speech writing will to win

The Will To Win – The Speech That Motivated Tony Robbins.

• The Andreia Philosophy
• September 8, 2023

Tony Robbins is the definition of having The Will To Win.

Most people, in his same circumstances, would say things to themselves like:

“ My life is terrible. Why is this happening to me?”

“ Why hasn’t God given me more? Haven’t I done enough to deserve a better life?”

“ What’s the point in trying? I could never be great at anything. MY LIFE is too hard. You wouldn’t understand.”

Tony Robbins is different than most people.

He had a goal to change lives . There was no room for compromise. He wiped away all excuses, distractions, and turned from negativity.

Tony embraced positivity. Like the sun revealing itself behind years of storms and cloudy weather.

Tony understands something many don’t.

You control your mind. So, you control your experience.

You have the right to complain. You also have the right to win. If you’re willing to culminate  The Will To Win, you can do anything.

Most of us give up at the first sign of difficulty. We are pioneers, chasing the greatest version of ourselves . Until pioneering is no longer convenient, glamorous, or easy.

Ask yourself this: When was the last time something easy,  ever had an impact on your life?

Tony never gave up. He was never “ realistic ” with his goals-the reason why he lives a life that seems impossible to so many of us. He visualized what he wanted from his life and pursued that vision until he got it. He would pursue it until he died, which is why he achieved it. But achieving your goal is not the point, being on the path is. Being on the path IS “the will”.

The Will To Win Speech didn’t motivate Tony Robbins.

The will to win speech awoke the will to win sleeping dormant within him,  within you. 

He created a goal, then made it crystal clear in his mind. Tony needed his goal to have as much clarity as possible: no second guessing goals.

  All he needed to do was follow the map he created. You are the navigator of your own destiny, the wind in the sails. Some of us let that wind die out long ago. So we don’t move.

We stay in jobs we hate.

We stay in toxic relationships.

We’re satisfied with being a doormat for the world.

It doesn’t have to be like this.

Others chased goals like Tony’s and gave up. He continued in the face of adversity and kept going until adversity broke. Tony wasn’t going to break. He would die first. If you really want something, you need to throw yourself at it.

His desire to achieve what he knew in his mind he deserved superseded pain & suffering.

Have you ever wanted something this bad?

Tony Says Your Story Is Your Ultimate Tool.

He’s right.

Everything bad that’s ever happened to you is your fault.

This is a good thing.  This is beautiful. It means you’re in control of your life, and not a victim of the world and your environment.

Victims stay prisoner to their own self-pity. Winners take their losses as lessons. They know they aren’t defeated when the fail, only when they give up. 

Winners believe losses are lessons, and quitters are losers. Reframe your mind in the same manner, and watch how your world changes.

This means everything good that’s ever happened to you is your fault; your destiny is clay waiting to be manipulated.

The Will To Win Speech

By Vince Lombardi

Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all the time thing. You don’t win once in a while; you don’t do things right once in a while; you do them right all the time. Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.

There is no room for second place. There is only one place in my game, and that’s first place. I have finished second twice in my time at Green Bay, and I don’t ever want to finish second again. There is a second place bowl game, but it is a game for losers played by losers. It is and always has been an American zeal to be first in anything we do, and to win, and to win, and to win.

Every time a football player goes to ply his trade he’s got to play from the ground up – from the soles of his feet right up to his head. Every inch of him has to play. Some guys play with their heads. That’s O.K. You’ve got to be smart to be number one in any business. But more importantly, you’ve got to play with your heart, with every fiber of your body. If you’re lucky enough to find a guy with a lot of head and a lot of heart, he’s never going to come off the field second.

Running a football team is no different than running any other kind of organization – an army, a political party or a business. The principles are the same. The object is to win – to beat the other guy. Maybe that sounds hard or cruel. I don’t think it is.

It is a reality of life that men are competitive and the most competitive games draw the most competitive men. That’s why they are there – to compete. To know the rules and objectives when they get in the game. The object is to win fairly, squarely, by the rules – but to win.

And in truth, I’ve never known a man worth his salt who in the long run, deep down in his heart, didn’t appreciate the grind, the discipline. There is something in good men that really yearns for discipline and the harsh reality of head to head combat.

I don’t say these things because I believe in the “brute” nature of man or that men must be brutalized to be combative. I believe in God, and I believe in human decency. But I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle – victorious.

The Will To Win Source & PDF Download.

Is The Vince Lombardi Will To Win Speech Correct?

Many have stated that the correct speech is The Will To Win by Berton Braley. You can read that speech here.

To confirm which speech was the correct version, I reached out to Tony Robbin’s team. They confirmed Vince Lombardi wrote the speech. Not Berton Braley.

Below is a link to a screenshot from the Tony Robbin’s team confirming the speech.

Confirmation of the correct speech

How has tony’s work changed your life? Are you, motivated by the will to win?

Please share this post with others who would enjoy  reading, the will to win.

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I grew up being abused by men an women, I grew up in self deception, drug addiction, lived a gay life cause I was afraid and I was badly damaged. I got clean and sober in 1992. A few years later my friend attended a personal power workshop. He bought all of the programs. He never followed up with it, but he gave me, the poor broken hustler the 30 day personal power program. It took me months to get through that 30 days. I went from $8 an hour, washing used appliances in the rain to a salesman, sales manager to a car salesman to my current finance manager position. I just didn’t want to be poor, I had gone through to much to be poor. My biggest achievement was when a beautiful, broken woman came into my life. In a single moment she swept me off my feet. I ended my toxic relationship and discovered what it felt like to be true to myself. The stick finally forced me to grab the carrot and I did with gusto. It all started with the first 30 days. Now I have achieved so much, lived longer than I ever thought I would. Now at 49 years old I feel like I think I should have felt when I was 30 years old. Tony warned me about one day waking up and asking myself “is this all there is”? Tha Is has come true twice in my life, once 6 years ago when I met my wife and the other just now, in this recent few weeks. Good news I am still young and blessed with good health, unfortunately I don’t have a “why”! I have achieved so much from who I was and who I have become, but compared to many others I have not achieved much in the way of wealth. I feel lost again, happy with many many blessings, but I want more, but I don’t know what that more is. I want freedom and that takes money. I feel like the air conditioners are on and cooling me down cause I am getting hot and out of my comfort zone. I have reprogrammed myself from 20 grand a year to 198k last year. My best year ever and when I figured out that I could push past 200 grand I started sabatoging my success by negatively reacting to events. I need to find a way past this false ceiling that I have placed on myself. Sales situations that were easy for me last year are defeating me this year. So here I am again searching for guidance turning to self help to find that,answers that will propel me to the next level. With God’s blessings He will open a door that will lead to the freedom I am seeking!

I am not motivated, I made a decision before my old self died, which was to live my life to the fullest. I then just away from the 30meter high bridge, signed up at the gym, went home and installed my blog in 2 minutes on WordPress and threw the cigarettes into the trashcan.

The goal? Millionaire.

I was given Tony’s “30 day personal power” tapes by someone in college who didn’t want them.. I learned so many key principles that have shaped my life. He’s the real deal. In the next year I want to go to his Date with Destiny. The principles I learned inspired me to start a charity who uses horses helps children who grew up in an addicted home. We’ve had hundred of kids go through in the last eight years. The specific principles that helped me were 1) don’t reinvent the wheel 2) the rocking chair test 3) visualizing where I want to be 4) the what and how don’t matter if the why is important enough.

Thanks for sharing. Tony’s word touches the life of millions every day. I’m so happy you’re one of them.

I’m Fucking Unstoppable!!!

Tony Robbins’ speech on the will to win is truly inspiring. His ability to shift perspectives and help people see that they have the power to change their lives is remarkable. I found myself nodding along with every word, feeling a renewed sense of purpose and determination. His message is a reminder that success is not just about achieving goals, but about living a life that fulfills our deepest desires and passions. Thank you for sharing this powerful speech!

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The Will To Win

Famous inspirational poem, when we want something, we must be willing to fight for it. we must put in the necessary work and make sacrifices to achieve our goals. berton braley (1882-1966) was an american poet who completed high school in only two years..

I like how I became motivated to proceed with caution concerning my worldly desire. I do not want my faith and hope to be misplaced. When my will is invoked by deep feelings of want for...

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Famous Poem

If you want a thing bad enough To go out and fight for it, Work day and night for it, Give up your time and your peace and your sleep for it If only desire of it Makes you quite mad enough Never to tire of it, Makes you hold all other things tawdry and cheap for it If life seems all empty and useless without it And all that you scheme and you dream is about it, If gladly you'll sweat for it, Fret for it, Plan for it, Lose all your terror of God or man for it, If you'll simply go after that thing that you want. With all your capacity, Strength and sagacity, Faith, hope and confidence, stern pertinacity, If neither cold poverty, famished and gaunt, Nor sickness nor pain Of body or brain Can turn you away from the thing that you want, If dogged and grim you besiege and beset it, You'll get it!

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I like how I became motivated to proceed with caution concerning my worldly desire. I do not want my faith and hope to be misplaced. When my will is invoked by deep feelings of want for something or for it to happen, I desire, drive and seek to obtain it. However, I will question my desire to possess it for its worldly worth will but all consume me. The taste of the bittersweet of the pursuit will lead me to further inquiries of what really did I gain if I achieve it? I am to focus on faith and hope, which is placed in God that being contrary to being terrified of him. To me it will be like the win of the battle and losing the war. Therefore, a worldly it, whatever it may be, will be placed at the ranking of second best. The treasures of the it, will simply come along with my will to thrive to serve. Like that of a gifted artist who loves his or her craft.

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The Daily Coach

The Will to Win

During a women's 1500m heat at the olympics, sifan hassan experienced a runner's worst nightmare: she tripped and fell to the ground..

Olympian Sifan Hassan, of the Netherlands, possesses a remarkable will to compete. 

During a women's 1500m heat, she experienced a runner's worst nightmare: she tripped and fell, losing valuable time while dropping well behind her competition.

But, without hesitation, Hassan got back on her feet and began sprinting as fast as she could, not allowing her mishap to affect her focus or concentration. She passed 11 runners along the way, relying on her preparation, training and conditioning to surge her comeback and ultimately win the race.

