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Oakwood CI Basketball: Coach Anthony Miller
“For me, coaching and teaching are like a marriage. Every day, I think about what can be done to make things better.”Anthony Miller
By David Grossman
Remember those childhood dreams as an ardent sports fan, where we forever envisioned what it would be like to make it to the big times.
There was always the buzzer beater shot in basketball that electrified a crowd, the walk-off home run, the playoff touchdown victory romp, an Olympic medal, and the list goes on. For most of us, though, the fantasies never became realities. They abruptly ended when we discovered other great moments in life.
Anthony Miller knows the feeling, too.
He has come a long way since his early years, born in what he called a “ghetto-area” of Jamaica’s capital of Kingston. The Miller family moved to Toronto in 1989 and he is the youngest of six, raised by a single mom, who has retired from a career in nursing.
Always interested in education, and enamoured with becoming a school principal since he was a toddler, Miller had a knack for building relationships. It didn’t take him long to pursue a teaching career – one that went beyond the formal classroom.
“I have always cared about kids,” said Miller. “For me, coaching and teaching are like a marriage. Every day, I think about what can be done to make things better, academically motivate my students to their highest potential. I examine their habits, attendance, talk with them about issues and in many cases, they are like the things that I experienced when I was their age.”
As a graduate of Annette Public School and then Western Technical-Commercial School, he started to make a name for himself as a two-time Athlete of the Year and a Toronto all-star in football. Academics were big, too. He was on the school honor roll.
It wasn’t until he earned a degree in Kinesiology at York University and then shuffled off to Teachers College, that Miller had hung up his football cleats and really got the basketball vibes. Now in his 20th year as an educator, he recalls when an opportunity came up to teach at Oakwood Collegiate – a school well documented for superb graduates now leaders in many professions.
It was a place that could boast a history of basketball dominance with superb players and strong coaching. A school with under 600 students, Oakwood can still brag about success on the hardwood. Miller, an energetic individual who benefits from a great personality, has had a say in that fame and prosperity. In fact, he has meant so much to so many – and the list keeps growing.
Now, the surprise. For Miller, success on the basketball court is not his priority. Oakwood’s motto is Tempus Litteris Demus, a Latin phrase that means “take the time to learn.” They are words that Miller emphasizes to students on a regular basis.
“My job is to teach life skills and for students to be successful people when they leave us,” he said. “(Students) are here to get an education and Oakwood gives them a variety of other things to, in many cases, help them stay focussed on why they are here.”
As for the game of hoops, students don’t just show up and play.
“My rule to the players is give me everything you have, and if you’re not listening to me, you’re sitting,” said Miller. “I could be loud and do it just my way, like other coaches have done, but times have changed. Everyone has unique experiences outside of school. People have a bad day, disagreements. I make time to listen, help where I can and earn the respect from others.”
Miller, who follows some other great Oakwood coaches, has won three Ontario high school championships, 12 more as the dominant team in the largest school board in Canada. Toss in countless tournaments awards. He is known to be one of the top coaches of the school game in the province.
Still, that’s not foremost in the mind of an astute and well-liked Miller, whose job is listed as an assistant curriculum leader with the Toronto District School Board. People see him as an athletic director - but also wearing the hat of counsellor, advisor, and all-around friend.
Victoire Ndongo, who was on Oakwood’s 2023 provincial gold medal squad and was the team’s top scorer, has high praise for Miller.
“I’ve never had a coach like him who mentors me on and off the court,” said Ndongo, who was born in the Congo, a Central African country. “The man’s a fatherly figure who knows when I’m not okay, can read my body language, takes time to talk with me and is just a great role model. It’s because of him that I am not only a better player, but an even better person.”
Miller was reminded of a controversial move he made in 2009 that caught the attention of many. It was at one of the oldest and prestigious high school tournaments in the country, when he briefly benched his ace, who just happened to be one of the top players in Toronto.
