Every speech and debate season brings something new. Sometimes it’s an entirely new event!! Other times it’s a rule change, a revised event description, or an updated ballot. For many competitors (and coaches!!), these changes can feel overwhelming at first. Where do you start? How do you know what judges are really looking for? How can you make your speech stand out? Do you sit this season out to let someone else show you what a new even can look like- NO WAY!! Sign up for an inspirational, informational webinare on July 14 (more information below) or read on for some expert tips…
Imagine for a moment that you were the one being judged… You step onto a stage, or in front of a classroom, give a speech, perform a song, submit a piece of writing, or present an idea you have worked hard on. When the results come back, the comment sheet says:
“Good job.”
That’s it.
No explanation. No encouragement about what worked. No guidance about what could improve.
How helpful would that be?
Probably not very. Especially if you were hoping to improve or gorw!
Yet this is increasingly what feedback looks like today—short, vague, and often almost nonexistent. I recently was going over a competitor’s ballots with them and it took less than 5 minutes to go through 6-9 ballots! Is this because he had a flawless performance? Does he not have room for growth? No. I believe judges don’t exactly know what type of feedback students are looking for. Plus, in many areas of life—education, competitions, workplaces, even the arts—people are writing less and less when evaluating others. Time is short. Attention spans are shorter. And meaningful critique is quietly disappearing. But good feedback is not just helpful—it is essential for growth. So- what can we do about it? Grab a cup of coffee and read this article!!
Practice is where Speech and Debate competitors are truly made—but not all practice is created equal. Hours spent rehearsing without focus can lead to burnout, frustration, and stalled growth. Purposeful practice, on the other hand, builds thinkers, communicators, and confident competitors. The difference isn’t time... It’s intention. Read on for more EIGHT intentional practice tips and to understand why purposeful practice is so important...
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“Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.”
–Titus 2:6-8
As the season comes to a close, I want to ask you this; what have you gained? First, second, or third place awards? What was it all for? Success? The coin-size medal? A piece of paper? No, speech and debate is not about winning. Instead, competition allows you the opportunity to grow in your understanding of the world around you and to learn to effectively communicate a Christian worldview. We must understand that our debates are not for a ballot or two but are instead refining and molding us to be ambassadors for God’s glory—ambassadors to a world that desperately needs the message of Jesus Christ.
Mid-season tournament preparation can be perplexing business, Coach Noah McKay will be starting his 2nd Semester LD Club in just a couple weeks. He will help you break down your cases, help analyze the best values, and come up with a strategy! Did you know you could also learn a ton from your ballots?
You have probably experienced the sinking feeling of going 1-5 after months of pre-season research and writing, along with attendant confusion about what, exactly, you are supposed to do to bring those numbers up the next go-round. After all, if you couldn’t find a winning argument anywhere in the thousands of pages you read between July and December, where can you find one?
No one likes to feel judged, but how can you be a winner, unless you have judges who weigh your performance against a set of standards? Do you know how many times I’ve seen students look ONLY at the ranks on the ballots and then toss them aside? I’ve also seen students discount a ballot because “it was only from a community judge” or “that guy didn’t know anything.” These are not mature responses to ballots.
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I am actually privy to this sentiment fairly often. Parents mostly know what they like best when they watch interps. They might even know why they liked it best over some other interp. But they want to know how to say that articulately to the students on the ballot. The point of this post is NOT to tell you what should rank higher than something else but to help you identify the bits and pieces that are part of any interp…bits and pieces that you can talk about from your own perspective on your ballots, giving students bits and pieces they can actually work on after the tournament. I was recently in a club meeting where the leader asked the students to share the most helpful comment they had received on a ballot. The students struggled to find one. I want students to have LOTS of helpful, useable things. Things they can take to club and say, “can someone show me how to ___________?” Or “can someone help me change ___________?” I want things filling in those blanks for our kids!
So here goes….How DO you look at an interp speech?
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I know judges sometimes struggle with what to write on Speech and Debate ballots. It’s hard to express your feelings on paper. Over the years, I’ve seen thousands of ballots and they are usually a blessing (for the most part) and a source for students to refer back to. I mean, let’s be honest, some kids keep their ballots for years after competing. However, once in a while there are some comments that would be better not to write, and it usually involves a pre-disposed bias. So I challenge judges to really think before you write…
If you have judged just one Speech and Debate tournament or even one round, you know how difficult it can be to find the right words... To encourage, to help, and to give good feedback. Typically, the student also wants to know why you also gave them the rank you did. If you find yourself at a loss for words... Here are some helpful phrases and critiques from Lasting Impact!
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We write a lot of them as parents (or alumni). Competitors get an envelope of them after every speech and debate tournament. And sometimes we have more to say about the ballots than we take away from the ballots! What are these ballots, and how can both judges and competitors use the ballots to best effect during the competition season?
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Many clubs meet all year round. This blog article was submitted by a club leader. This insightful devotion was from one of her student’s. Speech and Debate has so many life building skills! How should we handle criticism or critiques? Here is a competitor’s approach to ballots…
Sometimes it is hard to read ballots, especially at 11 pm after a long awards ceremony. Ballots can be confusing or just hard to stomach. But ballots are still an invaluable resource to have from your judges. Be sure to open your envelope with an open mind, ready to hear what your judges have to say.
In this post we will be discussing some strategies of how to go over your ballots instead of tossing them or letting them collect dust. According to one of our Lasting Impact! interns... "I go through my speech ballots with my three step system, especially when I plan on enhancing it throughout the season with the goal of succeeding to Regionals, and perhaps on to Nationals."
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