On Saturday, May 10, 2025, the Menlo soccer community will come together to take part in the annual Señor Carlos López Soccer Alumni Day. Current and past Oaks will play face-to-face on 7-on-7 games.
SCHEDULE
10:00 AM – 10:30 AM Check-in
10:30 AM – 11:00 AM Opening Remarks
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM Small Sided Games
12:30 PM – 2:00 PM Food & Drinks
Carlos López took the reins of the men’s soccer team in 1961, and remained the program’s head coach until 1988. One of the winningest coaches in Menlo history, he accumulated 215 victories in his time here. All told, he led the team to 12 conference championships, and coached six All-Americans. At last year’s event, Larry López, the son of Carlos, opened the event by saying that his father “would be absolutely pleased to see so many older players” on the field and that it was “the most [the event] had ever had.”
One alumnus in attendance, Karl Buder ’66, was named an All-American while playing at Menlo. Buder, who came to Menlo in 1961, spoke of the early days under Carlos López: “We played major schools like Stanford, Cal, San Francisco State, and USF. We lost every game, but we never gave up. That built [the program] into what it is today, thanks to those who, in the early years, kept it up.” Another alumnus, Kris Whitten ’68, recalled that “Señor López was a mentor for a lot of us. He was also the dorm supervisor in Michaels Hall, where I lived. He used to come around and check on us.” Whitten was a team manager but was still given an athletic letter and jacket by Carlos López. Regarding that gesture, he said, “I sure did appreciate it, and 55 years later, I still appreciate it.”
Cartan Athletic Fields, El Camino Real, Atherton, CA, USA
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