Men’s and women’s college soccer teams are gearing up to play this weekend in the 38th Annual Ed Chartrand Memorial Coccer Tournament.
From 1974 to 1978, Ed “Fast Eddy” Chartrand played left wing on the KSU Soccer Club. Much as today, the KSU Soccer Club in those days was funded only by team members and donations. Ed worked hard to promote the soccer team as its appointed PR man.
Just after completing his course work, Ed began work as an examiner with the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City in the early 1979. He played on a local Kansas City Soccer team that spring and coached little league.On Friday night, May 18, 1979 he returned from a business trip to Washington D.C. Late that evening, just after getting ready for bed, he suddenly collapsed in the hallway of his parents home. Ed never regained consciousness.
The K-State Ed Chartrand Memorial originated in the summer of 1979 when KSU soccer player Greg Middleton asked the Chartrand Family if the KSU Soccer Club could name a tournament at KSU in Ed’s honor.
The Chartrand Charitable Foundation funds $500 scholarship to male/female K-State players each year. The scholarship is traditionally awarded at the annual tournament by a member of the Chartrand family.
The tournament will take place Friday through Sunday at Kansas State’s Memorial Stadium. An all tournament dinner and party will be held
Last year’s repeat winners were Texas A&M men and Kansas women.