This video has likely been shown to countless teams and organizations as a demonstration of never quitting, of never surrendering regardless of the obstacles. But it’s much more than a "don't ever quit" advertisement.  

Hassan’s actions are an example of the words of former Green Bay Packers Hall-of-Fame Coach Vince Lombardi. In his “Will to Win” speech, Lombardi said: 

“The will to win is not nearly so important as the will to prepare to win. Most people have the will to win. Most people enjoy winning and all that comes with it.  The people willing to put in the hard work over the time required to prepare to win are far more rare.” 

Hassan had the will to win. Even if she hadn’t been victorious, her ability to get up off the track to stage her comeback demonstrated the rare quality Lombardi discussed. 

Lombardi continued in the speech to hit all the key traits we witnessed from Hassan.

“Winning is not a sometime thing, it’s an all-time thing,” he said. “You don’t do things right once in a while, you do them right all of the time.”

Hassan could have easily gotten off the ground and run the race to prove she wasn’t a quitter, which is a great trait. But that’s not what got her off the track — it was the will to win, the pursuit of doing things right all the time. 

We can help those we lead by showing them Hassan’s amazing display of mental fortitude. We can also gain a great deal by explaining in detail the difference between not quitting and the will to win.

That’s the ultimate lesson here. 

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How To Develop The Will To Win : 8 Powerful Actionable Strategies!

By Anubhav Srivastava ( Register for his Workshop – Build Super Confidence For Super Success! )

If you have been trying to develop the will to win but it seems like you never seem motivated enough , this article will  give you many powerful tips to do it. That being said the truth is , as you already know that whatever I write will only serve as a guidance. These are the steps that will help you sustain the fire, but the willingness to light and sustain the fire will have to come from within you.  That being said, let’s look at the 8 crucial steps that will teach you how to develop the will to win.

Tip 1) Realize that all success in the world involves at least some element of hard work.

This may seem obvious but it really isn’t. People often seem to dismiss the idea of working hard these days and prefer simpler explanations such as luck or smart work. The truth is that even those who succeed with a lot of smart work, work really hard at working smart. Even those who get lucky work really hard at trying to go after opportunities that eventually make them lucky.

You can call those who have attained sustained degree of success as lucky as you want, but you cannot dismiss the fact that the element of hard work played a major role if not the most important role in their success.  Accept the basic fundamentals of success which is putting in sustained hard work in the right direction. It won’t be enough to make you successful, but without it you need to either be born in to a rich family, marry a rich person or win the lottery if you wish to be wealthy. Accepting that all success requires at least some hard work is the first step to follow in order to develop the will to succeed.

Tip 2) Push yourself in small increments

Our brains are quick learners and they have the capability to change in accordance with the demands put on them. When you force yourself to work your brain quickly adapts to form a positive habit, when you start being lazy your brain quickly lets go of that positive habit as well. In many ways our brain is no different from a muscle. Its capacity grows when demands are placed on it and it forms lazy patterns the more you allow it to get lazy.

So here is what to do. Start pushing yourself in little ways, start pushing beyond what is comfortable. You may have the desire to push way beyond your capacity at times but resist the urge to do so, that is like trying to Benchpress 300 pounds when your body is not used to lifting weights at all. It just won’t happen. It may even overwhelm you and demotivate you immensely. Push yourself in small increments.

Each time you do so you teach your brain that it is possible to push beyond it is comfortable it will grow and it will make make the process of working harder seem easier and easier. So pushing yourself in small increments is the second step to follow to develop the will to succeed.

Tip 3)  Stop stressing over how you are going to do the entire thing, just get started.

The number one reason for procrastination and laziness is the feeling of being overwhelmed because it appears unbelievably hard to do the entire work. We start seeing it as this huge mountain that will take a huge amount of effort and that overwhelms the brain.

Here is what I want you to do, adopt two attitudes that are infinitely better than not doing anything.

i) Just get started instead of thinking about it – Don’t think about how you are going to do it and stress yourself out, just get started and work until you feel like it, most of the times you will do much more than what you thought you wanted to do once you get to the actual action part of doing things.

ii) Adopt the attitude of something is better than nothing. We set our selves to unbelievable standards of perfection and excellences which frankly speaking not everyone can follow all the time. Putting in slow consistent effort towards your goal even if it is not to the maximum of your ability will still get you a lot closer to it than not doing anything at all.

Tip 4) Get the right diet and exercise

The kind of diet you have will play a tremendous role in your energy levels.  It is said that an excessively carbohydrate rich diet makes you lazy and a high protein diet makes you active, but I still believe that different things work better for different people. If having a pizza makes you more productive then go for it. That being said a balanced diet with the right amounts of proteins, carbs and fat works the best for most people. The amount you eat will depend on your activity levels. If your job is physical in nature, you will naturally have to eat more.

If your job is not physical then be sure to get enough exercise. Exercise will boost your endorphin or happy hormone levels and when done within moderate amounts it reduces your stress hormones. This will put in the right state of mind to effectively tackle your work. Think about it, even astronauts and the leaders of some of the biggest nations in the world like Obama and Putin exercise daily, if they can find the time to do it and if exercise enhances their capacity to work, you have no excuse.

You will notice that by incorporating the right diet that works for you and by regularly exercising your will to succeed, energy and productive capacity to work hard will shoot up tremendously.

 Tip 5) Get in the right environment

The environment you are in and the people you associate with play a tremendous role in how motivated or how hard working you eventually become. If you are in a group of people whose only aim in life is to be lazy, do drugs, never do anything productive and lead an excessively hedonistic lifestyle, what are you likely to become? Yes, you are likely to become one of them.

On the other hand if you are in a group of people who are driven, hard workers who are constantly discussing methods and ideas of how to achieve their goals, your mind becomes attuned to their thinking and your body starts developing the habits they practise, you again become more like them.

When you are young you don’t have a choice, you grow up in an environment you did not choose, you go to a school that your parents think is right for you but as you grow older you begin to have choices as to what kind of environment you want to continue to stay in and that requires awareness of your goals. The good news is that while habits get picked up the quickest when you are young, new habits can be developed at any age. So if you feel you are amongst the wrong people, go and actively seek out the right group that will nurture your work ethic and make your chances of success go up tremendously.

Tip 6) Pick the right field.

It is perfectly possible to be a generally motivated person but suffer from an extreme lack of it if you are in the wrong field. It is also possible to b e a generally apathetic person but be extremely motivated to perform when in the right field. We need to understand that passion will always play a major role in how hard we are willing to push ourself.

It is silly to call someone motivated or non motivated, pick that person up from the wrong field he doesn’t care about and get him into the right field where his strengths and passion lie and the same person might do wonders. Unfortunately, it is very rare that someone else will do it for you because they are busy bothered about their own lives, only truly great leaders will identify the right fields for their subordinates and such leaders are rare. You yourself will have to do it. You are the person who will have to take the decision of what you want to do in life and whether what you are currently doing interests you, motivates you or challenges you to achieve the full potential you are capable of. It is not an easy decision and it requires a lot of courage but if there is one thing that will make you a huge difference in positively impacting your chances of success, it is your courage to remove yourself from the wrong field and go into the field you love and are great at.

 Tip 7) Ask yourself if you can make the process fun.

Even the work that interests you the most can get boring if done in the same routine like monotonous way every single day.  Even the work that you hate can become interesting if you figure out ways to make it interesting and randomize things. The truth is that no matter how productive people say routines are, no one will deny that after a while they get boring as hell.

When you do something new that interests you, your brain secretes dopamine, a neurotransmitter which gives you the feeling of being excited and happy. When you do the same thing again and again and again in the same way, it can be the most interesting thing in the world but it slowly starts becoming less exciting.

Luckily you can trick the mind by doing the same thing in a different way. Suppose you are a writer who wishes to write a book. In the beginning you are excited as you start but soon creativity goes down and you feel like you are stuck in a rut. What do you do then? Maybe you can write when you feel like it, maybe you can do the write at a different time of the day, maybe you can go out and get ideas by observing the environment around you. Maybe you can decide to write whatever the hell you want to write one day and then remove the nonsensical portions when you feel like it. When you mix things up, things become exciting to the brain and “hard work” becomes a lot more easy.

 Tip 8) Remind Yourself Why You are Doing it.

The truth is that different things drive different people. Some people are driven by the love of it, some people are driven because it gives them the lifestyle they want, some people are driven because it raises their status amongst the society and gets them respect, some people are driven purely out of fear of failure and being perceived as not being good enough.

We all have different motivations that make us do what we set out to do and the best way to succeed to visualize and imagine or keep reminding yourself why you need to keep pushing on to achieve your goal.  If it is the love of it, imagine the process being a joyful journey which gives you self satisfaction. If it is for the lifestyle you want, imagine the end result of you having all the things you always wanted in life. If it is for the adulation, imagine people coming up to you and looking up to you once you achieve your goal and if it is because of fear remind yourself of the worst consequences that will happen if you fail.

The bottom line is whatever makes you most productive, stick to that method and remind yourself of why you are doing it.

______________________

By Anubhav Srivastava, Author of the book, Unlearn: A Practical Guide To Business & Life.  The book that will show you why almost everything you were taught by the society about “success” was WRONG.  Download a COMPLETELY FREE Digital Copy by going to  https://anubhav323.gumroad.com/l/unlearnbook  , don’t worry you don’t need to pay anything. Just enter $0 as the fair price, click on “I want this” and you are done! You can even send it to Kindle! Watch the Book motion poster below.

Hello, my name is Anubhav Srivastava,  and I am a Business Consultant and Keynote Speaker for over a decade having provided services f or almost hundred companies across a range of industries. If you are a business leader, you may be interested in improving the overall performance (and consequently PROFITS) of your organization.

If so, I can help bring change in your organization through  COMPREHENSIVE LONG TERM Online Training Programs  conducted live via Video Conferencing, for your various teams, in the crucial areas of having a  Highly Effective Mindset, Sales and Negotiation, Teamwork and Productivity, Leadership and Innovation, Confidence and Communication and finally a completely novel and  unconventional program on UNLEARNING, based on my book: Unlearn: A Practical Guide to Business & Life. 

