When senior Nathan Miller first took the lacrosse field, the game was at the back of his mind. Now, over seven years later, the sport has been solidified as part of his future.

On April 29, amid friends and family, Miller signed a letter of intent to play Division 1 lacrosse at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Miller, a four-year varsity player at AHS, is among the team’s leaders in both goals and assists and has been a major factor in the team’s success over the past four seasons.

Despite his great success, however, Miller has not always been so dedicated to the sport.

According to his father, Auston Miller, Nathan got off to a “slow start” when taking up the sport competitively at age 11. At that time, he was no different from any other competitor on the field and lacked the dedication and enthusiasm to work hard and improve.

However, after being sidelined with a broken arm in sixth grade, Miller returned to the sport with a newfound devotion and love for the game.

“That’s when he found out, when he had to sit out, how much he really loved the sport,” his father said. “He spent almost all his free time, even in the off-season, practicing his skills and shots.”

It was also at this time that Miller began to refine his left-handed cradle, as he was unable to use his right arm for a number of weeks. Since then, Miller has continued to develop his skills, growing from an undedicated athlete into a college-level competitor.

“It’s been one of my main focuses, especially in sports,” Miller said of lacrosse. “I’ve played other sports just to get better at this sport. It’s just my mentality, I guess.”

Not only has Miller’s mindset set him apart from other players on the field, as both his father and Head Lacrosse Coach Bill Maglisceau agreed that Miller’s speed has allowed him to outplay other athletes.

“Probably the biggest thing that set him apart was just his natural speed,” his father said. “That’s probably his biggest weapon.”

Maglisceau also commended Miller’s ability to anticipate rather than react and praised his work ethic and leadership on the field.

“He’s done a very good job of recognizing what he needed to improve on,” Maglisceau said. “Then, he always gives direction to teammates who have the same issues.”

With only a few weeks remaining in his final high school season, Miller finally knows for sure where he will continue his lacrosse career. Though he had already made the decision to attend West Point, this written commitment has made his lacrosse dreams a reality.

“It’s overwhelming, yet good to know that I’ve got everything taken care of and don’t have to worry about next year,” Miller said.