Deeply Rooted: Kari Miller

When your aunt was ranked in the top 50 in the world and competed against Serena Williams at the start of her career, you could say that tennis runs deep in Kari Miller’s family. From a very early age, Miller’s father encouraged her to explore her talent on the court. Miller admittedly did not fall in love with the sport at first, but once she started playing tournaments, she thrived on the competition.  When she eventually saw the doors the sport might open for her, she knew she wanted to work even harder to continuously improve her game.

Now as a senior in high school, Miller, originally from Ann Arbor, Mich., has taken a different approach than most top-rated junior players. She and her parents made the difficult decision to keep Miller in a traditional school setting, rather than pursuing classes online while attending a tennis academy. While there were pros and cons to each situation, Miller has excelled at school as well as tennis.

“What we have found is that she thrives on a regular schedule of going to school and having friends and doing the social stuff and being home with us, as opposed to going somewhere else,” said Inge Miller, Kari’s mother.

Miller has learned how to effectively manage her time in the classroom and on the court and in the process, has become a role model for other junior players taking this uncommon approach.

Miller has been incredibly grateful for the opportunity to play high school tennis through her decision to stay in school, as well. As a freshman, Miller won the state title in singles and has not lost a single match in her entire high school career. In addition to focusing on her high school team, the senior has participated in several professional events and other national tournaments. Through her hard work, Miller has learned the importance of balance and perseverance, traits she hopes to carry with her into college and beyond.

“I think playing tennis has exposed some of the things about myself that I don’t like and want to get better at because it’s such a hard sport, and it’s very mentally challenging, so I think I’ve learned a lot about myself,” said Miller.

The Michigan native will captain her high school team in hopes of reaching the state competition this season. Beyond, Miller has committed to the University of Michigan where she will play tennis while studying business.

Miller’s mother has no doubt that the same fire she brings on the court will be applied in every aspect of her life.

“Some people are just born with that love of competition, and I can’t imagine Kari being anything but competitive in whatever she does in her life,” said Inge.

While there are times that Miller feels the pressures of the sport or school, she remembers why she began in the first place.

“It’s [tennis] something you can learn to work hard at, for kids especially,” said Miller. “Giving kids a sport that they can continue to get better at like tennis is important as they grow older to know how to work hard at something.”

Tennis runs in Miller’s blood, and wherever life takes her, the lessons and traits she has learned from the sport are priceless.

“By keeping up with tennis, we know that they [Miller and her siblings] are working hard at something and they are learning along the way,” said Inge. “There have been plenty of failures and setbacks and opportunities to decide if you are going to come back stronger or are you going to throw in the towel.

“Hopefully, all of those things will stick with them later in life.”