This program will solve every issue you have with training your team on the  Most Important skills that improve business performance

ALL OF THESE are areas that DIRECTLY Impact Your Profits and are essential for the sustained success of any team!    These Programs can be Short term or Long Term depending on your requirements. I am also available for one on one Executive coaching and in- person, Keynote Speeches. To get started, email me at  [email protected]

Website :  http://anubhavsrivastava.com/about-anubhav  (If the link does not open due to heavy traffic, please try after some time) Youtube Channel for Business, Sales and Life Mantras + Training Excerpts – YouTube Channel

Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anubhav_Srivastava Link to my inspirational movie Carve Your Destiny with over 2.6 million views

Carve Your Destiny! Super Inspirational Movie / Motivational Video/ Documentary | Business Training – YouTube

Email me at [email protected] to discuss further.

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The Will to Win by Berton Braley Summary

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The Will to Win by Berton Braley

In this post I am discussing an outstanding inspirational poem, “The Will to Win” by Berton Braley. I have selected this great poem for two reasons, the first is the message in the poem which is greatly inspirational and I completely love it and second is the manner the poem is composed; is so simple and easy to understand. I hope you will appreciate and post your remarks.

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Central Idea: ‘The Will to Win’ by Berton Braley is an inspirational poem on the fervent desire in pursuing a personal goal with relentless and consuming passion. The poem tells us if you take hold of and focus all that you are upon what it is that you want, then ultimately, ‘you will get it.

The poet urges us to give up time, peace and sleep in order to work towards the most important thing in your life. All else is supposed to take second place. Lose all fears of any kind, come what may be. If you show the courage, faith, and trust, then nothing will stop you from getting what you want.

Summary of The Will to Win by Berton Braley

The poem is full of wonderful and inspirational words from start to end. The poem is about a fervent desire in which the poet in his beautiful and simple style exhorts the reader that if you have a strong desire to achieve anything, you will definitely achieve it.

The poet states that if you want a thing sufficiently awful and go out and battle for it, constantly work hard day and night for it and surrender your precious time and your tranquillity and your comfort for it.

If the desire just makes you distraught and if you never feel worn out on it and if for you all other things become tawdry and cheap for it.

Special Highlights of the Poem

➡ The poem is inspirational. It contains very rich ideas for personality traits and circumstances that help one to get success. ➡ The poem ignites our brain. It motivates us that if you have the fervent desire to get anything, no one can stop you.

➡ The poem also tells us what we shall do or avoid in order to achieve success.

➡ The poem is full of powerful words such as fight capacity, strength, sagacity, faith, hope, and confidence, stern pertinacity, dogged

➡ The poem states that we have to give up so many things if we want our desires to come true.

➡ This poem inspires to keep on striving for success. If you have a will to achieve something incredible you will achieve it by your sincere effort s.

➡Above all, the poem is not beating around the bush. It is written in simple words that every can anyone. It doesn’t need to be examining and re-examining.

➡The poet has repeated that pronoun ‘it’ in most of the lines and in all instances at the end of the line. The repetition has been used at some other places also such as “Give up your time and your peace and your sleep for it,”.

Read Also: The Road Not Taken

Analysis of the poem

This poem gives us the formula for success. The poem provokes us to build up a battling spirit so as to fight negative forces coming in the way of success. The poem spurs us to work ceaselessly in order to acquire sure success.

The poem has no rhyme scheme but rhymes are used randomly all through the poem. The most common type is in lines ending with the word “it”, for example, “for it, of it, without it, about it, beget it, sweat for it, fret for it and so on”. Other examples are ” capacity, pertinacity, sagacity, and pain, brain”.

The main figure of speech used in the poem is repetition. There is an abundance of “for it” phrases throughout the poem.

This is a motivational poem. It motivates one to target and achieve goals. The poem is rich in ideas for personality traits and circumstances that aid to achieve success. All the lines of the poem are very forceful encouraging us to be persistent and to keep on striving for success. My favourite line of the poem is:

If dogged and grim you besiege and beset it, You’ll get it!

This line is very powerful alliteration . It motivates to resist forcefully with our efforts in order to achieve success.

Questions and Answers

1. Complete the following sentences by choosing the correct alternatives.

i. When you want something badly, you must go out and _______.

A. search for it B. purchase it

C. think about it D. fight for it.

Ans. D. Fight for it

ii. When you want something badly, life without it seems _______.

A. cheap and inexpensive B. useless and worthless. C. sad and pathetic D. dull and unattractive

Ans. B. useless and worthless.

2. Find lines from the poem as proof for the following:

i. toil hard happily

ii. get rid of all fears

i. “If you gladly sweat for, fret for and plan for it” ii. “Lose all your terror of the opposition for it.”

3. Pick out an example of Antithesis from the extract.

Ans. An example of Antithesis from the extract is,

“work day and night for it”

4. Give the antonyms of the following words from the extract:

i. weakness ii. despair Ans . i. strength ii. hope

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The will to win

The will to prepare is more crucial than the will to win

• Why the desire to prepare is key to learning any complex task
• How to avoid slipping back into old habits

At that time, Knight was truly an icon in the trade. One of his teams at Indiana University had recently won the national collegiate championship, the pinnacle of his profession. He was known as a strict disciplinarian, a fiery presence on the sidelines, and an outspoken critic of the press. As such, his career was at times laden with controversy. However, few ever doubted his passion, his strategic acumen, or his relentless quest for perfection.

At our camp, Knight was a truly entertaining and inspirational speaker. When I think of his speech that afternoon, though, most of all I remember one assertion he made.

Among the notions that had become something of a buzzword among high school and collegiate coaches back then was inspiring the “will to win” in one’s players. But Knight had a rather different take on the idea. “The key is not the will to win”, he told us. “Everybody has that. It is the will to prepare to win that makes a great player or a great team.”

It is a quote that I have seen attributed to him in various versions, a concept for which he would later become famous. On the day he spoke to us, he went on for a few minutes, amplifying this notion, and leaving no doubt about his message. On a game day at any major university, under the bright lights and in front of the big crowds , he explained, it is easy to have the desire to perform , and to help your team win.

What is more difficult, and what is the mark of an extraordinary athlete, is generating, day after day, the desire to prepare . Outstanding players are made in the quiet moments away from the crowds and the noise. Great teams recognize that they must perform not only on game days. They accept the tireless daily work that generates championships. The extraordinary way they play is a direct result of the extraordinary way they practice.

That was Coach Knight’s central message. To convey it, he told a series of stories from his experience with top university athletes.

These young people had far more than just basketball in their lives and on their minds: their classes, relationships, roommates and girlfriends, or simply managing busy schedules and fatigue. But, even on the afternoons when they may have been distracted by other things, or when they were not in top physical form, the best ones “ always found a way ” to concentrate on their daily preparation . They were able to focus on practicing the skills and drills that would allow them to excel in the arena on game days.

At Indiana, Bob Knight told us, practice days were usually more demanding, less interesting, and more tedious than the glamorous nights in front of the screaming fans. Finding the desire to stretch one’s limits in the quiet moments in the gym…that was indeed another matter, and it was for him the crucial question.

In my sports coaching days, Knight’s words became something of a theme that would guide our practice sessions. We spoke often about the difference between the will to win and the will to prepare . At that time, I never imagined that the “will to prepare” concept would ever apply to anything in my life beyond my work with these teams of teenagers.

More recently, though, I have come to see this as a notion with direct relevance to my work with CEOs, entrepreneurs, and all types of clients. Bob Knight said that nearly all players have the will to win, but that many of them did not have a sufficient understanding of the importance of preparing every day.

In a similar vein, I would say that the clients I coach all have the desire to make the “winning” speech, the one that inspires others. They would all like to be able to write that “winning” memo, the one that convinces the doubters around them, and moves them to action.

In essence, most of the people I work with do have the will to win . What they often do not have is an adequate respect for the amount of preparation these efforts entail.

Image: Flickr user Andrew Spillane

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Speech Preparation #10: Prepare to Win a Toastmasters Speech Contest

Imagine yourself speaking at the World Championship of Public Speaking . You’ve written a speech from your heart, and you deliver the best performance of your life. When the winner is announced, it’s you!

Possible? Yes . You can win.

That which separates those who win from those who do not win is not lifetime speaking experience nor contest experience. Not gestures. Not vocal variety. Not rhetorical devices. Not overall delivery skills.

The most critical discriminator between those who win and those who do not is preparation .

• How to Prepare Your Presentation
• Select Your Speech Topic
• Plan Your Speech Outline
• Writing Your First Draft
• Editing Your Speech
• Add Speech Impact with Rhetorical Devices
• Staging, Gestures, and Vocal Variety
• Practicing Your Presentation
• Self-Critique: Preparation for Next Time
• Winning a Toastmasters Speech Contest

Believing You Can Win

Henry Ford observed:

Whether you think you can or think you can’t – you are right.

If you believe you can win a Toastmasters Speech Contest, then you can win. Believing you can win will motivate you to give it the proverbial 110% (even though that is a mathematical absurdity).

There are no shortcuts. The lessons contained in the previous nine articles of the Speech Preparation Series apply to speeches of all types, including Toastmasters speech contests. So, a necessary first step to preparing a great contest speech is to prepare a great speech. Period.

However, a Toastmaster speech contest is a unique speaking situation, just as pitching a business proposal to angel investors is a unique speaking situation. Both require additional preparation steps which are customized to the situation.

Toastmasters Speech Contest Criteria

To see what makes a Toastmasters speech contest unique, look no further than the Judging Guide set forth by Toastmasters International.

The Judging Guide consists of seven categories totalling 100 points as follows:

• 20 points: Speech Development
• 15 points: Speech Effectiveness
• 15 points: Speech Value
• 10 points: Physical
• 10 points: Voice
• 10 points: Manner
• 10 points: Appropriateness
• 10 points: Correctness

It doesn’t take a genius to realize that your goal is to attain maximum points in as many categories as you can. Study these criteria and check them against your speech iteratively.

10 Tips for Winning a Toastmasters Speech Contest

Here are the top ten lessons I learned through years of competing in Toastmaster speech contests.

1. Craft Compelling Content

Content counts for one half of the judging points. i.e. content is king. Still, many inexperienced speech contestants sacrifice content in the pursuit of perfect delivery. Don’t make this mistake. Delivery is important, but content is more important.

