in her first game.
Korte came to CMU as a sophomore after spending her freshman year at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.
CMU women’s soccer Head Coach Peter McGahey was Korte’s Olympic Development Program coach. ODP is a program that works with talented, young players to develop them for the U.S. National teams.
Korte enrolled at CMU, planning on pursuing a photojournalism degree.
“I wanted to pursue photojournalism and this is one of the top universities for it,” Korte said.
After graduating in May, Korte hopes to get an internship. She also hopes to continue pursuing soccer.
“My dream would be to continue playing, possibly overseas,” Korte said.
Korte has appeared in every game for CMU since joining in 2013 and started every game in her junior and senior seasons. Two of her three goals in 2015 were game-winning goals.
Photos and Story by Mary LaVictor
