Tyler Fabbri competed for Chesterton High School in Chesterton, Indiana. He was last year’s NFL national champion in United States extemporaneous speaking. He was also a finalist at Glenbrooks and participant at the Montgomery Bell Extemp Round Robin. Tyler is a three-time Indiana state champion, winning the state’s Public Forum title in 2008, Impromptu title in 2009, and United States extemp title last year. This fall, Tyler will attend Loyola University in Chicago. He sat down for an interview with Extemp Central to discuss his experiences in extemporaneous speaking and provide advice for up and coming competitors.
Note: Due to Tyler’s interview, the announcement of how points will be awarded in the 2010-2011 National Points Race will be pushed back until next Thursday.
Logan Scisco: First of all, we appreciate you agreeing to do this interview today Tyler.
Tyler Fabbri: Thank you very much! I really appreciate the opportunity
Scisco: How did you get started in extemp?
Fabbri: Well, my start in the event is probably rather different than most. I definitely never intended on doing speech at all. My forensics career started in Public Forum Debate (PFD) my freshmen year and I expected that to be “my event.” Admittedly, I got rather arrogant after some success my sophomore year and expected to be the greatest debater in the history of life. I ended up not even qualifying to the 2009 national tournament in PFD (laughs). But, thankfully, my speech coach, Robert Kelly, told me to try extemp. And I’m glad I did.
Scisco: What was the biggest highlight of your year last season?
Fabbri: It’s really tough picking one highlight from last year. I had a blast all season competing with the Chesterton kids. The most memorable moment, though, and definitely the highlight was when speech finals were being posted at NFL’s. My coach retired this year from being a teacher and it was my senior year, so this tournament marked the end of something significant for the both of us. And my friend from Indiana, Andy Langdon made HI finals for his third year. The combination of excitement, emotions, and anxiety was unreal. I remember that moment a lot better than the awards ceremony. That was just beyond insane and I was in shock the entire time.
Scisco: When did you realize that you could be one of the best extempers in the country?
Fabbri: The thought that I was up there still seems very surreal to me. After the 2009 tournament, I let some of the criticism of my final speech convince me I may have been a total fluke. I had fun, but part of me believed I was a bit out of my league. Going into the season, I made it a goal to do well at the Glenbrooks Tournament to see if I could live up to some expectations. When I made the final round I think that’s when I realized I was there for a reason. Especially because that was a combined tournament and I’m tremendously awful in foreign rounds (something you know all too well after judging me at MBA (laughs). The MBA Extemp Round Robin really solidified this mindset because I felt like I was competitive with the best of the best, even in some IX rounds.
Scisco: You were in NFL finals the previous year. Did you feel any pressure going into the NFL national tournament? If so, how did you deal with it?
Fabbri: I would be lying if I said there wasn’t any pressure. As soon as the season began I felt it, and it made me seriously consider doing Oratory at NFL’s this year. Mr. Kelly and Ihad some long talks about what we wanted to do, and we agreed that extemp wasmy true passion and I needed to just work through it. The most pressure came after octafinals at the tournament for sure. I felt like I blew it completely and kind of freaked out a bit. But when I made it to quarters, I realized I couldn’t take anything for granted and needed to just have fun with every opportunity I got to compete. That’s when the tournament became awesome and the pressure lifted. Oh, and I set up my boxes near some friends and that helped keep my mind off of things.
Scisco: Many extempers want to be in the final round at NFL Nationals. Do you have any advice for them on navigating the field and managing their nerves before speaking on that big stage?
Fabbri: I’ve got to say that pacing yourself is key, and this applies to tournament and the season itself. You can be amazing, but if you’re burnt out by year’s end then the 12 rounds needed to final at NFL will not be good to you. Work hard, consistently, throughout the year and treat each round like it’s your last. Enjoy the opportunity to share your answer with your audience and let them enjoy it. If you’re in round 5 but you’re thinking about the stage, you aren’t taking care of your audience. Do your job in each round and good things will happen. Everyone manages their nerves differently. I remember my junior year; Evan Larson was doing Tai Chi in the prep room. I had no clue what was going on. Obviously, it worked for him. I listened to the song, “Forever” by Drake before all of my rounds (laughs). It got me pumped and ready to go. So clearly, there is no one method. Just find whatever relaxes or helps you focus.
Scisco: Was there anyone that you looked up to during your extemp career?
Fabbri: There were definitely some coaches whose advice I always took to heart and tried to make proud. Munster High School’s Don Fortner, Plymouth High School’s David McKenzie, Apple Valley’s Joe Wycoff, and of course my coaches Robert Kelly and Chris Lowery. They were always supportive of me and I could always vent to them or get a good laugh if I needed one. They were definitely people I looked up to. I can confidently say that all of them contributed something to where I went with my career and who I am as a person. I owe them more appreciation than I can offer here. The kids on
my school’s extemp squad were great, too. They all had something about them that helped, and they definitely helped me stay focused.
Scisco: Who has the biggest impact on your style of speaking?
Fabbri: Mr. Kelly definitely. He is the coach that encouraged me to try original oratory and that is definitely an adventure for the average extemper. Doing oratory requires a level of enthusiasm, emotion, passion, and personality not seen often enough in extemp, even in many of my own speeches. Much of what I learned in that event translated into some of my techniques in extemp. I always tried to maintain a level of urgency that made the judge know I was interested and invested in the topic just as much as he or she was. It also had me, rather unsuccessfully, try and add some humor to speeches.
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