Is the High School Speech Team Right for You?

Love to talk? Don't mind waking up early on the weekends to give speeches? Some may think you're crazy, but if these options sound good to you, then your high school speech team may be a great activity for you to join. As a former member of a high school team, I can tell from my own experiences that speech was one of the most fun clubs I have ever been a part of. However, speech isn't for everyone. Here, I have identified a list of criteria that help determine if speech is for you.

First, being successful in speech depends not on your personality type but on your willingness to learn. Speech consists of serious speaking events, humorous events, drama, partner events, and character acting. There are thirteen different events that you can compete in, so there usually is something for everyone. However, you do have to feel reasonably comfortably speaking in front of a large group of people. If you have crippling stage fright, I'd recommend watching a few speech meets and attending practice to make sure that you will be okay to compete. Through practice and trying out different events, each interested student should be able to find something that suits him or her.

Be ready to learn! At times, speech can be more complicated than taking an extra class at school. You need to learn the lingo, how a competition works, how to become an effective performer, and many other intricacies. Be prepared to take notes, repeat your speech thousands of times, and talk to walls at competitions (no joke: many people are surprised to see a mass of students practicing their speeches in front of blank walls at a speech competition.) Remember, the more work you put into this activity, the more fun you will have.

Next, make sure that you have enough time to commit to this activity. I can say from experience that speech is a grueling activity that is full of multiple practices each week, along with competitions every weekend. It's very difficult to balance additional activities, especially sports, against this grueling schedule. In my own experiences, much of my week revolved around speech. I usually stayed after school 2 - 3 times a week, usually until it was dark out. My weekends consisted of going to bed early on Friday, waking up at 4:45, and getting ready for the competition, which usually lasted all Saturday. This may sound like torture to some, but to those who love this activity, it's just part of the routine.

Part of being successful with speech is the amount of work that you put into your speech. Some events are based around using scripts, but many use the student's own script. Your coaches and teammates can help with generating ideas, revisions and small details, but the script needs to be your own work. Make sure that you have time put aside to research and write your speech, or else you're going to miss out on many competitions because your piece isn't completed.

One of the best elements of the speech team (and most high school activities, for that matter) is the sense of camaraderie that forms between team members. By spending so much time together, tight bonds form rather quickly. Traditionally, students who are outgoing, vivacious, and funny have done well in speech competitions. Speech is a sport that puts wit, critical thinking, and humor first and foremost and prides itself in having a unique group of students. My high school team consisted of gamers, athletes, theater fans, punks, straight-A students, and many more, all of whom were united through our love of the spoken word. This mishmash of cliques seems like it wouldn't click, yet everyone bonded and became great friends. We supported each other through final rounds, missing scripts, and wins and losses. Basically, this team can be for anyone, as long as you're motivated and in the activity for the right reasons.

Speech is an activity that can appeal to many students, although it is not for everyone. Being motivated, dedicated, and willing to learn helps any student to succeed. If you're looking for a fun, exciting, and entertaining activity where you can make friends for life, make sure to check out your speech team as the school year begins. Trust me, you won't be disappointed.