Miller’s Advice: Stress Priorities

There are nights when Cheryl Miller dreams of having a life devoid of interviews, promotional appearances and grueling basketball practices; a life without children gawking at her, clamoring for her autograph.

It’s certainly not easy being the country’s best and most recognizable women’s basketball player. The academic demands at USC, the basketball season, and all the other activities that go with it, can be overwhelming.

Yet all across the country, there are thousands of girls dribbling the days away, practicing their jump shots and honing their skills, in hopes of becoming the next Cheryl Miller.

Miller has some advice for those aspiring to reach her level: “You definitely have to have your priorities straight, and you’ve gotta have a good sense of humor.”

But it takes more than a sense of humor.

“The most important thing is to get a good education, so you can get into a good college,” said Miller, a two-time, All-American and 1984 Olympian. “One of the main problems both male and female athletes are having is getting good SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) scores and the grades to get into a good school.

“Then, try to get into as many summer programs as possible, and play as much as you can. I played in the USA Development League in Los Angeles, and the Far West Development League. If you’re lucky, you’ll have an AAU team to play on. That helped me the most. I got national recognition and played against some of the top teams around the nation.”

OK, so you may not be ready to compete against the country’s best players. How can a young player put herself in a position to approach that level?

“Every day, you have to work on the fundamentals of basketball--the shooting, the layups, the ballhandling,” Miller said. “If you can get those to a point where they feel natural, then you can work on the more fancy moves and other aspects of the game.”

Miller suggests an off-season conditioning regimen of running at least two miles, twice a day, and preferably in a hilly area.

“I can’t really suggest a weight program, because I didn’t start that until I was in college,” she said. “But if you can get into a good program at a health spa, that couldn’t hurt. During the season, the coach should take care of your training schedule, but I still think it’s good to run once a day on weekends to maintain your level of conditioning.”

As for dieting, Miller said, “I’ve always been slim. The biggest problem for female athletes is knowing when and when not to eat. About the only time you shouldn’t eat is late at night, because you can’t burn the calories off.”

And now for the big question. Should girls practice with and play against boys?

“Definitely,” Miller said. “That’s a big plus. Guys are a lot stronger and quicker, and they tend not to let you get away with anything. They make you a lot tougher. If you can execute against a male athlete, you shouldn’t have problems executing against a woman.”

Miller grew up in Riverside playing against her three brothers and practicing with her father, Saul.

“My dad conditioned me to be a hard worker, but sometimes it’s difficult to find people to work as hard with you,” she said. “If you can find someone who is willing to work hard with you, it makes the time go faster. With me, it was Reggie (her younger brother who plays for UCLA) and my dad.”

Even with all her natural talent, Miller believes the essential factors in improving are self-discipline and motivation.

“There are times when you don’t feel like getting up and running; when you don’t want to give 100% in practice,” Miller said. “That’s only human. But if you can find little things to motivate yourself, like saying, ‘Today, I’m going to make all of my layups and 50% of my shots,’ and find other challenges, it takes away the monotony of practice.”

It wasn’t until her sophomore year in high school that Miller realized she had the potential to be an outstanding basketball player.

“Although I played varsity as a freshman, I didn’t feel there was anything special about me at all,” Miller said. “Then, I made All-American that year, and that gave me a lot of confidence going into my sophomore year. I started receiving some letters from colleges, and the harder I worked, the better I got.”

Miller had one final thought: “Have fun, and don’t take the game too seriously. I had a bad habit of when I lost, I’d take the game home with me and dwell on it for weeks. When the game is over, it’s over. You have to learn from your mistakes. Everyone loses, but it wasn’t until my freshman year in college that I learned that.”