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EVOLUTION OF A CHAMPION By: Dave Tuttle Evolution. Most dictionaries define the word as "any process of formation or growth; development." Bible scholars have been debating the atheists and scientists for years on evolution and on how the world and mankind got their start, but that isn't the kind of evolution we are talking about here. In the waterfowling world in which you and I reside, evolution might best be defined as progress or becoming proficient through time at something we struggle at. It's being honest with ourselves and realizing that if we want to reach our goals or become better at something we may need to work harder at it. It's all about goals. It's all about that finish line we cross that once seemed impossible. It's about the insurmountable mountain that we just finished climbing. Some get close to the goal and quit. Many quit before they even start for fear of failure while others refuse to take no for an answer and don't stop until they can wave their victory flag proudly for the whole world to see. It all depends on how important the end result is to you. Let's face it, goals are more important to some than others. Some just seem to have the hunger to be the very best at what they do. It's all about perspective. Mike Anderson always had the hunger and he always had the proper perspective. Ask any competitive duck or goose caller and they will tell you that their ultimate goal is to be the very best. Anything less is unacceptable. They wouldn't be up on that stage getting critiqued and judged if that were not the case. They wouldn't spend countless hours practicing routines and driving their wives or girlfriends crazy with the constant commotion if it weren't for that grand prize. It's a discipline, much like exercising. The hours spent mastering this art are ridiculous and taxing, bordering on insane at times. Comp callers have the insatiable desire to throw themselves out there to the masses, regardless of the outcome. They are fearless, they don't care what the judges scorecard reads at the end as long as they know they are making progress and know what they need to work on in order to advance farther next time. That scorecard is the barometer by which they gauge their progress, and scoring better at each contest is a sure sign that progress is being made. That is how they evolve into a champion. That is their mindset. To be the best you have to beat the best. Mike Anderson started duck hunting when he was eight years old. At the age of 23 he started calling competitively and six years later, on November 28, 2009, Mike would become World Champion in Stuttgart, Arkansas. It wasn't easy for him and he experienced his share of setbacks along the way but he stayed hungry and maintained perspective in his journey. "All of us experience frustrations and setbacks doing what we do, I don't care who you are. Nobody can pick up a duck call and master it in a day. It takes time. I had my share of frustrations, believe me. Learning how to be consistent was probably my biggest frustration. My lips would keep giving out on me. Building proper air and developing a smooth sound was extremely frustrating. There was a constant ebb and flow of hitting walls and hitting those walls drove me crazy," said Mike. "I would have to put my RNT call down for a few days then magically I would pick it up again and what seemed hard and impossible a few days ago was now fairly easy. The feed call was the hardest thing for me to master, I was screwing that up all the time. I would practice to and from work or wherever I was going. I would go downstairs or into my computer room and practice for hours at a time. It was a process and it's all about the little things. I had to practice the little things and then build my foundation. Learn to crawl before you walk and learn to walk before you run. I knew if I worked hard enough and stayed true to my goal I would get there eventually. Practice was so important. I cannot stress the importance of practicing. It's not easy but you have to keep going. You have to keep fighting through the frustrations." Mike had a goal and wasn't going to stop until he reached it. Evolution. Focusing on your goals and keeping your eyes on the prize. Not everybody has it in them. It takes a special breed. Despite the obstacles that got in his way, Mike kept going. "Look, I may be a humble guy but I can be stubborn too! I was driven. I bought my first RNT call at Gander Mountain and that thing didn't come off my mouth for years. Every spare moment was spent with that call attached to my mouth. It was downright embarrassing," Anderson said. "I bought a VHS tape of the 2000 Worlds Championship and the RNT Advanced Technique CD and studied them for years. I still have them somewhere. I wanted to call like Jim Ronquest and John Stephens. Those two guys inspired me. There came a time early on when I told myself that I was going to be the best or be done with it. My philosophy was go big or go home. I had the unaltered desire to be the best at something and I did it. I was a band geek growing up and blessed with a lot of air in addition to my self diagnosed O.C.D. so that helped! I accomplished something that nobody from Minnesota had ever done before. This is the farthest north that trophy has ever been." Mike Anderson can be anything he wants to be in this world. He has already proven that on and off the stage. That is his mindset and that is how he was raised. You set goals and you don't stop until you reach them. Give Mike a reason why something can't be done and he will give you a reason why it can. That is how a champion thinks. That is evolution. That night in Arkansas will reign as one of the proudest moments in Mike's life. After all of the hard work and countless hours practicing his craft he could now call himself World Champion. He had reached his goal. "The contest seemed to take literally five minutes. As they came back to call each cut I was very nervous and unsure about making each of them. The longest part of that entire night was when they had all of us in the top ten stand in front of everybody on the stage, making us all wait for what seemed like an eternity to have our names called out for places," said Mike. "It hit me like a hammer when I looked out into the crowd and seen all of my closest friends standing front and center with huge smiles on their faces and pointing at me calling my name. I remember whispering to Steiny while standing next to him on stage saying, "Oh my God Steiny! I think I may have won!" Once they called my name as winner and World Champion all I could think about was my wife. I needed to find her and give her the biggest hug ever."
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