Chesterton sophomore forward Mikey Roberts doesn’t have much difficulty finding inspiration.
He can draw from a deep well provided by his mother, Kristy Zakhar-Roberts, who died June 1, 2023, at the age of 44.
“She got me into all the sports I’ve ever started,” Roberts said. “My dad (Michael) was always working, and she was always the one going to my soccer games and stuff. She was definitely my biggest supporter.
“It definitely was life-changing, but my dad’s been awesome. His role in the house has definitely changed a lot, but we’re closer than we’ve ever been even though my mom’s not here. We’re all doing great and just living for every day, and I just want to make her proud.”
Roberts, whose older sister Molly is a freshman at Indiana and whose younger brother Vinny is a freshman at Chesterton, said his mother was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in February 2023. She taught at Westchester Intermediate School.
“It was out of the blue,” Roberts said. “It was a shock. You would never think somebody would die that young. It was definitely the most life-changing moment of my life, and from then on, it’s just been my goal to just play for her in every way.
“My Papa Bob (grandfather Robert Zakhar) reiterates that to me all the time, that I have to keep playing for her, keep going, and that’s in the back of my mind. That’s definitely what’s pushed me so hard this far to become the player I am. I always told her I want to go pro, I want to play in college, I want to play varsity. She’s not here to make that promise come true anymore, but I still definitely think she could see me make that promise come true to her.”
Roberts is well on his way. He has a team-high 11 goals and three assists for the Trojans (9-2, 4-1), who are ranked No. 9 in the Class 3A state coaches poll and are among the contenders for the Duneland Athletic Conference title.
“I’ve just been working hard,” Roberts said. “That’s really all it’s come down to, just every game having a willingness to score and wanting to score. It’s my goal to score every day or every game.
“And then also just the players I play in front of, the backfield to the midfield, it makes my job 100 times easier when your midfield will bring the ball all the way up to you and give you the ball at the box, and then all you have to do is beat one guy to score.”
First-year Chesterton coach Will Fortenberry, who also has led Portage, Kankakee Valley and Boone Grove, predicted in the preseason that Roberts would have a “huge” season. Fortenberry was right.
“Mikey’s one of our hardest workers and always gives maximum effort on the field,” Fortenberry said. “He’s a very explosive player. He’s one of those guys who has the swagger that every coach wants someone to have — you always need someone on your team that has that. You have to make sure you control it from time to time.
“It’s like Mike Tyson and his trainer Cus D’Amato, talking about controlling the flame, the fire, and once you figure out how to control that, you’re unstoppable. So I’ve made that reference to a couple of the players, and Mikey’s one of those kids. He gets upset, he gets mad, he’s a little piss and vinegar, but he’s done a pretty good job of not letting it get in the way of his game. He’s only a sophomore, and he’s going to keep learning and growing.”
Roberts already has earned the respect of players such as senior defender Hutch Stuckert, one of the team’s captains.
“Mikey’s a great kid, always works his butt off, great personality to have around, and always a team player who never lets the goals get to his head,” Stuckert said. “He’s always one of the hardest workers at practice. He’s definitely on the more relaxed side, always joking around and having a good time, but when it comes down to it, he’s always focused and ready to lock in when it’s time.
“Mikey really took a step up this year by leading us on the field and the goal sheet, but he’s always hungry for more. Despite that, he just loves to play and being a part of the team, never talks bad about anybody and just overall is such a great person and player to have on the team.”
Roberts also started most of last season as a freshman, contributing three goals and seven assists. Though a forward growing up, he played as a central defender and wingback, filling positions of need for the Trojans. He simply relished the opportunity to be on the field in any capacity for a program that won Class 3A state titles in 2018 and 2020.
“Ever since I first saw the high school team play in elementary school, I remember seeing coach Lucas (Sabedra) when I was a ball boy, and I just wanted to be part of the culture that they had because it was during when they won the two state championships back in 2018 and 2020,” Roberts said. “It was during that time period when I was first introduced to it, and ever since then, I told my family, ‘I want to play varsity, I want to play varsity.’
“At first, it kind of seemed a little farfetched of a goal. But then soon I realized it could happen, and last year I realized more than ever that I’m good enough and I’m at that level. So now it’s just about staying at that level and staying healthy and proving that I could keep going higher and higher places.”
Staying healthy has been a bit of a challenge for Roberts, who ramped up his efforts after last season.
“It’s just maturing and having the discipline to be able to keep training every day and keep working hard and not becoming content with myself,” he said. “All the hours are paying off now.”
Roberts, who believes the Trojans have the potential to add another state title with “talent all over the field” and “people who have played at the highest level in the country,” has continued to flourish despite ongoing hip issues that surfaced in the middle of last season.
Roberts initially began experiencing pain in his right hip and wound up taking off about a month from November to December. When he eventually returned, he said, his left hip also was bothering him from “overcompensating.”
“The best answer the doctors have so far is just that the size of my bones and joints are incorrect to what they should be, and it causes just enough problems to go on and cause the pain,” Roberts said. “The solution obviously would be cutting your bones and stuff, which is something I’m not up to because of the recovery time.
“But it’s nothing I can’t play through. It’s manageable now that I’ve learned what stretches to do. It’s just learning discipline and being able to take care of myself. It’s no big deal now. It’s nothing adrenaline doesn’t take out of your mind during the game.”
Roberts’ sister Molly, a former hockey player and distance runner, also competed with injuries.
“We all have that edge of perseverance,” Roberts said. “You could see it a lot at her track meets. You could tell she was about to cry, and then she keeps running. I definitely think that’s something we’ve gotten from our mom.”
Roberts was born in Arizona and lived on an Army base in Yuma — where his father served — until he was 2. Then his family moved to Columbia, Missouri. Roberts said both of his parents are originally from the South Side of Chicago, and his family moved to Chesterton when he was 6 to be closer to relatives in the area.
“My mom had seven siblings, and my dad has a brother, so I definitely have a huge support behind me,” Roberts said, “and they’ve played the biggest role in my mental health after my mom’s death and being able to continue playing despite such a horrific loss.”