Kore Baseball began with an idea that David Koelliker had carried since childhood. Growing up in a baseball-loving family, he remembered playing with friends until their baseballs wore out. When the leather covers came apart, the boys sometimes stuffed them with soft material, stitched them back together and kept playing. Years later, David turned that memory into a product designed to give children the feel of a real baseball without the hard center.
David and his family launched Kore Baseball in Utah in 2014. The original Kore Ball had the leather cover and hand-stitched seams of a conventional baseball but used a softer core. David believed it could help young players learn to catch and throw without being afraid of getting hit. It also allowed families to play baseball in backyards and other places where a hard ball might cause injuries or damage.
The business became a family project. David’s son John helped launch Kore while attending Brigham Young University. The family arranged its first shipment of baseballs, created a website and began selling directly to customers. John handled much of the early shipping himself, regularly loading his car with orders and taking them to the post office before classes.
Sales grew beyond what the family had expected. Within a few years, Kore had sold tens of thousands of baseballs and secured retail distribution through Nordstrom, J.Crew and independent toy stores around the country. John also traveled with his mother, Susan, to meet with Toys “R” Us about carrying the product. The business had grown from a family idea into a brand with a national retail presence.
David was diagnosed with brain cancer during Kore’s early years. As his health declined, the family reduced its work on expanding the business to spend more time with him. After David died, Susan took over the day-to-day operation. John eventually moved on to other work, leaving his mother to manage Kore through a difficult period for the family.
David and Susan’s younger sons, Will and Charlie Koelliker, later became more involved in the business. They expanded the product line beyond the original soft-core baseball, adding softballs, plastic bats and custom-designed bats. They also began using social media to reach a new generation of customers, bringing fresh attention to the brand their father had created.
The renewed effort led to another period of growth. Kore developed a following among families who used the balls for backyard games and among coaches looking for ways to introduce baseball to younger children. Will and Charlie helped build the online business while Susan oversaw operations, and the family expanded its sales through both its website and retail partners.
By 2025, Kore was selling more than 50,000 baseballs annually. The business had grown well beyond the volume it achieved during its first years, with Susan, Will and Charlie running the operation together. The family also began attending events such as the American Baseball Coaches Association convention to introduce the products to coaches and others involved in youth baseball.
