Making Sure Everyone Can Play
Alumna and adjunct professor Susie Miller helps kids with disabilities access recreational opportunities
Susie Miller is one of those rare people who discovered her life’s
work at a young age.
“Even back when I was in kindergarten I was always drawn to kids with
disabilities,” she says. “They didn't judge, and they were kind, caring,
and loving.”
That's why her whole career has been spent providing what she loves—recreation—to a population she cares about.
Miller earned her bachelor’s degree from Mankato State University, where she focused on therapeutic recreation. Her first job in the field was with the city of Edina, and she eventually became the adaptive recreation supervisor there. But Miller wanted to become a parks and recreation director, and that meant returning to school in 2003. She graduated from the University in 2006 with a master's of education in recreational administration through the recreation, park, and leisure studies (RPLS) program. Today, Miller is assistant manager at Edinborough Park in Edina.
But recreation is Miller’s passion, not just a job. That’s why she founded Minnesota Special Hockey, a league for people with disabilities, in 2006. Miller is president and executive director of the league, which had five teams and more than 80 players last season.
Miller explains that it's not enough to provide the league; it has to be an experience that people will come back for. That means carefully matching abilities so that nobody is able to dominate and making adjustments each season, each game—even each practice.
“Some of the kids with autism don't like to put on all the equipment at once, so they start out in part of it and put the rest on in stages,” she says. “It's about making accommodations for each individual and figuring out how they can be most successful.”
The league made such an impression on one of the coaches—whose daughter has played since she was 4—that he nominated Miller for an Eleven Who Care award from KARE 11, which included a video feature and a $1,100 donation.
"I was really honored, and the donation was wonderful, but it's a little embarrassing because it takes a group to run a program like this; it's not just me," says Miller. She was most excited that after the segment aired on KARE 11, 19 new skaters signed up.
Miller also teaches the Recreation Programming course in the RPLS as an adjunct instructor with Donna Tilsner. “This fall will be my fourth time co-teaching the course, and I love hearing the students' energy and ideas, because it rejuvenates me as a professional,” she says. “I also like sharing information with them, particularly my mistakes, because I think you sometimes learn more from your mistakes than from your successes.”
Story by Holly Dolezalek | May 2011