It was Miller’s way of trying to get a youngster to focus on doing the little things better and taking more of a leadership role.
A year later that same individual was honored as “Mr. Basketball Canada”, earned a scholarship to prestigious Santa Clara University, played in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and was captain of Canada’s team at the under-19 FIBA World Junior championship.
That individual is Julian Clarke – now a neurosurgeon at the largest trauma centre in the state of Washington and working in Seattle.
“He was very good at reminding us to be humble, it didn’t matter what personal success we had,” said Dr. Clarke, in a telephone conversation. “He taught us to stop getting hung up on mistakes, push forward and do things the right way.
“I know he kicked people off the team who had big-time (NCAA) talent if they weren’t focussed on being accountable and thinking about others. I remember him saying that no one person is ever bigger than their team. He is right. As a doctor, I see that all the time – the team.”
Lesley Wallace is the sixth Principal that Miller has worked for during his tenure at Oakwood. Three have been women – and all were in the school leadership role when the victory celebrations occurred following three Ontario gold medal titles.
“(Miller) is an incredible person who leads with grace and humility,” said Wallace. “Anthony is an educator first, never stops teaching and, where necessary, uses basketball as a vehicle to get students hooked on what they need to know to be successful.”
Miller has made an impact in other ways. For example, Nathaniel Mitchell played on Oakwood’s senior team when Miller was in his rookie coaching year with the junior squad that had 30 wins in 31 games. Having approached Miller, he had asked if there was a possibility of helping as an assistant coach.
“It was my first coaching experience, he gave people like me opportunities to learn, and I can’t thank him enough,” said Mitchell, who is now an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors. “He was a disciplinarian, always had teams prepared and mentoring. For him, it was always about showing us how we could be better at the game and carry that forward in our lives.”
While Miller may have periods of shyness and modesty, his personality and charisma are both superb. Toss in great communication skills, a warm-hearted friendly individual with a very thorough knowledge of the game of hoops, and you have an extraordinary person.
Always having an eye for talent, Miller has been viewed as an individual who is smooth, polished, knows his job and is dominant in a concise message. While he rarely mentions the word inspiration, clearly it shines from his words of wisdom.
Miller just may be a walking advertisement for having faith and confidence in young people.
Considered to be, in many ways, a basketball magician, he always points to career building and emphasizes discipline.
The game doesn’t end when the buzzer sounds. For Miller, it continues in becoming educated citizens and community role models.
-END-
David Grossman is a veteran multi award-winning Journalist and Broadcaster with some of Canada’s major media, including the Toronto Star and SPORTSNET 590 THE FAN, and a Public Relations professional for 50+ years in Canadian sports and Government relations.
“This year is something I will remember the rest of my life”T’Kai Roberts, basketball, Kipling Collegiate
There was a buoyant feeling of celebration after Kipling Collegiate had won the Toronto District School Board senior A boys’ basketball championship at Ryerson University.
Jovial cheers, fist pumps, some hugs, posing for photos by players and everything else that goes with hoisting a banner symbolic of a crowning achievement. It was also an exceptional time for a revitalized school, one growing in enrolment and surrounded with community support.
Around the necks of the athletes, a ribbon with a gold medal. It was a huge accomplishment following an impressive performance and a decisive 58-25 win over Georges S. Henry Academy.
It was a nice feeling for the players, to bring a Tier One title to the school for the first time in more than 30 years. The Wildkats, who led from the start and never relinquished the lead, did it with the support of an appreciative crowd of fans that included school buddies, friends and parents.
But the real victory, some believe, came much earlier in the season.
That’s when the team was rocked with adversity and several players suspended for disciplinary reasons. They were re-instated, but only after one-on-one sessions with school Principal Adil Askary, a team meeting and a chance to reflect and learn along with letters of apology.
The Wildkats were given a second chance by the school administration, which had doubts about forming a team earlier in the year. Back then, there was lots of interest from students, but a teacher coach could not be found.
