Honoring Piper Carter’s Legacy Through the Game of Soccer
A dislocated rib during the first game at Nationals. Piper Carter was faced with a challenge during her first soccer game at nationals for the KU Women's Club Soccer Team. Putting the team first, Piper continued to play goalkeeper for the rest of the game and went on to play five more games in the national tournament. Piper had grit and hope for her team, always playing for her teammates creating a positive environment and becoming the heart of the team.
“She was always the first one to crack a joke during halftime, and wanted us to get out of our negative headspaces during games,” said Layne Fortin, a member of KU Women's Club Soccer.
Piper was a sophomore at the University of Kansas where her love for KU and soccer ran deep.
Sadly her time with the sport came to an end when she passed away in Lawrence, Kansas April 29, 2023, with no foul play expected.
After Piper's passing, the Women's Club Soccer Team and the Lawrence community came together by honoring her passion and spirit for the game by creating the Piper Carter Soccer Tournament In her memory they embrace the motto “Play Like Piper” a call to play with strength and compassion on and off the field just like she did.
“The first year after Piper passed, the team lived by that motto. It was a challenging season because the games felt wrong without Piper because she wasn’t there to change the vibe of the team when we were losing,” said Fortin.
For the second year in a row, the love for Piper has turned into something bigger. The KU women's club executive board has spent months putting together the second annual tournament giving all of KU the opportunity to participate and come out and support the team and memory of Piper.
The tournament will feature a 5v5 format, offering a competitive and noncompetitive bracket welcoming all skill levels to participate. It will be hosted on May 3rd from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm on the Central Turf Fields located next to Downs Hall. Teams can be co-ed with a minimum of 5 players and maximum of 8. There is a $10 fee for each player and all proceeds go towards supporting the Women’s Club Soccer team.
“Piper had the best energy on the field and we put this tournament together to keep her energy alive when we play,” said Maddie Mall, Vice President of KU Women's Club Soccer.
The tournament is to honor the memory of Piper, But also a way to bring the community that stood by her through her life a place to come together, connect, and share memories. Piper would now be a senior at KU and was supposed to graduate this upcoming May. As the seniors of the women's club soccer team prepare to leave with their own legacies that they have created these past four years. They are also committed to making sure that Piper's legacy is honored in the years to come.
“This year we created a pink Piper jersey for the goalie. We put her name on the back along with L.L.P meaning Live, Like, Piper,” said Lainey Maddix member of KU Women's Club Soccer
Maddix added, “With this year's seniors leaving we want her legacy to carry on for as long as possible and we believe the jersey will carry her name and the way she played on.”
As the seniors graduate and the team looks ahead into their upcoming seasons the Piper Carter Soccer Tournament will always be a special event for the community. It serves not only as a celebration for the love of the game but also as a tribute honoring Piper’s legacy and the community that she has created around the sport that she had always loved, Soccer.