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Blake Miller attended the Voss, Norway, unveiling of the Knute Rockne statue replica, the original of which resides in South Bend, Indiana. The famous Notre Dame coach was born in Norway. From left are Tim Monahan, Notre Dame alum and former football player; Jack Rockne, Knute’s last remaining son; Blake Miller; the mayor of Voss; and Jerry McKenna, Notre Dame alum who designed the statue.

“My wife is Norwegian so it was a homecoming of sorts for her. I, on the other hand, did not have a good grasp on the Norwegian language so it was a bit tougher for me. Much of my daily work is now done in Norwegian, so I guess I’ve overcome that obstacle.”

Miller obtained his Ph.D. in 2004 in sports psychology from the Norwegian University of Sports Science and is now working toward a post-doctorate degree. Anne-Grete is a full-time junior high English, physical and special education teacher. With the addition of sons Noah and Nathaniel, the Miller household is anything but dull.

“Lots of flexibility is needed, but we’ve found a way to work things out,” Miller said.
The Clear Lake, Iowa, native obtained his B.A. in political science and secondary education in 1993 from Augustana College, where he also played college football. “Being a student athlete stimulated my interest in the psychological side of athletics.”

When he came to UNI for his master’s, it was classes such as biomechanics, taught by Nancy Hamilton, professor of health, physical education and leisure services, and a psychomotor behavior seminar that “proved to be the clincher for me. I really enjoyed that section at UNI.”

Psychomotor behavior and motor learning involve any skill with a movement component, says Mickey Mack, HPELS associate professor and one of Miller’s former instructors.

“Motor learning ranges from complex gymnastic routines to driving a car to relearning how to walk following a head injury. The application principles could include how much practice time is needed in driver’s education, what are some cues to use when driving, how to transfer learning from one situation to the next, how much space to leave between cars due to the required reaction time, those kinds of things,” Mack said. “This field was a perfect fit for Blake’s desire to help people move more efficiently and effectively.”

Miller, recently promoted to associate professor of sport psychology at the Hedmark University in Norway, continues to conduct research at the Norwegian University of Sports Science. His post-graduate studies are focused on motivation, friendship, peer relations, bullying and dropout rates.

His other passion is the Norwegian Federation of American Sports (formerly the Norwegian American Football and Cheerleading Federation), where he has served as president for the past four years. He has recently placed American football into the curriculum of a Norwegian college or university for the first time.

“I head sports from football to cheerleading to lacrosse and softball and baseball. Our federation recently agreed on a working relationship with Augustana College for football development in Norway. Head coach Brad Salem and I were teammates at Augustana, and we really see eye-to-eye on how American colleges and universities can service themselves globally via sport exchange,” Miller said.

The family athletic tradition continues as all three of Miller’s sons are involved in sports: soccer, basketball, baseball, football, hockey, golf and gymnastics. Anne-Grete is a long-distance runner and cyclist. Aided by Norway’s mountainous terrain, the entire family loves to ski, both cross-country and slalom.

Miller occasionally crosses the ocean to visit the states.

“It’s usually twice a year, mainly around conferences,” he said. “My family travels with me when possible. Whenever we can make it a get-together in Clear Lake, we do so.”