That led to some outstanding work by Kipling’s Athletic Director/Curriculum Leader of Health and Physical Education, Iris Kondakciu, a strong supporter of student extracurricular activities, securing community coaches Vijay Bowen and Kevin Lalonde. They stepped forward with Askary, gung-ho about students benefitting from the combo of academics and athletics, also on the bench as the staff advisor.
Respect went along with a thirst for learning. The challenges were met with success, and the Wildkats put together a winning season going 4-3. Including tournament action, and playoffs, the numbers improved to 8-4.
It was a remarkable turn of events since Kipling, for the previous two years, had only one victory on the hardwood – an exhibition match-up.
“It was a struggle the past few years, but I knew these players had talent, had potential and some of them benefitted from the punishment,” said Bowen, who is a skills development trainer. “What they accomplished in basketball this year was unbelievable and I think it was because they listened, learned and became confident.”
In the championship game, Kipling had quarter score leads of 20-8, 38-17 and 48-20 with clear advantages in rebounding, ball control and on defense. Nelson Akoth was the game’s top scorer with 14 points with Cameron Buckley and James Kwal each adding a dozen. Henry’s top scorer was Bilal Safy with five points.
With the victory, Kipling extends its basketball term, and will represent the Toronto District Secondary Schools Athletic Association at the Ontario high school playoffs, from March 9 to 11, in North Bay.
Askary spoke to his players, after the win, in the team dressing room.
“This has been quite a journey and, as players, you faced a lot of challenges,” said Askary. “There were bumps and bruises along the way and now you’re sitting as champions. You can see what commitment, dedication and working hard can do. The Kipling community is proud of you.”
T’Kai Roberts, a 16-year old forward who is studying in the school’s Culinary Program, clutched his gold medal while recalling the year of hoops.
“We had some rough moments, learned a great deal and we were fortunate to get an opportunity to play,” said the Grade 11 student who broke his pelvis bone and tore a hamstring back in his first year of high school. “Winning this (championship) means a lot. This year is something I will remember the rest of my life.”
Graduating this year is 17-year old Cameron Buckley, a point guard on the Kipling squad.
“It’s an amazing feeling knowing that I’m a champion,” he said. “This year, it was a roller coaster ride. The team came together, we learned from each other - on and off the court. It’s something that will stick with us along time.”
“Sports are fun and I like winning. But, I am always looking for ways to work harder and also help people. It’s a nice thing to do. ” -- Patrick Carstens, 2019 Athlete of the Year at Maplewood High School
When you first meet Patrick Carstens, a young man who is different in so many ways, one thing becomes crystal clear.
It’s his curiosity.
A 17-year old student, Carstens attends Maplewood High School, which is often referred to as a specialized educational facility catering to students with special needs.
Celebrating achievement and inspiring change, for the past four years, Maplewood has been Carstens home away from home, learning, nurturing and trying to take huge steps forward.
But this year has been something special for Carstens, who is autistic and has cognitive learning disabilities. Exuberant and one who can be quite vocal about his success, Carstens has had the public eye and a fair bit of fame and notoriety.
In 2019, he competed at the International Youth Games, the Special Olympics showcase that brought some 2,000 athletes, from around the world, to Toronto. Carstens was selected to light the torch at the Opening Ceremonies.
He wasn’t finished. After some intense track and field competition, Carstens followed through by taking home three medals: two gold and one silver.
Grab a few minutes with him, and he’ll articulate about his success.
Tack on completing his four-year program at Maplewood and graduation, even though Carstens has chosen to stick around for some post-graduate experiential learning. It will also prepare him for life experiences after school and employment in the work force.
A multi-sport athlete, and having competed in everything from track to basketball, floor hockey to soccer, Carstens got the nod as Maplewood’s Athlete of the Year. It was his third time, in the past four years, that the special citation has his name.
