What is your speech team like?

[angelodarling]

I've always wanted to know about the dynamics of other teams. I come from an insanely small team with less than 20 people with two coaches and only a handful of interpers while our neighboring school has a huge team. It's really weird since we're all from the same town and our school has a greater population than the other one.

However, I love my small team. We're like a small family and a secret society amongst our huge school. Luckily we're getting newbies next year and I hope they stay.

So what's your team like? Is it big or small? How do you run practices? Is there some sort of system or process that your team runs by when it comes to tournaments? Do public address/debate and interp ever mingle? What's your relationship like with your coaches and other members? I have so many questions! I really want to know.

[temery]

So what's your team like? Is it big or small? How do you run practices? Is there some sort of system or process that your team runs by when it comes to tournaments? Do public address/debate and interp ever mingle? What's your relationship like with your coaches and other members? I have so many questions! I really want to know.

Recently, I had departed from my high school team after graduation, but let me tell you, we were like one big family. There were roughly 50 students, 30 or so of which were extremely devoted. We all did different events and were very co-dependent on each other. As far as practice would go, our coaches were available after school every day and any who showed up for practice would practice. That's what I loved about speech practice: it revolved around the individual's schedule rather than force people to be at a specific place at a specific time (like Theater). Our 3 coaches were very supportive and helpful in making sure that we did our best and for welcoming newcomers who had never heard of Speech. Being in an environment like that allowed me to open out of my shell and become more social, as well as letting me find my niche in high school. Joining speech was one of the best decisions of my life, thanks in part to the amazing team that I am so glad to have been a part of.

[Crimson]

Our speech team starts extremely small (only like 10-15 people) and after state (which is in December) it becomes basically nonexistant. Literally, there was me and two more people who did events like DI, HI, or Duo and the rest did oratory. Even in that short amount of time, however, we really did get along for the most part. There was this time where... well, that's a story for another day

[This Is Awkward]

Our team generally has about 10-15 people, except for state, when we madly go out and recruit to reach astounding numbers like... 25. I love having a small team because it meant that pretty much everyone had to work together to make things work, and for the most part, we were closer for it. Now I'll be coaching for them, and hopefully they grow in numbers a little, but not too much.

[JjulianSr]

Pre-post note: This is not bragging. It is a statement of how we took a small team and made it a huge team.

We started 4 years ago with 8 students. When I took over the program, the team was attending 3 tournaments a year and only doing LD Debate. I encouraged the small team to share with their immediate friends what they did, and invite 1 person each to the next meeting. We ended that year with 24 kids. We finished the second year with 40. Last year we had 75 active and another 30 that came on occasion... again, all by encouraging each student to share their experience with one friend. This season, we have 108 signed up - before our first recruiting meeting. Each one brings one. And poof... we got huge quick.

Also, because this was kids talking to kids, and friends bringing friends, the team stayed in that "tight knit" culture. We're still a family... we just have really big reunions once a weekend now. We sing songs. We play games. And occasionally we actually practice. We do it with 3 coaches. The bulk of the training of the novices is done by the 2nd and 3rd year kids. The seniors and top-level varsity work with the coaching staff most of the time. And everyone is responsible for training everyone. If you help someone, and they win, they give a shout out to everyone who helped them win (you included). Maybe you don't break, but your protege does... guess what, you contributed. And that's how we keep everyone involved.

Anyway... just sharing my 2 cents before I drop into bed at 4am. Have a good night folks!

Coach J

[Juan J. Martinez]

Our team is pretty small as well. We only consist of about 15 people compared to last year. But I think we are a family. When someone has some type of activity they always invite the whole team. It's weird because you think about it and I think I spend more time with them then with my own family. I think about how I fight with my siblings and I don't fight with my team members. I can honestly say I love every single one of them and would take a bullet for them. We are all really united. I think it's because of how small the team is. My guess is that if there's a big team eventually clique's will be formed. When someone advances for the first time or Finals for the first time we all feel very happy for that person. I am glad and honored to ba a part of my Speech team!!

[rlh1994]

i come from bloomington and we have a semi small team with only one coach. It is a little stressful somtimes but somehow we still manage to be a pretty decent team. We all get along super well because we know that we are all there because we love what we do.