With three coaches and 18 team members the Cotter speech team is working on sharpening techniques for competition and learning a skill that may help them long after the season is over.

On Saturday February 15 at 7:15 am, two Cotter dormitory cars headed off the parking lodge. They were making their way to Wabasha, where one of the first speech meets of this season was organized.

 Cotter l speech members felt confident about the coming competition. Freshman Aidan Beckman has been participating in such contests for three years. “I am excited,” he said a day before the meet.

 His category was great speeches, where participants are expected to choose one of the famous talks ever given and analyze the content. Beckman chose one of president Lincoln’s, which his mastery of brought him the first place in this category. When asked to give some advice to the beginners, he said:” Practice, practice and practice, that is all what it takes.” It certainly takes a bit of passion too and Aidan is totally committed to expressing new ideas or shaping public opinion. His delivery sharpened  through repetition, is smooth and natural.

Unlike Beckman, for Cecilia Welch, an eighth grader, this was first speech performance. ” I have been to one just to see how it all goes, but I have never competed before.”

Although it was her first time in front of the judges, she also was  very optimistic and excited. Her category was story-telling: ” Since I have little siblings, I am doing just that all the time”, said Welch, ” I thought it would be the right one for me.”

Cecilia memorized a few stories in just two weeks. She made herself flash cards with points and comments from her classmates, and tried to remember those, so that she would repeat a mistake. When she was asked to express any ideas on how to participate in speech contests and practice for that, she answered:” I think the most important is to find something that you like about every story you have.”

Welch ended up taking  fourth place in her category, a real  success for a beginner.

Her brother, Tim Welch, also competed, his category is great speeches and felt good about his speech too.

 There were also some duo contestants, performing in short sketches or rather dialogues. Daniel Parlin and Caleb Forst, wearing the same color shirts and ties, placed third for their dialogue called “ Spies” by David J. Lemaster.

Albert Oh and Scarlett Han were another duo. They prepared a funny dialogue between a cat and dog and their different opinions on human beings. It was also their first meet. When asked about the level of his excitement, Oh laughs:” I am pretty much sleepy” It was 7:20 am.

David, Noah and Jacob French,  triplet brothers participated as well. Noah French place 6th for his performance of ”The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe in the poetry category.  David  took 5th place in the category of humorous interpretation with a piece called “They Might Be Giants”by Dave Barry

 Their mom, team coach Amy French, is upbeat not just about her sons’ success, but about the entire team. ” We did great, the team took 4th overall, missed getting a trophy (2nd place) by 4 points total.  This was in the large school category,” she says.

 French is also really excited about the next  meet: ” Red Wing is the most competitive meet we will participate in.  It’s a great chance to prepare for the conference meet and sub-sections.  It is also the first meet with a final round which will be new for most of our team.  So it will be a great learning experience.”

Mrs. French has been a judge at  meets, and knows what it takes to be successful and how kids can benefit by participating.  She is very positive about this new team, which has grown up to 18 members. What French values the most about the group she works with is their willingness to work hard and learn, and the support they have shown each other.

However, the team is always facing the challenges and she sees the group’s shortcomings  as well. “We’re dealing with inexperience and mismatches in some categories.”

Team members start out in one categroy and if it is not a good fit, they are encouraged to move to a new category.  Amy has served as Cotter’s coach for five years, but she had been involved as as a coach from 1988-1990, and in  1985, 1986, as a student, she participated in discussion.

The speech team has been in existence in some form for over thirty years. The other coaches, Mandy Olson and Deb Beckman joined last year. ” I wanted to do something with students and that was a speech team available,” says  Olson. Olson also participated in  speech during high school.

Deb Beckham, the third of the coaches,  also has experience  as a speech team contestant in her high school years. She got involved with speech team mainly because of her son, Aidan. Mrs. Beckman is also optimistic about the session, and  pleased with success of her son and all the whole team.

She and Olson both expressed their devotion to work with students and the enjoyment which comes with it, a feeling all three coaches agree on. “Watching students develop and grow in their ability to speak in front of others.  This skill is something that I know  will benefit them in their adult lives, regardless of if they ever win a ribbon at a meet or not.  Being able to communicate in front of others is an important skill to have,” said Amy French when asked about her reasons for coaching.

The speech team members have to work hard, move out of their comfort zone and improve their techniques. While lots of them are natural communicators, they all have room to improve.

In the category original oratory, which I had the chance to participate in, the speakers work on gestures and choreography. Their smooth steps back and forward, whenever introducing a new point of the speech, reminded me of a secret dance, where moves are directly connected with the words.

As the speech team  has grown this year, there are lots of beginners participating. Although to get all of the art of the perfect speech, including smooth moves, clear interpretation and clear articulation is hard work, coaches are excited about the new season and are ready to pass all of their own skill to the new members.

“ The best thing about coaching is watching students develop and grow in their ability to speak in front of others,” states Coach French. .