Page 26 - 2016 September Voices!
P. 26
“And the Winner Is . . . ”
2016 WCPS Coach’s Perspective
by Darren LaCroix, 2001 World Champion of Public Speaking
“What did you think coach who helps people deliver their message in
of the speech contest?” a way that allows the audience to receive it. I’m
is the question I hear most often right after on the side of the audience. That’s why we are on
the World Championship of Public Speaking. stage. I do not have all of the answers, just a few
I believe that some people wonder what I saw insights from a decade and a half of coaching.
from my perspective, some are looking to vali-
date their views, and some may be wondering On Thursday, August 18, 2016, 99 of the best
what they didn’t see. Perspective is the value in Toastmasters competed in ten semifinals of the
the coach’s eye. World Championship. The winners of each of the
Every year 30,000 speakers compete in the ten contests then had a day and a half to prepare
World Championship of Public Speaking. The a completely different speech to compete one
contest culminates each year at last time. One of the downsides of this is that
the Toastmasters International
convention in front of 2,000 many people use their best
members and guests. This speech to increase their
year it took place on August odds of making it to the
20, 2016, in Washington, DC. big dance. I understand
I usually sit in the second row the strategy, but as you
with the other past World can see, this can affect
Champions and compare the quality of the final
notes while we relive our own speeches.
experiences.
Whether you are This year’s contest was
Toastmaster or not, there is great. Each year I choose
much to see, observe, and my picks for the top three,
learn when watching some of and I’m usually wrong.
the best speakers in Toastmasters from around This year, I called all three
the world bring their best. This year did not but was not sure of the
disappoint. Any presenter can learn from these exact order. Often at this
insights. In fact, the day after the contest, at our level, the differences are so slight that judging
Stage Time University event, some of the other could go in many directions. Normally, I would
champs and I compared notes for the audience. not give unsolicited feedback, but I feel that once
It was insightful to hear where we agreed and they make the world stage, presenters give up
disagreed. That was what gave me the idea to their privacy. This is just my perspective. My
write this article. Please share it with anyone intention with this article is to teach all who read
who might enjoy it. it so that they can consider these insights and
Before I share my perspective, let me clarify question their own presentations.
that it is easy to sit back and critique others. We Though there is only one winner each year,
could easily sit back and pick apart my speech as as David Brooks says, there are “many magic
well. It was not perfect by any means. Let me also moments” in most of the contest speeches. If you
clarify that no one I was helping in the semifinals want to see the speeches in their entirety, you
this year made it to the finals. Every competitor or your club can purchase the on-demand video
who made it to the finals earned the right to be from Toastmasters at https://www.toastmaster-
there. I watched many semifinalists and I must sondemand.com. (FYI, if you do, check out my
say that I was glad I was not a judge. I’m just a AS speech on Friday Morning.) Although I was
not an official timer, I think two of the speeches
went over time.
The pressure of the contest at this level is
26 Volume 3 Issue 3 - SEPTEMBER 2016
