SHERIDAN, Wyo. — Q2's Athlete of the Week, Nate Miner, is playing a major role for the 9-1 Sheridan Broncs this season in Wyoming. That's thanks in large part to an unbreakable father-son basketball bond.
It's difficult to determine who loves the sport more — Nate or his dad, Tim.
"He loves coming to rebound for me. Loves watching film with me, breaking it down," Nate, a Rocky Mountain College commit, told MTN Sports of his father.
Jeff Martini, Sheridan's head coach, regularly sees their dedication.
"Any time you come into this gym and we're not practicing, Nate's generally here. Him and his dad are working on the smallest possible details," Martini said.
Watch moments that led Nate to 1,000 points and a commitment to Rocky Mountain College:
Nate says his own basketball journey may have been sparked by his father's abbreviated playing career at Yale.
"He was injured in college his sophomore year and I think after that it was like, 'I want to live it with someone.' I think he was lucky enough where I loved basketball just as much as he did," Nate said.
MTN Sports asked Nate to share some of his youth photos. While searching, he admitted that looking back at the images really made him appreciate everything basketball has offered.
He recalled early years when his dad ran a YMCA allowing Nate to play every day after school with his younger brother, now a freshman for the Broncs. Other pictures brought back memories during five years of AAU ball and playing for Select Basketball USA on the Puma Circuit allowing him to travel the country.
These moments recently culminated in Nate scoring his 1,000th career point in a win at Casper Kelly Walsh before instantly acknowledging his family.
"Right as I hit that mark, I pointed at them because it was all because of them. He's been my partner by my side just as much as my mom (Cathy) has," Miner recalled.
The point total includes his freshman season in Buffalo, Wyo. — Cathy's hometown — where he earned all-conference honors before transferring to Sheridan. Nate admits the transition presented humbling challenges.
"I think I had a little bit of ego with me, like I was, 'Man, I'm this kid returning and I wasn't there. I wasn't prepared defensively, and I wasn't prepared for the Class 4A level,'" Miner said.
Coach Martini helped expand Nate's perspective.
"He's doing all the small things. He's talking, he's being a decoy at times,” Martini said. “You know, everyone's trying to face-guard him and do different things, and he's willing to give up himself for the betterment of the team.”
Nate has committed to continue his basketball career at Rocky Mountain College in Billings.
"The offense there, I absolutely love it. It's everything that I've ever worked on and everything that I stand for. They push defensively and I would always love to get better at defense and even IQ-wise. Everything they do, I mean, it was a no-brainer," Miner said.
Beyond basketball, Nate enjoys fly fishing with Tim.
"He's gotten me into it. He's a much better fly fisherman than I think I am," Nate said.
And he admits his own line occasionally gets tangled in trees, but he’s hoping for a senior trip to Yellowstone National Park to work on that part of his game as well.