The elite junior award, won in grade 9, was his first trip to the winner’s podium. Twice, in the past three years, Carstens was the cream of the crop at Maplewood for senior honours.
“I was very happy when I won (the award) again,” he said. “Sports are fun and I like winning. But, I am always looking for ways to work harder and also help people. It’s a nice thing to do.”
Considered the most reliable player on the school basketball team, and he has never missed a practice, Carstens was also one of the top scorers for Maplewood in the Toronto District School Board’s city-wide tournament for students with special needs.
Having had his share of rough outings, Carstens is also brutally honest.
When asked about how he copes with losing a game, he took some time to contemplate his response. Avoiding any gobbledygook, he said it was his job to shake it off, and provide support for his buddies – especially those taking defeat with a bit more pain.
“What becomes clear to me is his leadership skills,” said Duncan LeBlanc, Principal at Maplewood and also Carsten’s basketball coach. “It’s not always about the best skills, but teamwork. For him, involvement in sports is great, but his sportsmanship is right at the top.
“The thing about (Carstens), when he gets hooked on something and becomes very interested, he really does well. The effort and time he puts in, is just phenomenal.”
Carstens is also a big fan of visual arts, from designs in cartooning to helping design and finish school wall portraits. Overcoming obstacles has been his challenge and one he has met with triumph and good fortune.
As for what lies ahead, Carstens has an answer for that, too. His empathy and compassion for others has him connecting with the community and wanting to work with young people with disabilities.
Megan Edwards - Sir Oliver Mowat Collegiate Institute
“…there was a chill of excitement and a feeling of being special among so many other great athletes.”
----Megan Edwards 2019 Athlete of the Year at Sir Oliver Mowat Collegiate Institute
Give Megan Edwards a basketball and then sit back and watch her.
She’s quite energetic, a scorer and her passing, shooting and defensive games are all very sound and intense. In a game, it’s full throttle ferocity, regardless of the opposing team.
For Edwards, her intuition for the game of hoops is something special. When people who know the sport watch her in competition, Edwards has all the pieces to not only dominate a game, but to also take it to the next level.
At 18 years of age, the 5-foot-11 forward had exceeded expectations as a standout high school player while also displaying strength on the court and dignity off of it.
Graduating with academic honours this year from Sir Oliver Mowat Collegiate, Edwards had little difficulty exhibiting her prodigious glitzy play, game-after-game, adding a winning personality, and had recruiting university coaches hoping for the best.
As good as she was in basketball, it wasn’t the only sport that had Edwards combining raw talent with enthusiasm and assuming all that comes with sudden fame. In fact, some believe she is a better soccer player with phenomenal performances under pressure.
For Edwards, sharing the awards stage included selection of Most Valuable Player in basketball, then soccer and also Ultimate Frisbee – all in her final year at Mowat. Topping it off, school coaches unanimously selected her as the overall school female Athlete of the Year.
When the announcement of the prestigious award was made at the school celebration, there stood Edwards, shaken, speechless and soaking in what had just happened – sudden fame.
“It was surreal and it means so much to me,” she said. “There was a time when I heard people say that I had won my share of awards. Then, to get picked as the top female athlete – there was a chill of excitement and a feeling of being special among so many other great athletes.
Edwards, presented with a glass trophy recognizing her dominant athletic talent, said, as a youngster, she would hope a day would come when her hard work, effort and determination would result in recognition.
“I never thought something like this would happen – it has been the most exciting year of my life,” said Edwards, who has come a long way since those elementary years at Blaisdale Montessori and Rouge Valley Public.
“I have learned not to focus on one sport, when you can be contributing and great at others. Never give up pursuing dreams.”
While Edwards’ name didn’t have the miraculous buzzer-beater or had her name trend on social media, she was also superb as the keeper on the Mowat soccer team and instrumental in the club winning a Toronto District School Board East Division title.
