But when he sees the kids who fill up the south end of the mall's parking lot for a weekend in June each summer, he knows that the only one he's fooling is himself.
“I say every year that this is going to be my last year, but here I am again,” Miller said with a laugh.
Miller wrapped up the second and final day of this year's 3-on-3 tournament Sunday, as a near-record 227 teams squared off over the weekend to support the annual YMCA fundraiser.
“We are actually pushing our record numbers,” said Miller, who saw his biggest turnout in 2006 with 232 teams. “We are really pleased with that and moreso that we raised close to $26,000 to $27,000 ... for our Partnership With Youth Fund, which enables kids who are underprivileged or don't have the resources to come to camp or come to sporting events such as this.”
In its 14th year, the tournament has become a fixture for the Missoula community. Miller is quick to thank area sponsors, a list that is too long to mention. With their help and plenty of hard work, the YMCA tournament has become a huge success since its first year in 1995.
Back then just 70-some teams made their way to a little strip of parking lot that parallels South Avenue. There were just 10 courts back then and little did Miller know he was caring for a sleeping giant.
These days the competition is played on a healthy chunk of parking lot to the south of the mall, where 25 courts, plus a backup, make their temporary home.
Venders dot the perimeter and a climbing wall towers over the asphalt, providing some extra entertainment. Missoula Emergency Services makes camp in case of any injuries and there's even a place for acupuncture.
There have been plenty of improvements, but the one thing that remains the same is the familiar faces that keep making their way back to the event each year.
“You know if you're seeing those people you're doing something right,” Miller said.
A group of ballers from the Mission Valley who make up the Desert Horse women's team aren't exactly strangers to the Missoula competition.
For them the event marks the beginning of the summer basketball season. From this weekend through the majority of summer, members of the Desert Horse squad will travel from town to town competing at area tournaments.
“I'm busy for every week from now on to about the second week in August,” said Charla Brown, who along with Bobbi Woodworth, Angie Redstar and Whitney Brown make up team Desert Horse.
The squad started off in the right direction this weekend, winning four games Saturday, before playing in Sunday's women's open championship against Team No Names, a local squad made up of Erica Richardson, Kayli Peterson, Alicia Baylor and Julia Carson.
Desert Horse started off the game on a 8-2 run fueled by a pair of Charla Brown 2-pointers (the standard 3-pointer is scored as two points at the tournament).
Brown, who led the District 14-C in scoring this past year for Two Eagle River High School, finished with four 2-pointers en route to a team-high nine points.
The No Names were able cut the Mission Valley team's lead to 12-9 by the midway mark as the Desert Horse team struggled from the free-throw line.
Woodworth missed three freebies in a row as the Missoula squad kept the pressure on.
Woodworth's drought however, didn't last long. She scored four of her team's final seven points from the free-throw line to put the championship on ice.
“I guess I just settled down a little bit and focused,” Woodworth said of her shooting from the charity stripe.
Woodworth, who finished with seven points, also has a busy summer in front of her. While she won't necessarily be matched up with the exact same team over the coming weeks, there's plenty of basketball on the horizon.
“I'll be playing at basketball tournaments for the next month - every weekend,” Woodworth said.
Miller will probably be back for another tour come next year. The veteran director, who also doubles as the head of the YMCA aquatics department, anticipates a little less basketball after this weekend and a little more water sports - preferably fishing.
Division winners
Fourth grade girls - 1, Little Wolf Pack; 2, Sharp Shooters.
Fourth grade boys - 1, Team Robin; 2, GERMS.
Fifth-sixth grade girls - 1, Missoula Wolf Pack; 2, Swishettes.
Fifth grade boys - 1, Missoula Magic 2; 2, 4 Aces.
Sixth grade boys - 1, Benchwarmers; 2, Black Ponies.
Seventh grade girls - 1, Jocko Valley; 2, Hot Tamales.
Seventh grade boys - 1, Stevi Jackets; 2, Mountaineers.
Eighth grade girls - 1, K22 & CO; 2, Lolo Hoopsters.
Eighth grade boys - 1, Cow Tippers; 2, Big Fork Vikings.
Ninth-10th grade girls - 1, Montana Rimrock; 2, Lady Broncs.
Ninth-10th grade boys - 1, Hellgate; 2, Do Work.
11th-12th grade girls - 1, Independent Chicks; 2, Mutha Truckers.
11th-12th grade boys - 1, Running Rams; 2, Southern Pikuni Boys.
Women's Rec - 1, Desert Horse; 2, No Names.
Men's Rec 6-foot-and-under - 1, Roney Woodworking; 2, See You Next Week.
Men's Rec 6-foot-and-over - 1, Hoop School; 2, Macaroni and Gin.
Men's Open 6-foot-and-under - 1, Desert Horse; 2, No Big Deal.
Men's Open 6-foot-and-over - 1, Desert Horse; 2, My Teams.
Free-throw contest winners - Patrick Colberg, grades 4-8; Jacob Netzer, grades 9-12.
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