2. Make it Universal

Once you move beyond the club level, your audience in general (and the judges in particular) almost certainly comprise a broad demographic cross-section. Highly technical topics or those which appeal to only a subset of the audience must be avoided. Winning topics are those which have universal appeal . e.g. life lessons, love, family, personal development, beating the odds, adherence to a code of conduct

3. Include Humor

You won’t see humor anywhere on the judge’s guide (there is a separate Toastmasters Humorous Speech Contest). Nonetheless, humor is an essential element . Humorous anecdotes or phrases should be used to support your core message.

4. Ask Probing Questions

Because you know your topic so well, it can be difficult for you to analyze speech development and speech effectiveness from the perspective of your audience . When you rehearse, ask your practice audience specific probing questions such as:

• What was the key message ? If they respond with something that doesn’t match the message you intended, you have a problem.
• Was the message clear ?
• Were there any confusing words, phrases, or parts?
• Did it connect with you? [There is no speech which will connect with every person, but if your test audience is bored, then there’s a good chance your real audience will be as well.]

5. Avoid Forcing Unnatural Gestures

With a full ten points for gestures (i.e. “Physical”), it is tempting to force gestures into a speech where they might not belong. To avoid doing this, practice the speech out loud before you deliberately script any gestures. Notice the gestures your body naturally makes , and then work on perfecting the delivery of those gestures.

6. Avoid Forcing Unnatural Vocal Variety

Don’t write a speech, and then say “ I need to insert loud elements, soft elements, high pitch, low pitch, fast pace, and slow pace using the words I’ve written. ” Rather, apply vocal variety naturally to enhance the words . If the resulting speech is still vocally flat, then perhaps you need to rewrite sections.

7. Improve at Every Level

As you progress up through the Toastmasters speech contest levels, competition becomes increasingly stronger . While good speeches may win at the club level, they may not win at area or division. Don’t relax and think that your victory at one level will earn you victory at the next. Solicit feedback and improve your speech at every level.

8. Seek Magic Moments

Assuming your competition is as prepared as you are, the judges will be faced with a difficult decision: how to distinguish between two comparable speeches? The best way to distinguish yourself is to incorporate at least one utterly unforgettable moment . It might be a prop. It might be a gesture. You might sing. You might have a particularly effective method of interacting with the audience. Your speech needs some quality that no other competing speech has.

It may not be enough for you to leave the impression “ That was a great speech. ” Instead, your goal should be to have the judges thinking “ Wow, did you see that? ”

9. End Positive and End Strong

You can take your audience for a ride on an emotional trampoline, but always end with a positive emotion or a feeling of hope. Judges are human. Humans like to feel good. The last impression you leave before the judge marks the ballot should put them in a positive frame of mind.

Your conclusion is always an important speech element, but its importance is heightened in speech contests because it is the last thing spoken before the judges switch their attention to the score sheet. Equally important, a strong conclusion will increase applause from the audience. In turn, this will have a positive effect on judges.

10. Don’t “Try” to Win

As you stand ready to deliver your first words, the right frame of mind is critical. For example:

• “ I have seven minutes to deliver an important message to the audience .” The focus is on the audience and the message .
• “ I have seven minutes to impress the judges and win the contest. ” The focus is on you and your ego .

Adopt the former frame of mind. Your passionate performance will propel you to victory.

Conclusion of the Speech Preparation Series

This concludes the Speech Preparation Series . I hope you found it interesting and valuable. I welcome any feedback you have on individual articles, or on the series as a whole. Please share your own advice for speech preparation.

Remember: Proper preparation prevents presentation predicaments!

Prepare well. Speak well.

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This is one of a number of articles related to Toastmasters featured on Six Minutes . Subscribe to Six Minutes for free to receive future articles. Note: Six Minutes is not affiliated with or endorsed by Toastmasters International. Click here for more information about the relationship between the two.

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17 comments.

Great points. I like the point about trying to win. It does not work.

At the start of March I competed in the Division International. I had a technically perfect speech (so I thought), but there was no heart in it. I had written it to win; it was not a speech that I wanted to give because I felt it was a powerful message. My friend Ron Watts (from my club) had a heart felt message, but an average delivery. But he walked away with the Gold.

You have to have a message that you want to give and then give it. Otherwise you are wasting your time!

Wasting your time and the audience’s time.

The division contest Darren refers to is chronicled on his blog .

Very nice. There are about a dozen other things to remember. But this is an excellent brief summary.

–Dave Ross 1991 WCPS

Those advices are very good even when you do not go for a contest, for the next speech of TM’s I’ll try to add a special moment. And read again the different advices you give us.

I am still not rehearsing enough, relying too much on spontaneity. So often, I ran out of time…

This is a very useful article. I knew nothing about speech preparation and having read this article I feel like I’m ready to begin working my way up on that stage. Thank you for writing such a helpful and free piece of information!!!

With Toastmaster Contest season in full swing, I found this information both timely and informative. Thank you.

Hey Andrew, These tips are great! Keep up the good work. You are truly making a difference to diffident speakers. Cheers!

Thanks for a great article, Andrew. I stumbled upon it while looking for a way to start writing my international speech for a contest next week. I’ve entered 6 times, but not made it out of club level yet. I think this is my year! I’ll keep you posted. Thanks, Linda

This stuff is worth GOLD! Unimaginably useful. Thank you very much!

Wonderful article shared by Andrew. Today i am so happy that i ready this article and makes me confident and gave me strength. You are awesome.

Hi, I’m from Brazil and now I’ve decided to be a professional speaker. Your website and knowledge is great! Thanks for sharing your time. Fabrício

I have been in Toastmasters for 1 yr and have just got my CC I am always looking for ways to improve I found your article and was really impressed

Hi Andrew: I was wondering if you do speaking coaching. I’m a Toastmaster and would like to compete in the Inspirational Speech competition.

I would like to join the competition

Forget it Margaret! I’m going to win this year! Me! Me! All Me! MUWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Er… I mean…. Madam Toastmaster, fellow members, and distinguished blog readers… I join Margaret in saying thank you for this wonderful information. May we all find joy, success, and satisfaction in the pursuit of personal growth.

Dear Sir, Your article is very informative. Please include me in your list and enable me to learn more.

Best regards,

Great Stuff!

Recent Tweets

Speech Preparation #10: Prepare to Win a Toastmasters Speech Contest… http://t.co/cDYcp4aA — Diane Neff Jul 19th, 2012

A few years old, but still good advice! http://t.co/mQVjXaq2 — Toastmaster Donni Oct 21st, 2012

@IFSToastmasters http://t.co/EWQ1qgYkWi Tips for crafting & delivering a winning Toastmasters speech! — @ChathKSA Feb 16th, 2014

A great article to help people prepare for a speech contest. https://t.co/ahkmaSbwRZ — @pmg1970 Feb 16th, 2016

Prepare to Win a Toastmasters Speech Contest https://t.co/LTaSYPTFYi @6minutes #publicspeaking #toastmasters — My Speaking Journey (@MySpeakingJ) Mar 8th, 2016

Speech Preparation #10: Prepare to Win a #Toastmasters Speech Contest https://t.co/Hac4jQf3RO by @6minutes #speaker #Gettingready — @dedricktai_ Mar 10th, 2016

Winning a #Toastmasters Speech Contest https://t.co/aLY8w8NWnw by @6minutes — @ReidWalley Feb 12th, 2017

How to deliver and WIN in a toastmasters speech contest https://t.co/mhQ6khdJl4 — @KtownYoYo Feb 13th, 2017

Want to win a Toastmasters Contest? Read on..@ToastmastersEA @lydiaglm @Nshemeshe @Sohed23 @OlengoAlex… https://t.co/8aXyFzClln — @BukotoTM1 Oct 17th, 2018

Check out this article on winning a speech contest. Winning a Toastmasters Speech Contest https://t.co/uN4eCPeuhc — @istm1424 Nov 24th, 2018

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How to Write a Speech to Get You Elected

Last Updated: February 28, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Patrick Muñoz . Patrick is an internationally recognized Voice & Speech Coach, focusing on public speaking, vocal power, accent and dialects, accent reduction, voiceover, acting and speech therapy. He has worked with clients such as Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, and Roselyn Sanchez. He was voted LA's Favorite Voice and Dialect Coach by BACKSTAGE, is the voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies, and is a member of Voice and Speech Trainers Association. There are 13 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 460,075 times.

If you possess leadership skills and want to make a change, you may want to run for office.To become an elected official, you must convince voters that you’re the best option by delivering a message that will win them over. Regardless of whether your goal is a seat in Congress or a position as school president, the basic principles remain the same when making an election speech.

Structuring Your Points into a Speech

• You should write the speech with phrases and words that you normally use when talking to people.
• For example, don’t write something like, “Voters and citizens, the abhorrent nature of my opponent while he assumed the position as treasurer saw that governmental coffers were drained to their lowest point in a decade!”
• Instead, write something like, “Can you really trust my opponent? When he was treasurer so much money went missing that we’re now at the lowest level in 10 years!”

• If you’re running for school president you can say something like, “Hey everyone. Today I’ll be talking about the important things that everyone here cares about, like the quality of our lunch, access to sports, and lack of programs and what faculty can do to fix it.”
• If you're running for city council or mayor, you can say something like, “Thank you to everyone who decided to come. Today I’ll be talking about how essential educational investment is and what we can do about bringing jobs and industry back to our town.”

• If you're running for school president your paragraph could start something like "We all know that school lunch is bad, but would it surprise you to find out it's actually unhealthy? I have a plan to work with facility to improve the quality of our lunches."
• If you're running for a federal office, you could write "There are many issues that face us today, but one of the most important things right now is access to healthcare. My plan for a single-payer system will ensure that everyone, regardless of income, will be able to afford high-quality health services in our state. I believe that healthcare is a human right, not a privilege."
• Jumping from point to point will only confuse the listeners.
• You don’t always have to stick to this structure but it's what usually works best and will keep your speech organized.

• For instance, if you are running for school president you could say something like, "Everyone knows Jeremy is an amazing basketball player. We've all seen the videos online and we know how dedicated he is to getting better. But we don't have a team here. And that needs to change!"
• For instance, if you’re talking about increasing the minimum wage, you could say something like, “I know a girl in my district named Gabby who is a single mother without her high school diploma. She’s one of the hardest workers and most genuine people I have ever met, but she is on government assistance because the only job she can get will only pay $8 an hour. This is just not an income that can sustain any sort of family, and it’s up to us to make sure that corporations reward workers who put in the effort and do the right thing. That’s why I’m proposing a major increase of the minimum wage over the next 5 years to $15 per hour.”

