The Will to Win

The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important than the events that occur. --Vince Lombardi

I’ve been a “Speech Parent” for the past three years following the growth and maturation of an outstanding group of students at Freeport High School. Yes, I’ve seen competitors from some of our other local schools excel as well, but obviously there is a connection to one’s home team. Dan Stevens has done the “objective” work of describing the meets, presenting the results, and highlighting some of our top local contestants. He has the background and isn’t “attached” to any one school per se, but tries to offer a fair and balanced presentation of the students of Northwest Illinois. As for me, I admit that I am biased in favor of my own daughter and the Freeport team, though I do find myself rooting for any of the local students to also do well. It’s kind of a parochial mentality of “us” (Northwest Illinois) versus “them” (larger suburban Chicago schools) that permeates some of that thinking. But, like I said, I am playing favorites…
I spent most of my high school years in sports competitions, usually track and cross country. Like most sports, the most baskets, the most points, the fastest times, or the most pins knocked down determine the winner. It is clear cut. There is no subjectivity left to the imagination. You run the fastest, you win. You swim the fastest, you win. You pin your opponent, you win. I competed one year in “forensics,” which is now primarily referred to as speech. I was okay. Not great. Definitely not like many of our local students from Freeport, Eastland-Pearl City, Lena-Winslow and Aquin. I’m sure I’m missing someone, but you get the point. I didn’t know enough to take it as seriously as these students do. I did know enough to know when someone was better than me. I don’t remember the young lady’s name in one competition, but I can still remember how we were both scheduled to read Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart.” She read first and I wanted to crawl out a window, partially because she read so well that I was actually scared and partially because I was intimidated to the point of wanting to pretend that I wasn’t there. Actually, I wished I weren’t there at that point. Fortunately, no one read the same poem that I read for my other event and I actually placed. Way back in the stone ages there were only three or four events, unlike today where there are fourteen events. There are more choices, but also students with much more talent.
As a “speech parent” one of the most difficult aspects is dealing with the unknown. That unknown is a variable referred to as subjectivity. There is no way of predicting how a judge is going to score a student’s performance. One judge can give out a “1” which is the best score and another judge can give a “6” for the same performance. We don’t know who the winner is until the names are announced. There is no photo finish as it would be if two runners cross the finish line. Sometimes there is no rhyme or reason, at least none that we mere mortals can understand. What I do know as a parent and frequent attendee of speech tournaments is that there is a group of dedicated students in our area and throughout the state who put in long hours after school and often during the summers, share their hopes and dreams of a brighter and more intelligent future, and gain a level of poise and maturity that many adults would benefit from emulating.
Congratulations to those that have “given their all” and maybe came up just a little short of a trip to the state tournament. There are many of us who have never even come close. No medal, ribbon or plaque can take away the effort, dedication and time that you have put into a season that will leave a lifelong legacy for your lives. You are an inspiration to those of us who look to you as the future leaders of our society. You are off to a great start and that cannot be measured by a stopwatch or the number of points scored. That can only be measured by the heartfelt effort that has shined brightly each week.
Good luck at State to all of our area’s speech teams’ members!

Don't Know Much About Speech History

Freeport High School recently sent seven individuals in eight events to the Illinois High School Association State Speech Tournament at Rock Island High School. Unfortunately, we did not place any duo or individual in the finals, but the team performed very well. Whenever the judging is subjective certain "favorites" tend to emerge. That seemed to be the case this year, as it was last year, when the Northwest Illinois Sectional failed to produce a single champion and very few representatives in the finals. DeKalb with 11 events for state had three finalists, who placed in 5th, 6th and 7th places. Rock Island had one individual with two 4th place finishes. Pearl City's "Performance in the Round" wound up 6th (though no points were awarded as this is an exhibition event). There is a definite pattern with the suburban schools ending up in the finals, whether their performances are the best ones or not. Much of the "downstate" area has difficulty reaching the finals, not just our neck of the (back)woods.

As stated in the FTLOC column of February 26, 2007, here are the years of Freeport's team champions and individual state winners:


Team/ Place/Year Coach(es)
FHS 1941 1st Jeanette Lloyd
FHS 1942 2nd Jeanette Lloyd
FHS 1949 1st Jeanette Lloyd and Ralph Enstrom
FHS 1950 1st Jeanette Lloyd and Ralph Enstrom
FHS 1951 1st Jeanette Lloyd and Ralph Enstrom

FREEPORT HIGH SCHOOL INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONS:

Event Champion Year
After Dinner Speaking John Voigt 1955
Extempore Speaking Roger Kasten 1951
Oratorical Declamation Harold Horstmeyer 1950
Original Oratory Jack Sellke 1943
Original Oratory Clarence Norman 1971
Serious Reading Louise Ousley 1945
Serious Reading Donna Smith 1949
Radio Speaking Scott Smith 2000
Verse Reading Lorraine Saunders 1941
Verse Reading J. Robert Beddow 1942
Verse Reading Gerald Kline 1950
Verse Reading Jean Bloomquist 1954
Verse Reading Clarence Norman 1972

Proud Papa

I'm feeling rather proud of my daughter, Veronica, this week. She is the first female from her high school to qualify for the Illinois State Speech Tournament in the Humorous Duet Acting event. She and her partner, Jake, who has qualified the previous two years with a male duet partner, have had good success this year winning several tournaments. The Freeport team has once again done the school proud. Two years ago they sent six individuals or duets to state. Last year they were in nine events at state. This year there are seven individuals in eight events. Three of the team members are in two events each.

This is quite an accomplishment as they are currently ranked ninth in the state based on team strength. They join traditional powerhouse teams such as Wheaton North, Downers Grove South, DeKalb, and others. They are one of nine teams to have participants in at least eight events for the state tournament.

It has been a fascinating year to watch and attend the tournaments. These young men and women have shown tremendous growth not only in their presentations, but in their leadership skills and their personal demeanor. They carry themselves with a sense of self-confidence, knowing that they have excellent communication skills. This is a necessity in today's economic climate. It is imperative to be able to communicate well to succeed in college, grad schools, and in business. These students will have a distinct advantage.

We are looking forward to attending the state tournament in Rock Island, Illinois this weekend. Our daughter, who is competing in the dichotomous events, Humorous Duet Acting and Dramatic Duet Acting, will be one of the participants, but we will be there to root for our home team, as well as members of other teams in Northwest Illinois, including Eastland-Pearl City.

It is difficult not to cheer on all of these students, approximately eighteen individuals or duos, for each event. Some sectional events had ties, so that one or two additional students may be in an event. They have been honing their skills throughout the past several months and now it is their turn to shine.

To follow the tournament results, go to espeech.net. Best of luck to all of the students that qualified for state, but we'll be cheering on our home team of Freeport. Go Pretzels!