I recently had the privilege of representing Lasting Impact! and attended a tournament in Florida (I reside in NH). After the tournament I spent the day coaching a local club. In our general session we covered how to prepare for the rest of the season…
The REST of the season can mean several things…
1. Preparing for Regionals or your National Championship
2. Having one last chance to break – to take your speech to the next level of competition- gain a green check, cash in some at large points, etc.
How do you take a speech to the next level?
“But Mrs D. I am so tired of my speech.”
Answer: I get it. You’ve competed in maybe 3-5 tournaments. Gave your speech 3-5 times at each tournament. Perhaps you have some feedback, maybe even good feedback. Then you wrote and re-wrote and now… you’re stuck!
My advice? REST. There is that word again. Rest your speech for one whole week, think NOTHING of it. THEN….
There is a reason that God put the topic, the book, the story, the platform, the biblical theme on your heart and mind to begin with. Even if it was your mom who suggested you turn your informative into a persuasive, so that you could potentially do better. You own the material you are headed into the next level with. Remember, if you are qualified to Regionals/Nationals in that speech… You must do your speech on that topic. Please check the rules according to your league and make sure you are doing the required amount of context for your qualified speech.
Still wondering how to re-energize yourself or your speech? The famous words of Maria VonTrapp “let’s start at the very beginning…a very good place to start.”
I always ask my students: Why did you choose this to begin with?
1. Pray! Ask God to remind you WHY you chose this subject. What is the message you need to bring? Are you faithfully bringing in the message?
2. Do some fresh research. Look at it with clarifying eyes. Apply compassion and clarity of thought to your speech.
3. Are you entertaining and engaging? Check out the Lasting Impact Grab and Go on the Easy (E-C) guide to speech to supercharge and revisit your topic.
4. Dig into those ballots! What did they say? Is there something you missed?
For interpreters…
- Are you super clear on your characters? Purchase or review our Characterization worksheet found HERE. It is the VERY best way to assure you have great character distinctions for your piece.
- Are you doing a duo? Introduce an element of new, fresh perspective. Do a round for fun playing the opposite characters. Study and remind yourselves why you do what you do.
- Do you get so big you have forgotten the refinement of blocking? Is it sloppy? Are there scenes that muddled?
- Record yourself! One of the best ways to see what your audience is seeing is to look at what they see!
Revisit your speeches and get a fresh perspective! Bring a fresh revival to regionals, or whatever that next step of competition may be for you! Remember some judges in your region/area all have seen you multiple times this season. They want it fresh and new also.
Deliver your speeches to someone new! Someone that hasn’t seen it! Getting a fresh perspective can always be the place to begin again!
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If anyone is feeling stuck or lost, schedule a coaching video call with Lasting Impact! We have experienced coaches for all types or speech and debate. Lynda DePasacreta is part of the Lasting Impact! Team. She has been a speech coach for over ten years and has a variety of experience helping run clubs, tournaments, and more. She has been blessed to coach numerous championship speakers, including the 2023 NCFCA Duo Champions.