A role model for young girls, with character and charisma, and hoping to empower them to get involved in sports, Edwards is trying to live up to the high expectations that she has created for herself.
Ready to move on, Edwards is taking her talent to the University of Toronto after accepting a basketball scholarship. Articulate in many ways, she is aware that every play on the hardwood will be analyzed and dissected. She plans to study kinesiology and is interested in a career in physiotherapy or teaching.
Jeremy Crane, head of Physical and Education at Mowat, had huge accolades for Edwards referring to her as “an unbelievable athlete”.
“Sometimes, it can be very tough picking a school-wide award winner,” said Crane. “Edwards was a slam dunk. All the coaches agreed. She was always playing a sport, contributing, well-liked and when our numbers were down for volleyball, having never played the sport, she filled in and we advanced to the Ontario playoffs.”
In addition to sport and academics, Edwards takes great pride being in the spotlight as a fashion model doing runway shows.
Edwards has had some memorable times in her life. As a seven-year old, she found a wallet at a gas station and turned it in. There was also the time she had to cope with a concussion. It was back in grade 8, and spending time in the hospital, after getting kicked in the face playing soccer in the Unionville Ontario Player Development league.
“I have seen what sports can do for a student. It brings the school together. If there were no sports, there’d be no fun...” -------- Ju Eun Lee
Sometimes the moment can get too big, a bit nerve-wracking, intimidating in a certain way and even quite overwhelming.
But then, there is also a quiet confidence that shows up and the conversations that follow, as in the case with Martingrove Collegiate student athlete Ju Eun Lee, clearly depicts a genuine politeness along with a passion to always reach for the top.
Lee gives no evidence that she is the kind of person who will shy away from a challenge. It has been part of her modus operandi. Those characteristic traits now switch from being one of the oldest students graduating from Martingrove, to the youngest group about to continue studies at McMaster University in Hamilton.
It’s only natural for Lee, every now and then, to think of her amazing journey.
As a five year old, she immigrated, with her family, from South Korea to Canada.Toronto would be her new home, and education started at Humberwood Downs Junior Middle Academy before moving on to Martingrove. Academics and athletics always topped her list of priorities – but she always found room for other things.
Leaving Martingrove with an astonishing achievement in the classroom, a 96.8 per cent average, Lee was also on the awards podium for sports. In her final year, she was the recipient of the school senior female Athlete of the Year award. No big surprise to many, as Lee was the choice of coaches, back in grade 10, for the junior title.
“When I came to Canada, my parents saw no value in me competing in sports,” she recalled. “But coaches saw potential, encouraged me to try and my parents saw that I was having fun and still doing well in my grades.
“I have seen what sports can do for a student. It brings the school together. If there were no sports, there’d be no fun, no opportunities to build teamwork, friends, take on challenges - and it would almost be like a prison.”
A multi-sport competitor, Lee had an idea that she would be nominated for the top female athletic award. But, always respectful of others, she was prepared if someone else had won.
Soccer, badminton and ultimate Frisbee were her sport preferences this past year and she also took on a leadership role as team captain for two of them. When not on the field or in the gym, Lee played the flute in the school band, volunteered to coach young girls in community soccer and helped out on special occasions at a local senior citizens home.
“I leave Martingrove with some great memories – and that includes when they called my name as the top female athlete in my final year,” she said. “It was something very special and whenever I look at the plaque they gave me, it will bring back wonderful times.”
“She’ll be a standout no mater what she does going forward,” praised Andrew Youssef, Martingrove’s Curriculum Leader for Health and Physical Education/Athletics. “Her ability is something special and her skills, in sport, are crystal clear when she steps on the field or in the gym.”
As for Lee’s proudest moment at Martingrove, her answer may come as a surprise. No winning goal or league championship, but something even more special to her.
“Back in grade 10, there was no girls soccer team as the school just couldn’t get a commitment from students and I knew, going forward, that something had to be done,” she said.
