Correction: Jason Meyer is the head coach of the speech team.
The speech team is officially starting up this semester, giving students a new opportunity to build confidence, sharpen communication skills and express their ideas in a supportive environment. Open to students of all experience levels, the club focuses on public speaking, interpretation and performance events that help members grow both academically and personally. The team meets once a week after school on Mondays, while additional practices with coaches or captains remain flexible to fit student schedules.
In addition to weekly meetings, speech members practiced individually with a coach or team captain based on their event. This flexible structure allows students to balance academics, activities and speech preparation. Participation in the program also provides students with skills valued beyond high school, including organization, confidence and interview experience.
Speech captain Ella Venzke explained that competitions followed a multi-round format. “Most tournaments have three preliminary rounds where competitors perform in rooms with five or six other students,” Venzke said. Competitors who placed at the top of their rooms advanced to later rounds, including varsity finals or consolation rounds, depending on their scores.
After the preliminary rounds, competitors were ranked based on merit. Students who advanced competed in additional brackets, such as consolation or finals, which narrowed the field to the strongest performers in each category. This system allowed students multiple opportunities to succeed while gaining experience performing in front of judges.
Before competing, students completed an interview process to determine which event best suited their strengths. Coach Wayne Perkins commented that the process helped place students where they were most likely to succeed.
The environment of the team was emphasized as an important part of the program, and speech members described the atmosphere as supportive. Students in speech will find support in staff, captains and other members of the club. Traveling to competitions was often difficult and required early mornings, with some students arriving at the school as early as 4 a.m.
Beyond competition structure, the team emphasizes in some categories, “you have to not be afraid to be wrong,” Sophia Amundgaard said.
Amundgaard competes in the extemporaneous speaking category where there is no prepared speech but a topic and previous research. This allows the speaker to show live passion towards the topic that is not rehearsed passion, but keeping an open mind to continue the idea of being incorrect and listening to peers ideas and possibly shifting an opinion.
Speech club was presented as a place where there was no judgement and where any student could have an opinion. That reflects in and out of competitions. Having the ability to speak freely and not be judged but listened too. Joining speech provides that opportunity and gives students a strong community to grow and develop.
Amundgaard said the program balanced competition with self-expression. Students were encouraged to “voice your beliefs and advocate and also really enjoy yourself,” adding that the environment made speech both challenging and enjoyable.
As the season progressed, members of the speech team continued preparing for upcoming competitions. Through practices and tournaments, students gained experience performing in front of judges while developing communication skills they planned to carry beyond the season.
