The game of rugby league is indebted to people like Kate Miller.
That is the assessment of Brian Canavan, current NRL head of football and former Roosters CEO, who told NRL.com that in his time working alongside Miller at Bondi he was struck by her incredible competence and professionalism as well as passion for the game and in particular its juniors.
Miller, a primary school teacher by trade, was born into a "Roosters family".
She took on a role as ARL development officer for the club in 2007 and only left that role in 2010 to have a baby before later returning to the club on a volunteer basis where she has been for six years now.
In her first stint at the club she launched 'Freddy's mini league', an under-6s mini-league program in 2009 and after her return to the club helped launch a new mini-league initiative where she still volunteers her time every Sunday morning where she performs a ground manager role, including timekeeping and setting up the fields for play.
"In her time at the Roosters she showed incredible competence – the highest level of competency I've seen in delivering all-game development activities," Canvan told NRL.com.
"She was always very well prepared and presented our game in the appropriate light at all levels.
"She has since come back as a volunteer to the Roosters. She volunteers around game day and also volunteers her time for our under-6s to under-8s competition programs every Sunday morning and is always on call for any other development activities.
"She's all about developing young people. She's got a great passion for rugby league and she sees rugby league as a tremendous development vehicle and that shone through in her role as an educator.
"The game is indebted to Kate Miller."
Miller said she has had a love for the game and the club for as long as she can remember.
"I was born into a Roosters family. We used to go to the old showground and watch Artie Beetson play," Miller told NRL.com.
"The reason I went for the job at the Roosters – I'm a primary school teacher now and I was back then – we had the ARL development officers come to the schools I worked in.
"I had some idea of what those jobs involved then the Roosters job came up and I thought I'd go for it and I got it."
Miller laughed off suggestions that balancing parenthood, work and her volunteer work at the Roosters should be a challenge.
"I don't find it a challenge because I go to the games anyway. It's a bit of a passion of mine. I'd be there anyway, it's just I'm lucky enough to help out and be amongst the atmosphere of it all.
"Sunday is only a couple of hours out of my time and to see the smiles on the kids' faces and the parents cheering, I really have a passion for junior league. I'd love to keep it going. I think that's my teaching background."
Miller was also full of praise for the support the Roosters have shown her in return over the years.
"The people at the Roosters have been so appreciative and so accepting and engaging. I'm very lucky in that way, they're very thankful," she said.
"They are very good to me in regards to inviting me to awards nights and things like that. I just do it because I love the junior league, love the Roosters and combine it together."