• For example, if you’re mainly campaigning on environmental justice and immigration reform, don’t talk about foreign relations or prison justice reform in your speech because it will make the speech long-winded and off topic.

• If you're running for office in school, you could say something like "We've talked about the lack of resources, unhealthy lunch food, and lack of decorations at the dances. And I've also layed out every way we can solve these problems together. If you want to do better for Freemondt Highschool, vote for me on November 8th!"
• For instance, you could say, “And if you vote for my opponent, nothing will change! That’s why on November 5th, you should vote for me.

• If you’re talking about a foreign country or including the names of people in your speech, make sure you know how to pronounce them correctly.

Delivering the Message

• You can ask your friend whether they thought the speech was moving or powerful, if they were bored, or if there was anything they didn’t understand.
• You can also memorize the speech so that you don’t have to read it when you’re delivering it. If you practice enough, you many naturally memorize parts of the speech.

• Often, people will think that they are speaking much quicker than they really are.
• Former U.S. President Barack Obama used pauses to emphasize points in his speeches frequently.

Creating a Platform

• Information about your voters can also be gained by reviewing polling information, past voter data, or by considering the location where you're giving the speech.
• If you're delivering the speech at a university, there's a high likelihood most of the audience will be college-aged people.
• Stay away from saying anything that may offend or upset your potential supporters.

• For instance, voters could be concerned about corruption or a lack of jobs.
• You can also ask people about their biggest concerns on social media.

• If there are not enough programs at your school, you could talk to the administration and the student body to develop new programs in your school.
• For instance, if there is a lack of jobs in your town, you could propose a plan to lower the corporate tax rate in your area to bring in new business.

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ Patrick Muñoz. Voice & Speech Coach. Expert Interview. 12 November 2019.
• ↑ https://open.lib.umn.edu/publicspeaking/chapter/14-1-four-methods-of-delivery/
• ↑ https://www.unr.edu/writing-speaking-center/student-resources/writing-speaking-resources/speech-introductions
• ↑ https://courses.lumenlearning.com/publicspeakingprinciples/chapter/chapter-8-outlining-your-speech/
• ↑ https://www.unr.edu/writing-speaking-center/student-resources/writing-speaking-resources/speech-evidence/
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/conciseness/index.html
• ↑ https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-write-motivational-speech
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/editing-and-proofreading/
• ↑ https://professional.dce.harvard.edu/blog/10-tips-for-improving-your-public-speaking-skills/
• ↑ https://sps.columbia.edu/news/five-ways-improve-your-body-language-during-speech
• ↑ https://www.ndi.org/sites/default/files/Module%207_Becoming%20a%20Powerful%20Communicator_EN.pdf
• ↑ https://www.ndi.org/sites/default/files/Political_Campaign_Planning_Manual_Malaysia_0.pdf
• ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/202004/how-win-election

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Mastering award acceptance speeches: winning tips, winning tips for award acceptance speeches.

Winning an award is a great feeling, but it is only half the battle. The other half is delivering an acceptance speech that resonates with your audience and makes them feel connected to you. Crafting an inspiring speech requires careful thought and planning, as well as practice and rehearsal . In this blog, we will explore the key elements of an effective award acceptance speech, including storytelling, humor, and balance. We will also discuss practical tips for delivering your speech with confidence and managing stage presence. Lastly, we will touch upon common pitfalls to avoid while giving an acceptance speech. By the end of this blog, you will have all the tools you need to write and deliver a winning award acceptance speech that leaves a lasting impression on your audience.

Understanding the Importance of an Award Acceptance Speech

An award acceptance speech, whether at the Oscars or the Golden Globes, serves as a platform to express gratitude and humility. When crafted well, it leaves a positive impact on the audience and provides an opportunity to thank specific individuals. Keeping the speech concise and impactful is key, with elements of gratitude, congratulations, and humility. Standing behind the lectern, like Oprah does, can add gravitas to your words and enhance the overall impact of your speech.

The Impact of a Well-Delivered Speech (even if you’re not Oprah or giving on at the Oscars)

Crafting an impactful award acceptance speech goes beyond words; it’s about engaging the audience on a deeper level. Maintaining consistent eye contact establishes a connection, allowing the speaker to convey sincerity and confidence. Integrating storytelling into the speech captivates the audience, leaving a memorable impression and evoking emotions. Examining speech examples from events like the Oscars and the Golden Globes exemplifies the power of a well-delivered address. Adequate preparation and practice at the lectern are essential for a compelling delivery, as demonstrated by iconic figures such as Oprah Winfrey.

The Role of an Acceptance Speech in Building Your Image and Showing Gratitude

Crafting a compelling acceptance speech is more than just a formality; it plays a significant role in shaping one’s public image. An inspiring and impactful speech has the potential to enhance an individual’s reputation and add value to their persona. These speeches are not just routine events; they are celebrated and remembered, making them crucial opportunities for personal branding. Therefore, it is essential to devote ample time to the preparation and delivery of an acceptance speech, as it holds the power to leave a lasting impression on the audience and contribute to the overall public image.

Key Elements to Crafting an Inspiring Acceptance Speech

Crafting an inspiring acceptance speech involves understanding the purpose of the address, striking a balance between gratitude and inspiration, and managing stage presence. Using humor strategically can engage the audience, leaving them on a positive note. Incorporating storytelling and maintaining eye contact establishes a connection with the audience, creating a lasting impression. Additionally, considering the impact of the speech on one’s public image is crucial, as award acceptance speeches contribute significantly to an individual’s reputation, making them memorable in events like the Golden Globes and Oscars. Standing confidently at the lectern, akin to Oprah, can enhance the overall delivery, making the speech impactful and unforgettable.

Establishing the Purpose of Your Speech

Establishing the purpose of your speech is essential. It’s about expressing gratitude sincerely and inspiring others with humility. Acknowledging the support and contributions you’ve received sets the right tone for acceptance and gratitude, leaving a lasting impression. Crafting an award acceptance speech involves understanding the significance of conveying humility and gratitude. This purpose goes beyond winning awards; it’s about recognizing the impact of others in your journey.

Using Storytelling to Engage the Audience

Incorporating personal experiences can add relatability to an acceptance speech, engaging the audience on a deeper level. By infusing storytelling with emotions, an acceptance speech becomes more heartfelt and resonates with the listeners. Employing narrative techniques not only captivates the audience but also makes the speech memorable. A well-crafted acceptance speech often revolves around a personal story, drawing the audience into the speaker’s world. Engaging storytelling has the power to capture and hold the audience’s attention, leaving a lasting impression.

Balancing Humour and Seriousness

Balancing the light-hearted with the profound is key to crafting a compelling award acceptance speech. By infusing appropriate humor, you can create an uplifting atmosphere, engaging the audience and lightening the mood. On the other hand, integrating seriousness adds depth to the speech, making it impactful and resonant. The combination of humor and seriousness makes the speech dynamic, ensuring that it strikes the right balance between gravitas and lightheartedness. This balanced approach captivates the audience, leaving a lasting impression. When delivering your speech at events like the Golden Globes or Oscars, standing behind the lectern, you can take cues from renowned speakers like Oprah to master this art of balancing and keep your audience engaged throughout.

Practical Tips for Delivering an Award Acceptance Speech

Regular practice is crucial for delivering a powerful award acceptance speech. Managing stage presence and body language holds significant importance during the delivery. Additionally, practicing confident eye contact enhances the impact of the speech. Confidence and poise play a major role in effectively delivering an award acceptance speech. It requires substantial time for preparation to ensure a polished delivery. Incorporating personal anecdotes can make an acceptance speech relatable. Balancing humor and seriousness adds depth to the speech, creating a dynamic and impactful delivery. Engaging storytelling techniques can make the speech memorable and capture the audience’s attention.

Importance of Regular Practice

Regular practice plays a significant role in boosting confidence when delivering an acceptance speech. It ensures a polished and refined delivery, reducing the risk of nervousness. Consistent practice is essential for achieving an impactful speech delivery, refining the nuances of the speech. Through regular practice, speakers become better equipped to engage with the audience effectively. The thorough rehearsal of an acceptance speech leads to a more confident and compelling delivery, enhancing the overall impact of the speech. By dedicating time to regular practice, speakers can refine their skills and master the art of delivering an award acceptance speech seamlessly.

Managing Stage Presence and Body Language

A well-delivered award acceptance speech relies heavily on effective stage presence and body language. Mastering these elements enhances the impact of the speech and creates a commanding presence on stage. Confidence in speech delivery is reflected through poised body language, conveying gratitude and confidence to the audience. It’s important to convey genuine emotions through body language and maintain a strong presence at the lectern. The ability to effectively manage stage presence and body language is essential in delivering a memorable and impactful acceptance speech.

What to Avoid While Giving an Award Acceptance Speech?

To deliver an impactful award acceptance speech, avoid rambling and keep it concise. Instead of reading a long list, make eye contact with your audience. Thank event organizers, nominators, and those who supported you. End on a positive note to leave a lasting impression.

Overcoming Common Pitfalls in Award Acceptance Speeches

Overcoming common pitfalls in award acceptance speeches involves thorough preparation and genuine delivery. Practicing acceptance speech examples is essential for readiness, while ensuring that the speech remains heartfelt and not rehearsed. Additionally, incorporating humor, when suitable, can captivate the audience’s attention and create a memorable experience. Structuring the speech with a compelling opening further engages the audience, setting the tone for the rest of the speech. Drawing inspiration from award acceptance speeches on platforms like YouTube can provide valuable insights. By implementing these strategies, speakers can navigate common pitfalls and deliver impactful award acceptance speeches.

In conclusion, delivering an award acceptance speech is an opportunity to leave a lasting impression on your audience. It is important to understand the significance of this moment and how it can contribute to building your image. A well-delivered speech has the power to inspire and engage the audience through effective storytelling and a balance of humor and seriousness. To ensure a successful speech, regular practice is key, along with managing stage presence and body language. It is also important to avoid common pitfalls such as going off-script or being overly self-centered. By following these winning tips, you can deliver an award acceptance speech that leaves a lasting impact.

