by Tyler Fabbri

Tyler Fabbri was last year’s NFL national champion in United States Extemporaneous Speaking and was a finalist in 2009.  He provides some tips in this piece for extempers who will be competing at the 2011 NFL National Tournament in less than two weeks in Dallas, Texas.

With NFL Nationals creeping around the corner, I expect the anxiety is mounting a bit for everyone. Whether Dallas is your first or fourth NFL tournament, there are a few basic things to keep in mind to make this year’s trip the best it can be. This may be an incoherent rambling, but take from it what you can!

First of all, don’t waste all of your energy on pre-tournament preparation. Yes, making sure you are ready is good, but spending 8 hours a day on extemp is torture. Make sure you still have the enthusiasm you need come tournament time instead of burning out before you even get to Texas. So, look over the topic areas that the NFL releases, think those over (I think Extemp Central does a solid breakdown of these), and see what type of research you’ll need. Work until you’re comfortable with what you have done, and then try relaxing.

Second, and generally this is obvious, you need to make sure you pack what clothes you need. Obviously you need the clothing, but make sure you have the shoes, belts, and other necessities. Appearances are important, so look professional. Also meaning, make sure everything is appropriate. Mickey Mouse ties are cool for coaches, but stick with something more conservative. And bowties are for weddings and proms, so try to be taken seriously.

Anyway, now to the real stuff. You need to warm up before the first rounds of the day. Remember, this is probably the judge’s first round too, so if you can look sharp right out of the gate, the judge will appreciate it. Say some tongue twisters, do some vocal exercises, or anything to get you loose and ready to go. If your speech is your first time talking that day, I guarantee that it will show. Obviously, stay loose during the long breaks between rounds, too.

Next, think about your topic selection. Not all extemp questions are created equal. Some of them are terrible beyond measure. Unless you’re stuck with three atrocious topics, pick one that has significance. The more significant and newsworthy the topic, the easier it is to get the judge invested into the situation. This creates relatability and makes the judge think. They’ll appreciate that. Obnoxiously obscure questions will create more room for doubt about the accuracy of your information. But, on the other hand, ridiculously easy questions create a higher demand for perfection. If you take a softball of a question, you need to knock it out of the park. I would simply take the most challenging question that you can answer comfortably. Having prior knowledge of the topic is a plus. Show the judge that you knew something about Libyan social issues before you drew the question.

Also, remember to not change too much about what you’re doing. You made it to the NFL National Tournament for a reason. You clearly have something to offer and are now just seeing how things turn out. A total revamp of how you approach the event is unnecessary and ridiculous. Just tweak what you’re doing to make your style the most appealing to the most amount of people.

Answer the question. This is once again obvious but sometimes overlooked. Each question is worded the way it is for a reason. Don’t beat around the bush too much. Just answer it. If it wants to know about challenges facing higher education, it isn’t asking about education in general. Just pick up on the question’s intent, and create a solid plan of attack. I can’t stress this too much. It’s very easy to almost answer a question, but if you answer a question in a logical fashion, you’ll be memorable.

Keep things simple. You don’t need to sound like a rocket scientist to be successful. Some of your judges are not as current on their news and may not understand some of the theories or ideas you’re explaining. I was always told to act like I was speaking to my mother. Don’t baby the issue, but don’t speak over anyone’s head. Being relatable is great and is necessary to go far.

Say more with less. Don’t say something in ten words that you can say in five. You have seven minutes to fix the American political mess or to diagnose African civil unrest, so make it count. If something isn’t necessary, don’t say it. That being said, you better fill up the seven minutes. A five minute speech, even if it was solid, isn’t that impressive compared to a comparable speech lasting seven.

Have some personality. Extempers are not in HI for a reason, so no stand up routines, but a little joke and a smile can go a long way. After six or seven speeches about America’s going to hell in a handbasket, a joke can be the difference between a 1 and a 2. Don’t overdo it and risk cheesiness, but some humor at the beginning complimented by a little sprinkled in elsewhere is a good formula. Remember to keep things serious when they need to be, though. If you have a speech about the search for a cancer cure, scratch the jokes. Some topics just won’t be funny, and most judges will accept that.

Show a little passion. If you look excited to be there, the judge may be as well. When you’re talking, at least pretend to be interested. If you’re not, the judge has no reason to be.

If you make it to semifinals or beyond, keep Cross Ex civil. My junior year, I didn’t even know CX happened in extemp. So I was a bit too aggressive in CX’s and it certainly didn’t help my scores from semis through finals. Don’t be passive, but just don’t be out of control.

Overall, just have fun. Enjoy the time you have with your audiences every speech. If you’re not graduating, learn something for next year, and if you are, go out with a bang. Good luck to all of the participants this year, I look forward to seeing how things turn out!

[fblike] [twitter]