“In grade 11, I was involved in rebuilding a team and it was made up of players with very little experience. In the end, we beat our arch rival (Richview collegiate), to win the Regional title. That was something special and proved to all of us that when we focus on teamwork and success, good things can often happen.”
" It’s a wonderful feeling and looking back, it’s quite an honour ”
Some would say that it is still early in his athletic career, but 17-year old Cole Ketrrzynski has already hit the spotlight several times with some celebrated moments – and many he’ll cherish for the rest of his life.
Ketrrzynski doesn’t need his size to get noticed.
He’s 6-foot-7, but on the volleyball court, he’s much taller - a masterpiece at all elements of the game. Not one for glitz and glamour, his dominance, on numerous occasions, has been anything short of spectacular.
Ketrrzynski doesn’t have an agent just yet, not even a deal with a sporting goods outlet, but he has just about everything he can handle right now. He’s off to the West Coast on an athletic scholarship to UCLA. Some know it as the University of California in Los Angeles.
A key member of the two-time Canadian National 18-and-under championship squad, a Metro (Toronto) high school gold medalist, numerous Most Valuable Player awards and, well, the list of trophies and medals goes on and on.
The latest prize of distinction, for the talented power hitter, came during the year-end salute to athletes at York Mills Collegiate.
It was his high school graduating year and, sitting anxiously at a banquet hall table, knowing the presentation of the top male athlete award was up for grabs. Ketrzynski, who was also the top scorer on the school basketball team that lost in the playoffs, figured he had a chance among a slew of talented competitors.
Volleyball coach and physical education teacher Steven Kung was called to make the announcement – something he had done several times in past.
“I was hopeful and anxious and when I heard some things that sounded like he was referring to me – it hit me,” said Ketrzynski, who was presented with an award made of glass. “He called my name. It’s a wonderful feeling and looking back, it’s quite an honour.”
Earlier in the evening, Ketrzynski accepted the volleyball team MVP award.
While great volleyball genes can run in the family, worth noting is that Ketrzynski’s father competed in volleyball for Canada at the 1984 Olympics. His older brother, also a volleyball player, had won the same York Mills top male athlete award a year earlier.
“In my mind, (Cole) is Team Canada material all the way and was a monster stud for us in volleyball that put our school on the map,” said Kung. “He’s respectful and responsible along with being calm and composed. (Ketrzynski) is the kind of leader you would want on your team. Just top notch in everything.”
In his three years at York Mills, Ketrzynski leaves having played on three consecutive Toronto District School Board championship teams. He’s also won three North Region titles and two provincial high school medals.
With so much creativity in his play, a luminous talent, he may have been the soul and spirit of the team and something that started when he was at the learning stages back in grade school at Owen Public School followed by Windfields Junior High. It was in grade 6, at the age of 11, that volleyball became his sport specialty.
His success, over the years, hasn’t come without a price – a concussion in grade 11, when a volleyball hit him in the head. Ketrzynski also sustained a torn shoulder muscle that kept him away from the game for several months.
Just after returning from a gold medal team win for Ontario at the Canada Games, he re-injured the shoulder – likely rushing back to play too quickly. After appearing in a remarkable 11 sets in one day, and competing in some of the top high school teams in Ontario, he was instrumental in York Mills winning that Waterloo-based event.
“There was a time when I got a bit worried,” said Ketrzynski. “That was when I went to see the doctor and he hinted that my volleyball career was in jeopardy. It was time to focus on getting the shoulder stronger and not pushing things to quickly.”
Having expanded the parameters of athletic fame at York Mills, Ketrzynski now turns his focus on studying physics, earning a Degree in Engineering and playing pro volleyball in Europe.
David Grossman is a multi award-winning communicator and storyteller with a distinguished career in Broadcasting, Journalism and Public Relations in Sport and Government Relations
***For a full list of all TDSB Secondary Athletes of the Year 2018-19 - Click Here ***