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What Not to Do If You Win an Oscar

A Hollywood speechwriter on what makes for a great—or a terrible—moment at the mic

The moment an artist wins an Oscar or a Grammy or a Tony, they are handed two things: some kind of statue (sure, nice) and, perhaps more important, 45 seconds—maybe a minute, two tops—of live, relatively unbridled stage time with millions of people watching. They can use that time however they choose, thanking their parents, thanking their agents, thanking God, advocating for causes, crying. After that the music will play.

Wendy Shanker is a writer with a niche skill: She helps celebrity clients draft acceptance speeches so that they can maximize these high-adrenaline, high-profile moments.

Shanker told me that she once found herself moved to tears when a client seemed to be forgoing the drafted speech in favor of something else—only to suddenly realize that Shanker herself had in fact written the words in question. “She’s such a phenomenal actress that I didn’t even recognize my own writing,” Shanker said.

Ahead of this weekend’s Oscars, Shanker and I caught up by phone to discuss the art of acceptance speeches (keep the thank-you list short, she says) and her biggest pet peeve (reading off a phone).

Our conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Caroline Mimbs Nyce: Let’s pretend you get hired by a new A-list client tomorrow. Walk me through your process.

Wendy Shanker: My process is to try and do a lot of research and to get to know that person’s voice as well as I can before I actually connect with them directly. So I’m reading interviews and watching videos. The best is when I do get to work directly with that client as opposed to going through a publicist or a manager. Just even having a really brief conversation with somebody, I can really hear really, really quickly what it is that they want to say and the voice that they want to say it in. And I can also provide a little bit of guidance to them on what might work and what might not work.

A good example of this would be I wrote an acceptance speech—this wasn’t a televised show; this was a private event. A woman was being honored, and her team had said, “Look, whatever you do, don’t talk about her mother.” Her mother is also famous. “Don’t make this about her mother.” I went, “Okay, okay, okay.” And then I got 10 minutes with my client on the phone. And the first thing she said is, “I really just wanted to talk about my mother.”

Read: The speeches that saved the Golden Globes

Nyce: Do you think they were trying to keep her from it?

Shanker: I don’t think they were trying to keep her from it. I just think nobody knows the heart and soul of what that person wants to say in the moment except for that person.

Nyce: Do you ever get intervening agents telling you, “Don’t let them say that. Cut that line”?

Shanker: Yeah, that happens a lot. Most representatives are trying to protect their clients. But a lot of what I do is get this very busy person to focus in on this thing they know is coming and haven’t really thought about. Just like any of us lowly humans, they procrastinate. The conversation with me gives them time to shut out all the other noise and focus on What is it that I really want to say?

Nyce: About how long are acceptance speeches usually?

Shanker: It depends on the show. For a network show that’s airing live, the time is tight; it is 45 seconds or 60 seconds. While the person on the stage is accepting the honor, there are the producers backstage trying to figure out how long they’re going to let them talk. Maybe it says 45 seconds on the clock, but if you’re saying something really good or you’re a legend in the industry, they’re going to let you go a little longer. I’ll also say from the producing side of it that nobody ever wants to cut anybody off.

A lot of people don’t want to prepare because they think they’re going to hex it. And I would like to congratulate anybody who thinks they have the magical-thinking power to win or lose an Oscar by preparing a speech or not preparing a speech.

Nyce: How much can you fit into 45 seconds?

Shanker: I advise clients to have one central thought, especially one that could be connected to your performance or your album or the theme of the project that you were in—something that speaks to a social or cultural issue connected to the work that you are being honored for.

I really, really encourage people to limit the thank-you list. If there’s one special thank you that you want to give out—to your parents or to your fifth-grade theater teacher or to the real-life person whom you were portraying on screen—great! But we don’t need to hear about your agent’s assistant’s assistant’s Uber driver. If you are going to go the list way, write them down, practice it, get everybody in there. “Oh, I’m going to forget somebody!” I should never hear that from you onstage.

Read: My favorite awards-season ritual

Nyce: This gets at the question of “Who are award speeches for?” The people in the room or the audiences at home?

Shanker: We all know that the numbers of people watching awards shows are sinking. And I think that’s because we have so much access to a lot of these people that we laud all the time. The Oscars might have been the only time in a year when I would get to hear Barbra Streisand say something. But now Barbra’s tweeting.

I think people get excited about the pageantry of it. I think people still get excited about films and albums and Broadway shows that mean something to us and mean something to the culture, that give us something that we didn’t have before.

And there’s still so much coverage of these shows. We get excited when our beloved film wins and frustrated when it goes the wrong way. So they continue to have a lot of cultural worth, even if they’re losing the numbers.

Nyce: What have you noticed about the acceptance speeches this season? Are there any that have stood out to you?

Shanker: I do think there’s real joy in seeing people who have been in the industry for a long time and haven’t been recognized speak. Ke Huy Quan has this amazing comeback story, and that’s what a lot of his speeches have centered on. Michelle Yeoh is talking about inclusion and representation in a really wonderful way. It’s thrilling and exciting to hear Jamie Lee Curtis say , “I’m 64, and this is just amazing.” Sheryl Lee Ralph bursting into song —completely memorable. Watching Jennifer Coolidge get a lot of awards in this cycle has been super fun because she’s another person who’s worked for decades in an industry that hasn’t always been kind and generous to her or to her talent. When she’s up there, I think she’s being very genuine, and she’s also savvy about giving the audience what they want.

Nyce: What are some of your acceptance-speech pet peeves?

Shanker: My No. 1 pet peeve is going onstage with your cellphone. To me, it just seems unprepared and casual; it doesn’t step up to the intensity and honor of the moment.

The other thing that really bugs me is false humility. When people approach and go, “I just didn’t think I’d … Who, me?” It’s like, You were nominated. You campaigned for it. You’ve spent months wining and dining and talking to people. You’ve been standing in front of a mirror with a hairbrush since you were 4 years old. This is not a shock. Humility is wonderful, but false humility is annoying.

A Blueprint to Win a Speech Contest: Good-Better-Best

Hrideep barot.

• Speech Writing

Welcome, everyone! Today, we’re going to explore the exciting world of speech contests and how to craft a speech that helps you win a speech contest. Just like building a house, creating a great speech requires a solid foundation, some skillful craftsmanship, and a few finishing touches. Whether you’re speaking to a group of friends, presenting in class, or competing to win a speech contest, understanding the blueprint for success can help you deliver a speech that truly shines. So, let’s dive in and discover the secrets to winning over any audience with your words!

• Section 1: Good – Laying the Foundation

Section 2: Better – Elevating Your Performance

Section 3: best – mastering the art of winning, section 4: conclusion, section 1: good – laying the foundation, 1. what are the foundational skills required for a good speech.

Foundational skills are like the building blocks you need to make a good speech. First, you need to make sure your message is crystal clear. If people can’t understand what you’re saying, they’ll tune out pretty quickly. Then, it’s crucial to organize your speech well. Think of it like telling a story with a beginning, middle, and end. This helps your audience follow along easily. Engaging your audience is also key. You want to keep them interested in what you’re saying, so using stories, questions, or examples can help. Being confident is important too. If you seem unsure or nervous, it can distract from your message.

Now, let’s dig deeper into those questions:

2. How can one effectively organize their speech content?

a. Start by brainstorming and outlining your main points. Consider the central message you want to convey.

b. Arrange these points in a logical sequence, ensuring a smooth flow of ideas from one to the next.

c. Craft a strong introduction that grabs the audience’s attention and sets the tone for your speech.

d. Develop the main body of your speech, addressing each point clearly and providing supporting evidence or examples.

e. Use transitions between sections to guide your audience through the speech and maintain coherence.

f. Conclude your speech by summarizing the key points and leaving the audience with a memorable takeaway or call to action.

3. What role does body language play in delivering a compelling speech?

a. Body language serves as a powerful form of nonverbal communication, complementing and reinforcing your spoken words.

b. Maintaining good posture and making eye contact conveys confidence, credibility, and connection with the audience.

c. Gestures and facial expressions can emphasize key points, add emphasis, and evoke emotions, helping to keep the audience engaged.

d. Movement on stage can create visual interest and energy, enhancing the overall impact of your speech.

e. By aligning your body language with your message, you can enhance clarity, authenticity, and persuasive power all essentials to win a speech contest.

4. How important is vocal variety in engaging an audience?

a. Vocal variety plays a crucial role in capturing and maintaining the audience’s interest throughout the speech.

b. Monotonous delivery can quickly bore listeners and diminish the effectiveness of your message.

c. Varying your tone, pitch, volume, and pacing adds richness and depth to your speech, creating auditory texture and keeping the audience attentive.

d. Vocal variety helps convey emotions, evoke responses, and enhance overall engagement with your audience.

5. What strategies can one employ to capture the audience’s attention from the beginning?

a. To win a speech contest, Start with a compelling opening that immediately grabs the audience’s attention and piques their curiosity.

b. Use powerful storytelling, provocative questions, intriguing facts, or surprising statistics to captivate the audience from the outset.

c. Incorporate humor, suspense, or personal anecdotes to create an emotional connection and draw the audience into your speech.

d. Establish relevance by addressing the audience’s interests, concerns, or aspirations early on.

e. Engage the audience directly through interactive elements such as polls, rhetorical questions, or audience participation activities.

1. How Can A Speaker Refine Their Storytelling Abilities To Enhance Their Speech?

Refining storytelling abilities is about improving the way you narrate your message to make it more engaging and memorable for your audience. Here are some strategies a speaker can use to enhance their storytelling abilities:

Craft a Compelling Narrative:

Start by developing a clear and compelling storyline for your speech. Your narrative should have a beginning, middle, and end, with a central message or theme that ties everything together.

Use Vivid Imagery:

Paint a vivid picture with your words to help your audience visualize the scenes you’re describing. Use descriptive language and sensory details to bring your story to life.

Create Relatable Characters:

Introduce characters or personas in your story that your audience can connect with on an emotional level. Give them distinct personalities and motivations to make them more engaging.

Establish Conflict and Resolution:

Every good story has a conflict that creates tension and keeps the audience invested. Identify the main conflict or challenge in your narrative and show how it’s resolved by the end of your speech.

