Jon and Sherry Roberts
The future Homecoming King.
Jon Roberts is a hustler. Pure and simple.
Coupeville High School’s Male Athlete of the Year 1983-1984 ran his rear off on the basketball court during his time as a Wolf (he also won basketball’s Mr. Hustle award that year and Homecoming King), and he continues to do more in the average day than many of us do in a week.
A husband (to acclaimed former Wolf athlete Sherry (Bonacci) Roberts), a father, owner of Cascade Custom Homes and Design, a veteran on-call fire fighter/EMT and the chair of the Ebey’s Landing National Historic Reserve Trust Board, he’s a busy guy.
And one who continues to give back quite a bit to the Island which helped raise him and make him the man he is today.
During his days at CHS, Roberts was that rare mix — a true scholar athlete. He lettered three years in baseball, two in basketball and one apiece in football and cross country (“I ran cross country my freshman year and hated running so much I never did it again”), while finishing in the top eight academically in his graduating class — and still found time to be a volunteer firefighter along with brother Jay.
Brought to the diamond early by dad Sandy Roberts, a former CHS athlete who became a coach in later days, Jon embraced the game.
“Out of all my sports, my love was baseball,” Roberts said. “My dad had me start little league in fourth grade, where I began playing catcher and left field, and I continued to do so until the end of high school.”
He also made a sizable impact on the hard court, where Cec Stuurmans would run the Wolves hard in practice, but never quite get the best of Roberts.
“Coach Stuurmans would make us run lines or “gassers.” We would run dozens of sets in a practice,” Roberts said. “He made us do this because we screwed a lot of stuff up and it was the penalty. It was also a great way to improve our cardio and quickness off the ball. PROUDLY, I was always the first one to finish.”
“I hope that if people can remember back that far — I can’t — they remember me as a hustler who was dedicated to work hard and never give up,” he added. “I was not a gifted athlete. I made my mark by working very hard.”
Coaches like Stuurmans and his own father made a lasting impression on a young man coming of age.
“Having played sports since I can remember how to swing a bat or shoot a hoop, I had many coaches who made great impacts on my life,” Roberts said. “My dad was one of them, coaching every sport I participated in until I entered high school. Coach Prosser was a great baseball coach who focused on technique. Coaches O’Hara and McKinley stressed always giving it your all and to be good sports.
“On top of all this, being around the older players like Emerson Faris, Keith Jameson and Troy Hurlburt — who were all spectacular athletes — instilled my wish to be the best,” he added.
Many of the traits he learned as an athlete have continued to shape him, both as he moved on to Washington State University — where he earned a BA in Architecture — and in later life, as he has carved out a living for his family while designing and building custom homes and remodels with an emphasis on historic restoration.
“Always put your best work forward first; hard work and perseverance WILL pay off; if you’re driven, you WILL succeed,” Roberts checked off. “It helps to be nice to others and play fair, too.”
As his own children grow up and begin to pick up sports for themselves, he finds himself on the other side of the field, and he’s fine with that. He’s coached basketball, t-ball and soccer, while remaining content to allow his children to find what they want to play.
“I have tried to push my kids and will continue to do so in a sport they have a true passion and desire to be the best in,” Roberts said. “It’s difficult at such a young age to push a kid to participate just because you “see” a potential. But as a parent you have to help guide.
“I see my kids finding one they love and play year after year and one or two just for fun.”What ever they pick I will support 100%,” he added. “I see myself continuing to coach as long as I am able and the kids want me to. Sort of weird, but in a way I’m following in my dad’s footsteps.”
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