Neelyville native shows passion of Archery

When Neelyville native Josh Miller was growing up on a farm, his dream was the same of several kids in attendance at Tuesday’s Poplar Bluff 4-H meeting.

Miller wanted to be an athlete. Growing up on a farm, he said he always had a basketball in his hand. But about six years ago, Miller picked up something else and it’s rarely left his hand since.

Miller represented Team USA Archery at the World Archery 3D Championships a year ago in Italy and he hasn’t slowed down competing but there’s one thing that’s even more important to Miller and that’s giving back to those that remind him of himself.

“Nobody expects a small town kid to come up and do great things,” he said.

“We’re the underdog and that is one of the biggest driving factors for all of the greats. They are underdogs.

“Coming from a smaller town, you’re already an underdog. You want to prove people wrong and you want to prove yourself right. Put in the work and effort to become somebody great.”

Miller spoke to the room full kids about what it takes to achieve something and that anything is possible with hard work and determination. He also showed them some of his bows, but even he admitted he knows their focused was on the activity after he finished speaking.

Top Shot Archery Tag’s Brady Nichol was on hand to let the kids feel what it was like to shoot a bow in a safe environment with foam-tipped bullets and plastic cups as targets.

Archery is one of many activities offered to 4-H participants as the new year begins in October.

Nichol and Miller could each be found helping the kids shoot the bows but also teaching them proper safety and handling.

Like many of the kids on Tuesday evening, Miller said he remembers when he started bow hunting as that started his desire to continue with archery.

After hunting for a few years, he said he wanted another challenge, something different he could put his focus into.

DAR/Tyler Dixon

“There wasn’t a drive to be somebody great until after about a year,” he said. “I started to say I’ve got some potential for this and then I saw some 3D archeries and thought I’d to it and try it out but I was the only person around that was doing this.”

After winning some local tournaments, it was time for the next challenge and that’s when the was opened for Italy.

Miller said Italy was an experience he won’t forget for many reasons but it did ignite a change in him.

“I learned a lot of life lessons in Italy. A lot of life lessons, a lot of hard lessons,” he said. “I had so many curveballs thrown at me while I was there and I became a better man because I didn’t understand why things were happening the way they are.

“It really lit a fuse that will never go out.”