Employ Storytelling Techniques:

Use storytelling techniques such as foreshadowing, suspense, and plot twists to keep your audience engaged and interested in what happens next.

Practice Storytelling Skills:

Practice your storytelling skills regularly to improve your delivery and timing. Pay attention to your tone, pacing, and gestures to enhance the emotional impact of your story.

Seek Feedback:

Don’t be afraid to seek feedback from others on your storytelling abilities. Ask for constructive criticism from friends, colleagues, or mentors to help you refine your storytelling techniques further.

By refining your storytelling abilities, you can make your speech more engaging, memorable, and impactful for your audience.

2. What Techniques Can Be Used To Effectively Convey Emotion And Authenticity?

Techniques for conveying emotion:.

a. Use vivid language: Describe emotions using descriptive language that evokes imagery and resonates with your audience’s experiences.

b. Share personal anecdotes: Relate personal stories or experiences that elicit genuine emotions and connect with your audience.

c. Utilize vocal variety: Adjust your tone, pitch, and pace to reflect the emotions you’re conveying, making your delivery more authentic and engaging.

d. Employ body language: Use facial expressions, gestures, and posture to express emotions physically and reinforce your verbal message.

Example: Instead of saying, “I was happy,” you could vividly describe the scene: “My heart raced, and a wide grin spread across my face as I received the news.”

3. How Does One Effectively Handle Nerves And Maintain Confidence During A Speech?

Strategies for handling nerves:.

a. Preparation: Thoroughly prepare your speech and practice it multiple times to build confidence in your delivery.

b. Positive self-talk: Use affirmations and reminders of past successes to boost your confidence and counter negative thoughts.

c. Deep breathing: Practice deep breathing exercises to calm your nerves and regulate your heart rate before and during your speech.

d. Visualize success: Mentally rehearse delivering your speech confidently and imagine a positive outcome to reduce anxiety.

Example: Before stepping onto the stage, visualize yourself delivering your speech with confidence, receiving applause from the audience, and feeling proud of your performance.

4. What Are The Benefits Of Incorporating Humor Into A Speech, And How Can It Be Done Tastefully?

Benefits of using humor:.

a. Engages the audience: Humor captures the audience’s attention and makes your speech more enjoyable and memorable. This is the easiest way to win a speech contest.

b. Relieves tension: Well-placed humor can break the ice, ease tension, and create a positive atmosphere during your speech.

c. Enhances relatability: Sharing a laugh with your audience builds rapport and makes you more relatable as a speaker.

d. Aids retention: People are more likely to remember information presented in a humorous context, increasing the effectiveness of your message.

Example: Incorporating a relevant joke or humorous anecdote can lighten the mood and illustrate a point memorably, making your speech more enjoyable for the audience.

5. How Can A Speaker Effectively Use Pauses And Pacing To Enhance The Impact Of Their Message?

Effective use of pauses and pacing:.

a. Emphasize key points: Pause before or after important statements to allow them to sink in and resonate with your audience.

b. Build suspense : Use pauses strategically to create suspense or anticipation, keeping your audience engaged and attentive.

c. Control the pace: Vary your speaking pace to match the tone and content of your speech, adjusting for emphasis, clarity, and dramatic effect .

d. Allow for reflection: Give your audience time to process information and reflect on your message by incorporating well-timed pauses.

Example: After delivering a thought-provoking statement, pause briefly to allow your audience to absorb the message before moving on to the next point. This creates a moment of reflection and emphasizes the significance of your words.

1. What Sets Apart A Winning Speech From A Good Or Better One?

A winning speech stands out from a good or better one due to several distinguishing factors:

Engagement and Connection:

Winning speeches captivate the audience from start to finish, maintaining their attention and fostering a strong emotional connection. They employ storytelling, humor, or other engaging techniques to keep the audience invested in the message.

Originality and Creativity:

Winning speeches often feature original ideas, unique perspectives, or creative approaches that set them apart from the competition. They offer fresh insights or innovative solutions to the topic at hand, leaving a memorable impression on the audience.

Authenticity and Sincerity:

A winning speech is delivered with authenticity, sincerity, and passion. The speaker genuinely believes in their message and conveys it with conviction, earning the trust and respect of the audience.

Relevance and Adaptability:

Winning speeches are tailored to the needs and interests of the audience, addressing relevant topics and issues that resonate with them. The speaker demonstrates adaptability by adjusting their message and delivery to suit the audience’s preferences and expectations.

2. How Can A Speaker Tailor Their Message To Resonate With A Specific Audience Or Judging Panel?

Audience analysis:.

a. To win a speech contest, conduct thorough research to understand the demographics, interests, and preferences of your target audience or judging panel.

b. Tailor your message to address their specific needs, concerns, or challenges, making it relevant and relatable to their experiences.

Customization:

a. Personalize your speech by incorporating anecdotes, examples, or references that directly relate to the audience’s background or interests.

b. Use language and communication styles that resonate with the audience’s culture, values, and communication preferences.

Example: If you’re delivering a speech to a panel of educators, you might tailor your message to address current challenges in the education system and offer innovative solutions based on your research and insights.

3. What Strategies Can Be Employed For Effective Speech Memorization And Delivery?

Chunking technique:.

a. Break your speech into smaller, manageable chunks or sections to aid in memorization. Having it memorized will help you have a seamless flow of thought making it easy to win a speech contest.

b. Focus on memorizing one section at a time before moving on to the next, gradually building confidence in your delivery.

Visualization and Mnemonics:

a. Use visual imagery or mnemonic devices to associate key points with memorable images or phrases, aiding in recall during delivery.

Repetition and Rehearsal:

a. Practice your speech repeatedly until you feel comfortable with the content and flow.

b. Rehearse in different environments and under various conditions to simulate the actual speaking situation and build confidence.

Example: Imagine you’re delivering a speech about climate change. You might visualize melting ice caps as a mnemonic device for remembering the effects of global warming, and rehearse your speech in front of a mirror or record yourself to identify areas for improvement.

4. How Can A Speaker Effectively Incorporate Visual Aids Or Props Into Their Presentation?

Relevance and clarity:.

a. Choose visual aids or props that enhance the audience’s understanding of your message and reinforce key points.

b. Ensure that visual aids are clear, concise, and easy to interpret, avoiding clutter or distractions.

Interactivity and Engagement:

a. Use visual aids or props to create interactive experiences that engage the audience and stimulate their senses.

b. Encourage audience participation by inviting them to interact with the visual aids or props during your presentation.

Example: If you’re delivering a speech about the importance of recycling, you might incorporate visual aids such as charts or graphs to illustrate the impact of recycling on reducing waste and conserving resources. You could also bring in recycled materials or props to demonstrate practical examples of upcycling in action.

5. What Role Does Feedback And Practice Play In Refining A Speech To Perfection?

Objective evaluation:.

a. Seek feedback from peers, mentors, or trusted individuals to gain insights into areas for improvement in your speech delivery. This is an extremely important step to win a speech contest.

b. Consider both verbal feedback and nonverbal cues from your audience to gauge their response and adjust your delivery accordingly.

Iterative Improvement:

a. Use feedback to identify specific areas of weakness or areas where your message could be clarified or strengthened.

b. Incorporate feedback into your practice sessions and make incremental improvements to refine your speech over time.

Example: After delivering a speech, you might ask for feedback from audience members on aspects such as clarity, engagement, and persuasiveness. Based on their feedback, you could then revise your speech outline, refine your delivery techniques, and rehearse again to ensure continuous improvement.

In wrapping up, remember that winning a speech contest is like building a house – it starts with a strong foundation and ends with adding the perfect finishing touches.

First, you need to lay down the basics by organizing your speech well, using your body language effectively, and keeping your voice interesting. These are like the bricks and mortar that hold everything together.

Then, you can make your speech even better by telling stories that grab people’s attention, showing real emotions, staying calm under pressure, making people laugh in just the right way, and using pauses and changes in speed to keep everyone hooked.

Finally, to reach the top, you need to tailor your message to fit the people you’re speaking to , practice until you can remember your speech in your sleep, use props or pictures to help people understand, and listen to feedback from others so you can keep getting better and better.

So, whether you’re speaking to a small group of friends or competing in a big contest, following these steps can help you build a winning speech that leaves a lasting impression. Check this out for a treasure trove of information! 

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• Toastmasters →

Strategies for Winning Speech Competitions

Speech competitions can feel like a daunting task, filled with high stakes and even higher nerves. Did you know that using personal stories in your speech is an effective way to captivate your audience? In this article, we’ll dive into proven strategies for acing these contests from choosing compelling topics to delivering powerful conclusions.

Ready to take center stage? Let’s go!

Key Takeaways

• Using personal stories in your speech can captivate your audience and make your speech more engaging.
• Speech competitions are important for developing public speaking skills, boosting confidence, and enhancing critical thinking and research abilities.
• Strategies for winning speech competitions include choosing a compelling topic, conducting thorough research from reputable sources, organizing your speech effectively with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion, and practicing and rehearsing multiple times focusing on delivery and timing.
• Effective delivery techniques for winning speech competitions include using engaging body language and gestures, maintaining strong eye contact to establish rapport with the audience, varying tone and pace to keep the audience interested and attentive, and incorporating captivating storytelling into your presentation.

Importance of Speech Competitions

Develops public speaking skills.

Engaging in speech competitions can usher in remarkable improvement to your public speaking skills. These competitive platforms offer the perfect venue for you to hone your oratory prowess, enabling you to present ideas clearly and persuasively.

Grasping this skill isn’t simply about scoring points with judges but also lays a concrete foundation for career advancement opportunities . Why? Industries value employees with excellent communication abilities, seeing it as an indication of creativity and leadership qualities.

Your participation in these competitions not only boosts your confidence but also develops critical thinking – a sought-after ability in today’s fast-paced professional landscape. This learning curve ultimately makes you a better speaker and leader, primed for success inside the competition hall and beyond!

Boosts confidence and self-esteem

Public speaking competitions offer an unmatched avenue for  boosting confidence and self-esteem . Often, participants experience positive changes in their self-assurance and self-worth as they navigate through the process of readying themselves for a public performance.

The magic lies not just in winning but rather breaking free from fear’s grip that tends to tighten around stage fright and self-doubt.

