Miller signs to play softball at St. Mary’s
David Miller sat in his speech class Tuesday morning at Lee College listening to someone give a speech about the disadvantages of home schooling.
One of the reasons given was that those who are home-schooled miss out on an opportunity to receive an athletic scholarship. Later in the day, David along with his family, watched as his sister, Lauren, who was home-schooled signed a letter of intent to play softball for St. Mary’s in San Antonio.
“Playing college athletics has been a goal of mine since I was 12 or 13 years old,” Lauren Miller said. “People say you don’t have high school softball so you won’t be as good. When I’m told I can’t do something I want to prove people wrong, not because I am cocky.
“I have benefited from playing club ball because it is more competitive and you are able to get more exposure to college coaches than you are in high school softball.”
Miller will be attending St. Mary’s on athletic and academic scholarships. She carries a 3.58 GPA in her high school courses online and has made A’s and B’s in courses taken at Lee College. She also made a 1550 on her SAT.
Miller has been playing sports since she was young in the Baytown city leagues.
She began playing competitive softball with The Naturals in 10-Under for current Barbers Hill coach Kirk Hall in 2000. After focusing on soccer for several years, she returned to softball a year and a half ago and began working with Hall on her hitting. She also started playing for the Texas Aces 18U Gold team out of Sugar Land.
The Aces are a college exposure team that participates in tournaments year round.
“When she came back to softball after playing soccer I thought there would be a dropoff,” Hall said. “I was worried about her, but after two months I was not worried at all. It was just a matter of getting seen by the right people.”
“Kirk is my hitting coach and he has been a major influence on me in softball,” Miller said. “He is a major reason I have accomplished what I have.”
Miller has been home schooled all but two years of her life. The last year being 2001 when she attended San Jacinto Christian where she was named the Best Female Athlete of the Year. All four of the Miller children have been home-schooled, starting with the oldest Candice.
“When they were children we thought we would rather homeschool them rather than have them influenced by public schools,” Tom Miller said.
A typical day for Miller starts at 9 a.m. when she begins her schoolwork online. She is also taking two classes at Lee College and works at Chick-Fil-A at San Jacinto Mall where she is an assistant manager. All this is in addition to playing for the Aces.
“She has had a lot of prayer support from the Church,” Debbie Miller said. “And she has also received financial support from Bill Kurtz at State Farm which has allowed her to play softball.”
While there is a stigma attached to kids that are home-schooled Miller has not struggled with the stereotypes but has only used them as fuel for her endeavors.
“Before I took classes at Lee College I have been in home school support groups that took classes together,” Miller said. “There is a perception that home school kids are sheltered and don’t have friends. I have teammates on the Aces that ask me about it. I think being home-schooled makes me work a little harder in school and in sports.”
David Miller sat in his speech class Tuesday morning at Lee College listening to someone give a speech about the disadvantages of home schooling.
One of the reasons given was that those who are home-schooled miss out on an opportunity to receive an athletic scholarship. Later in the day, David along with his family, watched as his sister, Lauren, who was home-schooled signed a letter of intent to play softball for St. Mary’s in San Antonio.
“Playing college athletics has been a goal of mine since I was 12 or 13 years old,” Lauren Miller said. “People say you don’t have high school softball so you won’t be as good. When I’m told I can’t do something I want to prove people wrong, not because I am cocky.
“I have benefited from playing club ball because it is more competitive and you are able to get more exposure to college coaches than you are in high school softball.”
Miller will be attending St. Mary’s on athletic and academic scholarships. She carries a 3.58 GPA in her high school courses online and has made A’s and B’s in courses taken at Lee College. She also made a 1550 on her SAT.
Miller has been playing sports since she was young in the Baytown city leagues.
She began playing competitive softball with The Naturals in 10-Under for current Barbers Hill coach Kirk Hall in 2000. After focusing on soccer for several years, she returned to softball a year and a half ago and began working with Hall on her hitting. She also started playing for the Texas Aces 18U Gold team out of Sugar Land.
The Aces are a college exposure team that participates in tournaments year round.
“When she came back to softball after playing soccer I thought there would be a dropoff,” Hall said. “I was worried about her, but after two months I was not worried at all. It was just a matter of getting seen by the right people.”
“Kirk is my hitting coach and he has been a major influence on me in softball,” Miller said. “He is a major reason I have accomplished what I have.”
Miller has been home schooled all but two years of her life. The last year being 2001 when she attended San Jacinto Christian where she was named the Best Female Athlete of the Year. All four of the Miller children have been home-schooled, starting with the oldest Candice.
“When they were children we thought we would rather homeschool them rather than have them influenced by public schools,” Tom Miller said.
A typical day for Miller starts at 9 a.m. when she begins her schoolwork online. She is also taking two classes at Lee College and works at Chick-Fil-A at San Jacinto Mall where she is an assistant manager. All this is in addition to playing for the Aces.
“She has had a lot of prayer support from the Church,” Debbie Miller said. “And she has also received financial support from Bill Kurtz at State Farm which has allowed her to play softball.”
While there is a stigma attached to kids that are home-schooled Miller has not struggled with the stereotypes but has only used them as fuel for her endeavors.
“Before I took classes at Lee College I have been in home school support groups that took classes together,” Miller said. “There is a perception that home school kids are sheltered and don’t have friends. I have teammates on the Aces that ask me about it. I think being home-schooled makes me work a little harder in school and in sports.”
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