Lindsey Roberts flies up-court. (John Fisken photos)
Lindsey with mom Sherry (Bonacci) Roberts, a former CHS Athlete of the Year.
Hanging out with cousin Ally Roberts.
Lindsey Roberts is like a sponge, soaking up lessons from the athletes who have come before her.
From current Wolf basketball star Kacie Kiel (“the yin to my yang, who is also a really big role model on my life”) to the 10,000 stars that have sprung from her own family, the Coupeville Middle School eighth grader has plenty to draw from.
Start with grandfather/legendary CHS coach Sandy Roberts (the pair share a birthday today, as 14-year-old Lindsey was Sandy’s 60th birthday present), then head down to parents Jon and Sherry (Bonacci) Roberts, uncle Jay Roberts and cousins Madeline and Ally Roberts.
All have starred in a variety of sports while repping the red and black, but the most important lesson Lindsey may have picked up came from one of her siblings.
“I have always looked up to my oldest sister, Austin, especially in sports; she played basketball, volleyball, and tennis,” Roberts said. “She taught me that ‘Life isn’t about finding yourself. It’s about creating yourself’.”
What she has created so far is the beginnings of a legend that may one day eclipse all of her relatives, several of whom have framed photos on the CHS gym wall reserved for the school’s past Athlete of the Year winners.
Bouncing between soccer, volleyball, basketball and track, her ever-present smile beaming a ray of sunshine ahead of her — remarkably similar to her mom’s style back in the day — Roberts is a phenom.
But one who hugely enjoys goofing off with her friends for the cameraman, content to be one part of a crew where everyone is equal.
Though, when it comes to outside inspirations, she does draw on maybe the most famous basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan.
“When I miss a shot I just think of my favorite quote,” Roberts said. “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost more than 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeeded.”
Of all her sports, it is basketball, which she started playing in first grade, that gives her the biggest thrill.
“I enjoy playing basketball because of the feeling you get when you step on the court,” Roberts said. “For me, the sport comes easily and I don’t feel like the ball is a “hot potato” and I have to get rid of it right away. I take time to dribble and look to see if anyone is open.
“I love playing basketball because it is such an up-beat sport,” she added. “It’s never a slow-paced game, it always seems fast-paced because you are constantly moving and/or running up and down the court.”
During the fall Roberts had a chance to step up and play with a team comprised otherwise of all high school girls. The experience was transforming for her.
“Both my parents have always told me to follow my dreams,” she said. “I had so much fun playing up, and I made a bunch of new friends.”
She picked up valuable pointers from that team’s coach, Scott Hay, and has also greatly benefited from time spent working with CHS girls’ basketball coach David King.
“Coach King has been the most influential coach, because he helped me a lot with how I played defense, my shot, and how I controlled the ball,” Roberts said. “One thing that I won’t forget about him is he always said to me it’s all about how much confidence you have in yourself and you have to tell yourself “I’m going to make this shot.”
“Because if you think negative things like “It’s not going in,” then you probably aren’t going to make it,” she added. “There is this one quote that says “The people who say they can, and the people who say they can’t, are usually right about themselves.”
While she’s fine-tuning her offensive game (“I am not a very accurate shooter, so I have been working on my shot”), Roberts makes a huge impact on the other side of the ball.
“I would definitely say one of my strengths in basketball is defense,” Roberts said. “My coaches have said that peripheral vision is a great skill to have and I am pretty good at keeping my eyes on the ball and keeping track of my player at the same time.”
With her final middle school hoops season having just ended, Roberts heads into track next, while already looking ahead to her first day on the high school campus.
She’ll have to choose between soccer and volleyball in the fall (she’s leaning towards running the pitch), but basketball and track are locks to fill her other two seasons.
In her spare time, she participates in her church youth group and enjoys helping out with the nursery.
That’s sort of fitting — one fast-rising, super-talented young woman with a bright outlook on life helping shape the lives of other youngsters.
Just like her own family has done for her.
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