Cutline for Scott Miller 003 It’s Miller’s Time to be recognized 2009 Citizen of the Year ‘Scooter’ a deserving recipient Scott ‘Scooter’ Miller is lucky on this Friday morning. He has a few free moments to himself. For the last 24 months, his daily plate has been jam packed with running his Sporting goods business, scheduling events, commemorations for venues to be retired and plans for a grand opening of the new showpiece, designs on a dressing room, tickets and bricks to sell, plus manage the Senior Ball team, and, be a father to four children and a reliable partner to his wife of 19 years. Tucked in the rear portion of his day job, owner at ‘Source for Sports’, Miller stands relaxed, telling some tales of past and present with his closest friend. Seated and sipping a coffee, Tony Piroski, the coach of the Essex 73’s, has known ‘Scooter’ his whole life, some 50 plus years. Their memories are rooted in hockey, on the Windsor Spitfires, roommates in Kalamazoo, and top of the batting order teammates in slo-pitch, competing for that coveted highest batting average. Piroski was instrumental in getting Miller into the fold with the Junior C club three years ago, as a director on the board. When the continuous back and forth banter finally goes silent, Piroski is asked what he thinks “It means I’ll have to go buy two tickets to go to it,” Piroski says with a blank stare, trying to hold back his glee, all the while looking at his best buddy. ‘Scooter’ doesn’t even twitch, just smiles knowing he should have known it was coming. Such is the male athletic code. It’s an inverted language. Recognition is given by a quip or poke. And it is fully understood, by both parties. So who is the 2009 COY winner? How did he arrive at this place in his life? After conversing, there are many things about the man that are extremely evident. Scott Miller is the real deal. He’s humble, places a very high value on family. Integrity and character are traits he tries to live up to everyday. His family roots go back to his grandfather ‘Cap,’ a barber by trade, heavily involved in amateur baseball. The old ball yard in town was named after him. ‘Scooter calls himself a “homebody.” His greatest teacher growing up was his dad Max, who also won the COY award, in 1993. Max, known as ‘Square Deal,’ that nickname speaks volumes, was one of the founders of the 73’s, plus a love affair with baseball, a 30-year one with the Essex Senior Men’s boys of summer. Scott has carried on that passion and family tradition today as the manager of the Essex Yellow Jackets. “I had so much respect for him, for what he did,” Miller said about his dad. “I think he is sort of following in his father’s footsteps,” Piroski remembered. “He (Max) would take you in and throw you a glove, or a used bat, or a used pair of spikes, or a new pair of skates, he wouldn’t see any kid go without. They have a big heart, they’re genuine. I think he inherited a lot of that from his father. He was one of a kind. He was quite a person,” coach Piroski said. When queried about his female parent, Scott was quick to draw a comparison. Vivian his mom reminds him, daily, of his wife Carol. He saw it for years when his dad “was out doing his thing with sports,” and mom would say ‘just go to practice’—she was always supportive in whatever his dad was doing—just like Carol, he acknowledged--a strong, altruistic partner in the journey of life. “I’ve known him (Scott) since he was a little gaffer,” Essex Mayor Ron McDermott said. “Anytime he’s involved, in anything, whatever it is, people are going to benefit. Everything Miller was born November 6, 1955, attended Maplewood Public School, was a batboy for dad’s teams, played in Essex Minor Hockey, attended Essex High and played hockey for the Red Raiders. He would graduate to the Tier Two Spitfires in the early 70s, be instrumental in the club gaining entry into the Ontario Hockey League in 1975. Miller said his attitude and role as a team player and promoter of the organization outweighed his abilities as a player. The success of the Spits in the early and middle 70s was a contributing factor, he said, to his number 23 being immortalized in the rafters of the Spitfires home. “I don’t feel that I was that great a player. There have been a lot better players that have played for the Spitfires than I was.” “When I go up to the arena (W.F.C.U. Centre) I still look up, I’m proud of it but, I don’t know what the word is…,” said ‘Scooter’ as he paused reflectively, still searching all these years later on why he was the chosen sweater. “Why am I up there and guys that have played 20 years of pro hockey, like Ed Jovanovski, are not?” Miller would go on to play professional in the International Hockey League for a partial season. With improving career options decreasing, and a trade to Grand Rapids on the horizon, he chose to return to his Essex roots, gaining employment in the sports department at Canadian Tire, learning the entrepreneurial side of sport. “I probably had a chance to go play minor pro hockey more than I did, but I felt like this is where I should be and it’s where I wanted to be,” Miller recalled. Three years later, in 1980, Miller would become part owner of the family owned sport shop, with his brother Wayne. When the 73’s organization was in the discussion stages, Wayne was one of the key movers and shakers that took the team from paper to the ice surface. In the late 80s, Miller, in the midst of a divorce, made a trip to the Grand Central Tavern. He met Carol. She was looking to start over as well. Carol, a transplanted Windsorite, she had grown up on Centre Street, one block over from Scott’s home as a youth. Despite this, they didn’t know each other. She was a couple of years older. They ran with a different set of friends. Carol was back in town, ‘haunting the old town,’ with her girl friends. Three years later, in 1990, Carol and Scott tied the knot. Four combined offspring later, two of his and two of hers, all coached in sports by dad, all now in their 20s: one girl, Lindsay, and three boys, Craig, Justin and Matthew, each of them contributing to the social/sporting fabric of their community. The acorn, four generations later, is nestled adjacent to the burly trunk of this tree. In the past two years, Miller was the organizer for the ‘Legends of the Barn’ tributes during the last year at the Essex Memorial Arena. ‘Buy a Brick’ and ‘Buy a Seat’ initiatives for the new Essex Centre Sports Complex were spearheaded by Miller, and he was the driving force behind the design of the new 73’s dressing room at the United Communities Credit Union Rink. All of this, plus fundraising committee duties and other special events makes you wonder when the man had time to sleep? “Most of the time you’re home by 10, say hi and go to bed,” a laughing Miller said. “It’s a full time job almost for each.” “I don’t think anybody in town,” Piroski said, “does more than he does for a variety of groups and ages. He’s just always willing to lend a hand. He’s the perfect Citizen of the Year.” Miller, who admits to not being the most organized person, and his competitive nature at one point in his life used to get the better of him, still has a burning desire to make a difference, whether it’s his love of family, sports or in being a part of a new history for the 73’s in their new arena. This is a given. Over the last two years, for that matter, his adult life, Scott Miller’s work ethic and dedication to his hometown are omnipresent and omnipotent. Part of his mantra comes from the book of Tony Piroski. “If you’re going to do something, do it right.” “If it’s not done right, we’ll do it again,” Miller said about the lessons learned from the other legend that is the coach. The Citizen of the Year award will be presented to Scott Miller at Holy Name Parish Hall on Saturday night October 24th. |
