The Providence Academy and Edina communities came together to honor Robby Miller and support the Miller family on Tuesday, February 8 for “Robby Miller Night.” Miller, the father of Kyra, ‘23, Carissa, ‘21, and Sarah, unexpectedly passed away last week, leaving the basketball community in shock. Over the years, Miller was heavily involved in both the Providence Academy and Edina basketball programs and communities. To support the Miller family, fans from both teams packed the Edina High School stands for the girls’ basketball game on Tuesday.
Head Varsity Girls’ Basketball Coach, Conner Goetz, reflected, “Two large communities were able to put their competitive differences aside to show their love and support for a man and a family that made a deep impact on them.”
Goetz continued, “It speaks volumes about the number of people Robby was able to impact. Robby was a man who dedicated a large part of his life to serving and coaching others. The world was a better place because Robby Miller was a part of it.”
Senior Captain Maria Counts, ‘22, explained, “In the end, basketball’s greatest blessing is the community it builds, and Mr. Miller really understood that and worked so hard to make everyone a part of it.”
Miller worked with the boys’ and girls’ basketball programs at Providence and set up many groups, such as the Booster Club and the youth travel program. He also was active in Edina youth athletics by serving as the president of the Edina Basketball Association and coaching many youth teams.
Goetz remarked, “Robby Miller was an incredible influence on Providence basketball through his work in the program. Most importantly, though, he was a large supporter of everything Providence. He always greeted every player with a smile and positive remarks about the game.”
Fans and athletes wore bright colors, as Miller often did, to honor him and show their support for his family. Goetz commented, “Quite literally, Robby Miller would light up any room he went into. His personality and smile is something that is hard to describe other than ‘bright’. Lighting up the gym is incredibly fitting because he would have done the exact same.”
Kyra Miller, ‘23, added, “It was a little bittersweet for my two worlds to collide but the reasoning for it was very sweet. It meant so much to me and my family to have him honored in such a way and by so many people from both communities. The love and support were felt and it was really cool to see that it was him that brought us all together.”
Both teams played hard and gave it their all, making it a fun environment as the game was tied until the very last seconds. With just under 10 seconds left, Maria Counts, ‘22, passed to Brooke Hohenecker, ‘24, who scored and put the Lions up 58-56, and the Lions walked away with a win.
Counts concluded, “It was really meaningful to play in this game because we all knew he would’ve never missed it and that he would’ve been in the stands cheering us on. It really felt like we were playing for him.”