Celebrating Coach Ken Roberts

Ken Roberts and the Girls Varsity Soccer Team celebrate winning the 2019 District Championship. 

It’s difficult to find a coach with a resume like Ken Roberts after 43 years at the helm of the Girls Varsity Soccer program. It was a no-brainer that he belonged in the Berkeley Athletic Hall of Fame, considering his long list of individual and team accomplishments:

• 550 wins

• 19-time Florida Athletic Coaches Association (FACA) District Coach of the Year

• 2015 National Soccer Coaches Association State Coach of the Year

• Tampa Tribune Coach of the Decade, 1990-2000

• 2023-2024 Frank H. Lindeman Award Recipient

• 22-time District Champions

• Eight-time Regional Semifinalists

• Six-time Regional Finalists

• Five trips to the State Final Four

• One State Runner-Up

Because of Ken Roberts, the Girls Varsity Soccer program has delivered success year in and year out. While his accolades speak for themselves, it’s his impact on thousands of female student-athletes and on countless students as an educator in the Lower Division that has made his legacy at Berkeley even more special.

One individual who can speak to his impact better than most is his longtime assistant coach, Jenn Shannon-Martin, who’s been alongside Coach Roberts for 22 years. She shares, “Ken’s legacy is one of character, integrity, and what it truly means to be a good human being. Soccer is just a small part of our lives, but the lessons he has taught—about respect, perseverance, and kindness—are things that last a lifetime. His impact reaches far beyond the game, shaping not just skilled athletes, but good people.”

This sentiment is echoed by his players, whose lives have been touched by Coach Roberts’ leadership, guidance, and genuine care for them as young women. His former player, Carsyn Martz ’22, had an illustrious career as a Buccaneer, being named a fourtime All-State honoree and the Janet Alvarez Hillsborough County Female Soccer Player of the Year. Now a starting defender at Rice University, Carsyn reflects on Coach Roberts’ influence: “Coach Roberts was not only a crucial figure in my development as a soccer player, but also in my growth as a person. I wouldn’t be who I am or where I am today without him. Known around campus as the ‘gentle giant,’ he is the perfect example of what it means to be a supportive, charitable, and kind-hearted role model. He treats everyone—whether they are a preschooler, a high schooler, or a colleague—with love and respect. I feel extremely lucky to have been coached and mentored by him. He has impacted my life forever.”

While his days on the sideline have come to a close, Ken remains hard at work as a teacher in the Lower Division Physical Education Department. From teaching countless children to swim in the Michael G. Cantonis Pool to helping them reach new heights on the rock wall at Buccaneer Ridge and everything in between, Coach Roberts continues to embody the qualities of a true educator and role model around campus.

The next chapter for the Girls Varsity Soccer program involves a familiar face: Jeannie Barrow Pisano ’89 became Head Coach this past season. A fellow member of Berkeley’s Athletic Hall of Fame, she was an accomplished varsity player at Berkeley and a captain for three years under Coach Roberts. She continued her soccer career at Vanderbilt University where she was a four-year starter and two-year captain. In her first season, the transition has been seamless, with Coach Pisano leading the Buccaneers to the Regional Final and a 14-4-1 record. As Coach Pisano builds on the strong foundation that Coach Roberts laid, it’s clear—the future is bright for this storied program.