NSS Profile: Miller embracing little lessons while pursuing big-league baseball dream

In Cohen Miller’s sport, sometimes you are going to swing and miss.

That is, in fact, part of what Miller loves about baseball.

“The smaller things become more satisfying, because there is a lot of failure. It is a sport of failure,” he explained. “So, the moments that you can succeed just feel so much greater because they don’t come as often.”

Even with that in mind, Miller is wired to pursue perfection.

Currently in Grade 12 at National Sport School, he approaches every at-bat and every homework assignment with high expectations.

“I’m a good student. I have a 4.0 right now,” said Miller, who will graduate from NSS in June and plans to take a gap year — continuing to train with the Webber Wildcats — before heading south to play ball for a prestigious NCAA program. “I have always felt like school is a big of a part as baseball, especially for getting into college. I was able to commit to Kansas State last fall, and that has definitely been a blessing. I couldn’t have done that if I didn’t also excel in school as well as my sport.”

For any up-and-coming athlete, a college commitment is a huge achievement — and the NSS has had a record number to celebrate with the Class of 2026.

Miller is one of about 20 soon-to-be grads already signed to continue their sporting pursuits at the post-secondary level. They will soon scatter to universities across Canada and the U.S., taking their athletic gear — from bats, golf clubs and lacrosse sticks to swim goggles, soccer cleats and track spikes — along with them.

“It’s definitely not like a typical high school,” said Miller, reflecting on his experience at NSS. “It’s a bunch of like-minded people who are just trying to excel in their sports, as well as excel in their schooling.

“It’s good because everyone is trying to one-up each other, just in the competitive nature of people who play sports. Everyone is just working to get better at everything.”

When Miller moved back to Calgary after spending a chunk of his childhood in Dubai, he set an ambitious goal — to earn an opportunity to represent Canada’s national junior team, which features the top U-18 talents from across the nation.

In October, this infielder was named to Canada’s roster for Fall Instructional League action in the Dominican Republic.

He received a similar invite from the junior national program this spring, travelling to Florida in mid-April for a string of games against MLB prospects. You could tell the staff at NSS had been following along — one of the administrators wore a pained expression while relaying that Miller had been beaned by a 97 m.p.h. fastball during one of his plate appearances.

“It is the highest honour you can get as an athlete, playing for your country,” said Miller, whose resume also includes a trip to the 2025 Canada Summer Games and a chance to wow the scouts at the 2025 Canadian Futures Showcase, which was hosted by the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. “And it allows you to push even harder with that motivation.”

For Miller, the push will continue at Kansas State University. Over the past five years alone, 16 Wildcats have been selected in the MLB Draft.

Miller, too, dreams of playing pro ball and eventually reaching the major leagues. Perhaps, his former NSS classmates will someday spot him on TV, doing his part to turn a double play in the infield or hustling down the basepaths after a hit.

When detailing his long-term goals, Miller also stressed the value of “the lessons I’ll learn along the way” and “just learning from baseball throughout life.”

That will include some swings and misses. Those, he knows, only make the hits all the more rewarding.

* Main image of Cohen Miller is courtesy of Baseball Canada