2020 - # 21 - LC'S ROGER DE BOER

The "A & B" Sports Report with Dave Tuengel

Today on the podcast, we are grateful to have Roger De Boer with us today.

De Boer grew up in Lynden. The son of a dairy farmer, De Boer fell in love with the game of basketball early in his childhood. The youngest of five children, Roger’s parents spent many first weeks of March at the UPS Fieldhouse in Tacoma watching the Class A basketball tournament.

Coach De Boer attended Lynden Christian High School. His senior year he played point guard and led his team to the 1982 State 1A Basketball title.

After high school, De Boer spent a year at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa before transferring to Seattle Pacific University. He got his first coaching job assisting the girl’s program at Forest Ridge High School.

De Boer then spent five years assisting Mike Downs at Bellevue Christian, then at the age of 24, got his first head coaching gig at Seattle Christian High School. In 1998, his team finished 2nd to Chelan and then in 2000, defeated Toutle Lake to win their first state basketball title.

In 2001-2003, De Boer’s squad played in the state championship games, finishing runners-up. After 19 years at the helm, De Boer stepped away to focus on family and his new business Cloud 9 Sports. De Boer’s record at Seattle Christian was 322-140.

De Boer’s absence from the sidelines was short-lived as in 2008 he returned to the bench, assisting Curt De Haan and the following year, took the Head Boys job at Lynden Christian.

In 11 seasons at LC, De Boer was 228-67, with 9 state tournament appearances, state titles in 2012 and 2018 and as a 6-seed in the 2020 State 1A Basketball Tournament had a 2ndplace finish, losing in OT to King’s. De Boer is also a 2016 inductee into the WIBCA Hall-of-Fame.

We talk about the championships and wins, but I think what is more impressive is that he has had the opportunity to make a difference in his player’s lives through basketball and his faith. His goal is always to help young men not only become better basketball players but better people.

Coach and his wife Jill have three children enrolled at LC and his son Jaden was the starting point guard on last year’s squad, will be a senior, and will be one of the top PG’s in the state.