Meet Gloucester鈥檚 Virginia HS League Class 4 All-State Player of the Year Reese Miller
GLOUCESTER, Va. — One of Gloucester High School鈥檚 Dukes was recently recognized as not just a First Team All-State Field Hockey Team member, but as the 2023 Virginia High School League Class 4 All-State Player of the Year. We are thrilled to shine a spotlight on the incredible talents of Reese Miller! Explore Reese鈥檚 stats as a player along with her awards and honors over the years, learn from this incredible student-athlete as she shares about her love for her sport and hopes for the future, and check out remarks from her family and coaches.
Player Stats
Name: Reese Miller
Sport: Field Hockey
Position: Forward
Age: 16 (Gloucester High School Junior- Class of 2025)
Years in Sport: 8 years
Teams: Gloucester Dukes Varsity field hockey team, Peninsula Youth Field Hockey Association field hockey team
Reese鈥檚 Accolades and Accomplishments
- All-District, All-Region, and All-State player of the year (2023)
- First Team All-District (2021-2023), All-Region(2021-2023), All-State (2nd team- 2021) (1st team 2022-2023), and All-Tidewater (2nd team- 2022) (1st team- 2023)
- Varsity captain
- Goals this 2023 season: 34
- Assists this 2023 season: 43
- Attended the NEXUS (olympic development program) championship summer of 2023
In Her Own Words: Question & Answer with Reese
What do you love most about your sport?
Reese Miller: The adrenaline rush of stepping out onto the field and the bonds formed. It’s nice to know that you will always have a team/family supporting you on and off the field by the bonds built over the years of playing this sport.
What helps you best feel prepared for competitions?
Miller: Before each game I like to pray for everyone’s safety on both teams, refs, and spectators. God is a big part of my athletic career, as I go through trials and tribulations I rest my worries on him. Although I do not know what he has in store for me I trust in him with all my heart and pray that he guides me through my field hockey experiences.
What are your future goals as you continue your athletic career?
Miller: My goal is to continue my passion with field hockey and attend a 4 year college/university where I will be a part of their field hockey program.
What is the greatest challenge you face as an athlete?
Miller: My biggest challenge in field hockey is staying mentally positive and consistent throughout the whole year. Field hockey can be very challenging on the body and mind, and it is important to stay positive and healthy to perform to the best of your ability. You must keep negative thoughts out of your head and remember what you are playing for鈥� fun! And changing up my training style from time to time keeps me consistent because boredom does not become a factor in my play.
What is some of the best advice you have been offered during your time in your sport?
Miller: Hard work pays off. Stay humble and never give up. Someone who fears failure limits their capacity to succeed to their utmost and it’s not about winning or losing but rather learning from your mistakes and coming back stronger than ever.
What do you like to do when you have time away from life as a student athlete?
Miller: I enjoy lifting to stay in shape, going to the beach, hanging out with my friends, baking, and above all spending time with my family is very important to me.
What is a life lesson that you have learned from being a part of a team?
Miller: That collaboration and communication is key to success. This is used on the field and in one’s daily lives through relationships, in the workplace, and etc.
What is a mistake you have learned from in your experience as an athlete? How were you able to use that to help you in the future?
Miller: A mistake I make often is getting in my head while playing. This messes up my play drastically as my attitude shifts from being confident to not-so confident. The most beneficial way to overcome this is remembering why I play (for fun), who I play for (myself, my teammates, and God), and ultimately not everything is going to go the way that I want, so I need to keep my head held high and understand that 鈥測ou win some鈥� you lose some鈥� and to learn and grow from my mistakes.
Parental Praise
Jennifer Miller, Reese鈥檚 Mother:
鈥淩eese has quite literally grown up on the side of a field hockey field. The third daughter (fifth child of 6) of our family has two older sisters who began playing field hockey when Reese was barely in preschool. In the early days I distracted her with crayons and snacks but by the time she was 5 I began to notice that she was watching the game, studying it, and cheering for sisters at appropriate times. By the time she was old enough to begin playing recreational league it was clear that she had absorbed so much about the game, how to play, moves, even some strategy.
The thing that I admire about Reese the most is her selflessness. At one point during post season I asked her as she was heading out the door before warm ups, 鈥淩eese, what is your personal goal for tonight?鈥� Without missing a beat she responded 鈥渢o help my team get the win鈥�. That鈥檚 not what I wanted, I wanted to know what her goal was for herself. I asked her a second time, 鈥渙k, but what is YOUR goal for yourself personally?鈥� Reese looked at me as if I had 3 heads and responded, 鈥淢om, I already told you. My only goal is for my team to celebrate a win together at the end of this game. I will do whatever it takes to get that for them.鈥� Another example of her respect for her team came when we were asked to provide a picture for a local newspaper as she had been nominated for All-Tidewater team selections. She wanted to highlight the name on the front of her jersey – Dukes – and made sure to pop her team in her pose.鈥�
Coach Commendations
Courtney Poole, GHS Varsity Field Hockey Assistant Coach:
鈥淚 have had the pleasure of Assistant Coaching Reese Miller for the past two years. Watching her play on the field is electrifying. There is something about Reese that separates her from the rest which is her composure and skill to manipulate the ball around the field. She instinctively knows where to be or where her teammates are, keeping the flow of the game alive. What I absolutely love about watching Reese is how fearless she is. When the play is to be made, she commits to diving in front of the cage to get the touch or to take on the opposing players in an impossible situation and get out of it with the ball still glued to her stick. It鈥檚 absolutely incredible what she can do on the field.
One of her qualities as a captain and field player is that she鈥檚 selfless, she has the flawless ability to distribute the ball. Not only has Reese accomplished being the state player for the year in the division which speaks volumes about her ability as a player, she has also accomplished many educational accolades. Reese is an outstanding example of 鈥渟tudent athlete鈥� because she is an excellent player and she鈥檚 an extremely intelligent young lady who focuses on her studies. She is determined to be the best at both. Admirable.
Reese has untouchable stick skills, determination to score, courage to lead, knowledge of the game and a go get it attitude. She has the most contagious laugh, a smile that lights up any room and a welcoming personality. I believe it鈥檚 safe to say that if anyone has had the opportunity to watch Reese play or a chance to talk with her that they鈥檇 agree that she’s a remarkably special student/athlete/daughter/sister/person. Continue to achieve your goals and keep moving forward Reese Miller.鈥�
Joe Dougherty, GHS Varsity Field Hockey Head Coach:
鈥淩eese Miller has had a tremendous career in her first three years of playing field hockey at Gloucester High School. As a co-captain this past season, she led the team in both goals and assists. She has an opportunity to break several records this coming senior season. Her passion for the sport is unwavering. She leads by example both on the field and in the classroom.
I have been fortunate to see her grow as a player and young lady for the past 7 years. She started playing the sport at a very young age following in the footsteps of her older siblings. A player’s worth to a team is not always about individual skill or wins and losses. In Reese’s case, her value to the team is second to none. She makes every player around her better with her unselfish play. That is evident by the amount of assists she had this season. We often hear what great team players certain players are. Reese is the best of the best a teammate could be.
She works extremely hard year round at perfecting her craft. While she knows perfection will never be gained, she continues to strive to be the best she can be. She is always positive and very intuitive to what the needs of her teammates are. She helps bond the team together to make the team the best it can be. Reese is a special player that is grounded with sincerity. She has a great understanding of balance, expectations, academics and perspective. I am very proud to have been part of her maturation process.鈥�
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