Amateur Athlete: Being a voice for change

Southern Oregon University soccer player Michael Miller is lending his voice and support to the local Black Lives Matter movement.

Announcer says "now, from the jim sigel automotive sports desk, newswatch 12 sports with josh shelton."

2020 has been a turbulent year in the world of sports.

For almost half of the year... there wasn't even any sports going on.

But that didn't mean athletes weren't doing anything.

They used their platform as leaders in the community to push for social change.

The final amateur athlete of 20-20 is a look back at what s-o-u's michael miller did during the black lives matter protests in ashland.

Michael miller says, "pressure breaks pipes, or it can make diamonds.

And so, um, i really apply that on the soccer field."

Michael miller has been making diamonds on the s-o-u raiders men's soccer team since he arrived on campus in 20-16.

He's a two-time cascade conference defensive player of the year and two-time all-west region all-star.

Now, he's taking that same mentality to the black lives matter movement.

(take michael key) miller says, "i look at it the same way in life, if we want change and we want our policies and our laws to benefit everyone in society, then we have to go and change that ourselves."

(topic key) miller's drive to make meaningful change in society started back in his hometown of fresno, california.

His dad, a police officer in fresno for 25 years, tasked him with three goals in life.

Michael miller says, "growing up, my father always told me be three things.

I have three jobs in life: be the best student i could be, be the best athlete i could be and be the best person i could be.

And so i think student and athletic wise, i've taken care of that.

Now, i just want to be the best person i could be."

He's doing that by taking to the streets in ashland as part of the nation-wide black lives matter movement.

Michael miller says, "it's not just a black issue.

It's not just a white issue.

Everybody it's in the human rights issue.

And so being out there with my sign, with my voice, um, and the raw emotions in the moment, you know, i think it really was a wake up call."

Miller thinks it's time for a sweeping change to the country as we know it.

It's time, he says, for a re-brand.

Michael miller says, "i look at it as, you know, sports teams changed their logos.

They changed their branding.

Every now and then, you know, to keep up with the times america hasn't changed its logo, its branding for 400 years, and now it's a new time basically.

So that's, that's how i look at it and