Moreover, there is no definitive correlation between speaking anxiety and achievement on the podium. In fact, mastering effective communication styles goes hand in hand with constructing captivating speeches.

This skill-building allows speakers to project realistic confidence that’s firmly grounded in their abilities – a factor significantly linked to audience persuasion success over inherent nerviness or hesitancy during delivery.

As such, honing one’s public speaking skill is truly transformative extending benefits into everyday life scenarios at professional interfaces or social gatherings.

Enhances critical thinking and research abilities

Harnessing the power of effective public speaking skills is far from being solely about stage performance. Quite contrary, it’s a comprehensive exercise that stimulates both your critical thinking and research abilities.

You’re constantly thrown into a whirlpool of analytical thinking as you devise compelling arguments and counterarguments. It urges you to channel your logical reasoning to justify your stance convincingly, making persuasive communication an integral part of these competitions.

The constant need for innovation pushes you towards cognitive flexibility while preparing speeches, helping hone problem-solving capabilities over time.

Moreover, delving deep into varied topics enhances your information literacy drastically. From social issues to scientific concepts, the broad range of subjects you explore equips you with substantial knowledge and diverse perspectives – indispensable tools in today’s world where adaptability reigns supreme.

As speech competitions spotlights effective presentation at its core – practicing such skills can significantly boost career advancement prospects since they showcase leadership abilities with demonstrated results.

Looking beyond those bright stage lights and resounding applause lines reveals how much more profound impact participating in these speech arenas has on individuals’ development; indeed igniting not just their wordsmith tendencies but also nurturing their intellectual prowess.

So dive deep into research mode, craft logically coherent points down pat before any speech competition because this intricately intertwined process nurtures those hidden gems within each participant: unparalleled critical thinking and efficient research skills!

Preparation Strategies for Speech Competitions

Choose a compelling topic, research and gather relevant information, organize your speech effectively with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion, and practice and rehearse multiple times focusing on delivery and timing.

Choose a compelling topic that aligns with the competition theme

Selecting a captivating topic that aligns with the competition theme is essential when preparing for speech competitions. The chosen subject matter should not only capture your interest but also resonate with the audience.

By selecting a topic you are passionate about, you will naturally be more engaged and enthusiastic during your presentation, which can significantly enhance your chances of winning. It’s also crucial to consider your knowledge and expertise in the chosen topic as this will enable you to deliver a speech with confidence and authority.

Additionally, take into account the interest and engagement level of the audience, ensuring that your topic appeals to their curiosity or addresses their needs. Remember, by carefully selecting an intriguing theme that aligns with the competition requirements, you can start off on the right foot towards winning over both judges and listeners alike.

Research and gather relevant information from reputable sources

For speech competitions, it’s crucial to research and gather information from reliable sources. Thorough research not only strengthens the quality of your speech but also enhances your credibility as a speaker.

Start by identifying reputable sources such as academic journals, books written by experts in the field, or articles published by well-known organizations.

By utilizing these trusted resources, you can ensure that the information you include in your speech is accurate and up-to-date. This will make your arguments stronger and more persuasive to both judges and audience members.

Remember that conducting thorough research demonstrates your commitment to delivering a well-informed and thought-provoking speech.

Additionally, incorporating statistics, examples, or case studies from reliable sources can add depth and credibility to your speech content. By using evidence-based facts, you enhance the persuasiveness of your arguments while engaging with the audience on a logical level.

So take the time to dive into reputable materials related to your topic in order to gather compelling information for an impactful presentation.

Organize your speech effectively with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion

Effective speech organization is crucial in winning speech competitions. By organizing your speech with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion, you can ensure that your message flows logically and captivates the audience.

In the introduction, set the tone and grab attention with an engaging opening statement. Then, move on to the body of your speech where you present your main points in a well-structured and organized manner.

This includes supporting arguments or evidence that back up your ideas. Finally, wrap up your speech with a memorable ending that leaves a lasting impact on the audience. By following this structure, you can enhance clarity of thought and create an engaging presentation that stands out in any competition setting.

Practice and rehearse your speech multiple times, focusing on delivery and timing

Rehearsing your speech multiple times is essential for speech competitions. It may seem obvious, but many speakers underestimate the importance of practice when it comes to delivering a winning speech.

By rehearsing your speech repeatedly, you not only become more familiar with the content and flow but also improve your delivery and timing. Practice helps you identify areas where phrases can be shortened and made more concise, ensuring that your message is clear and impactful.

Additionally, by practicing under pressure, such as in front of friends or family, you can enhance your presentation skills and build confidence in speaking before an audience. Remember, preparation is key to creating engaging speeches and presenting them using your own unique delivery style.

Delivery Techniques for Winning Speech Competitions

Use body language and gestures effectively to engage the audience.

Good body language and gestures are essential when delivering a speech to engage the audience effectively. Nonverbal cues, such as facial expressions, hand movements, and body posture , can greatly enhance your overall delivery.

Purposeful and sincere body movement instantly builds a connection with the audience or your peers. By maintaining strong eye contact, you establish rapport and establish credibility as a speaker.

Varying your tone and pace keeps the audience interested and attentive throughout your speech. Additionally, incorporating storytelling or anecdotes into your presentation makes it more relatable and memorable for the listeners.

Maintain strong eye contact to establish rapport and connection

Establishing a strong connection with your audience is crucial when delivering a speech, and maintaining strong eye contact plays a key role in building rapport . By looking directly into the eyes of your listeners, you show them that you are present and engaged in the conversation.

This not only helps to establish trust and credibility but also enhances their sense of involvement in your presentation. Making eye contact with different members of the audience creates a personal connection, making them feel valued and heard.

Remember, mastering this presentation skill takes practice, but it is well worth the effort as it can greatly impact the success of your speech. So next time you step on stage or stand before an audience, maintain strong eye contact to establish genuine rapport and forge a meaningful connection with your listeners.

Vary your tone and pace to keep the audience interested and attentive

Varying your tone and pace while delivering a speech is an important technique to keep your audience engaged and attentive. By using vocal variety, such as changing the tone of your voice or adjusting the speed at which you speak, you can add interest, emphasis, and clarity to your speech.

Speaking at different speeds can create anticipation and excitement in the audience, making them more eager to listen to what you have to say. On the other hand, maintaining a steady and calm pace prevents rushing due to nerves and ensures that every word is delivered clearly.

Remember that practicing your speech with varying intonation and tempo will help captivate the audience’s attention throughout your presentation. So go ahead, add some spice by playing with your voice – it’s one simple yet effective way to make sure your message resonates with listeners.

Incorporate storytelling or anecdotes to make your speech more relatable and memorable

Storytelling and anecdotes are powerful tools that can take your speech to the next level, making it more relatable and memorable for your audience. When you weave a compelling story into your speech, you engage the audience’s emotions and create a connection that goes beyond just delivering information.

By sharing personal experiences or anecdotes related to your topic, you bring authenticity and depth to your speech, capturing the attention of your listeners. Sensory details in stories also have a unique ability to stimulate the audience’s brains, leaving a lasting impact.

So, instead of simply presenting facts and figures, consider incorporating storytelling techniques to enhance your speech delivery and make it truly unforgettable.

Winning Strategies for Speech Competitions

Winning a speech competition requires connecting emotionally with the audience, using persuasive techniques to influence judges, incorporating humor or rhetorical devices for engagement, and ending with a strong conclusion that leaves a lasting impact.

Discover these powerful strategies now!

Connect with the audience emotionally by sharing personal experiences or stories

Sharing personal experiences or stories is an incredibly effective strategy for connecting with your audience on an emotional level during a speech competition. By weaving relatable and impactful narratives into your speech, you can capture their attention and create a sense of empathy and understanding.

When you share real-life examples or compelling personas, it allows the audience to see how the topic at hand has the power to transform lives. This emotional connection not only makes your speech more memorable but also encourages the audience to take your message to heart and potentially even act on it.

Engaging with your audience through storytelling is a powerful tool that can truly elevate your speech competition performance.

Use persuasive techniques and appeals to persuade and influence the judges

Winning a speech competition requires not only excellent delivery skills but also the ability to persuade and influence the judges. To achieve this, it is crucial to employ persuasive techniques and appeals that resonate with them.

One effective strategy is to tap into their emotions by sharing personal experiences or stories that evoke empathy or relate to their own lives. By connecting with them on an emotional level, you can create a strong bond and make your message more memorable.

Additionally, using rhetorical devices such as metaphors or vivid imagery can help captivate their attention and leave a lasting impact. Remember, understanding what influences judges’ decisions in speech competitions and utilizing persuasive techniques will greatly enhance your chances of success.

Incorporate humor or rhetorical devices to make your speech entertaining and engaging

Humor and rhetorical devices can be powerful tools to captivate an audience and make your speech entertaining and engaging. Incorporating wit, comedic timing, satire, irony, wordplay, and other rhetorical devices can add a playful touch to your speech that keeps the audience entertained throughout.

By weaving in engaging storytelling or using playful banter with the audience, you create connection and establish rapport. Using exaggeration or employing comic relief at key moments can also bring levity to your speech.

Remember, speaking humorously is a skill that can be learned and honed over time – it’s all about finding the right balance of humor that aligns with your message while keeping the audience engaged from start to finish.

End with a strong and memorable conclusion that leaves a lasting impact on the audience

A powerful conclusion is the key to winning a speech competition. It’s your chance to wrap up your speech with a bang and leave a lasting impression on the audience. To achieve this, you need to carefully plan your closing remarks word for word, ensuring that they resonate with your main points and engage the listeners on an emotional level.

A well-crafted conclusion should include a thought-provoking ending or impactful closing statement that ties all the threads of your speech together. By delivering a memorable final note, you can create a sense of closure for the audience and reinforce their takeaway from your presentation.

Remember, in speech competitions, winning isn’t just about what you say; it’s also about how you say it. So make sure to end with confidence and conviction, leaving no doubt in anyone’s mind that yours was indeed a winning conclusion.

In conclusion, mastering the art of public speaking and winning speech competitions requires careful preparation, effective delivery techniques, and strategic approaches. By selecting a compelling topic, conducting thorough research, and practicing your speech with confidence, you can captivate the audience and leave a lasting impact.

Remember to engage your audience emotionally, utilize persuasive techniques, incorporate humor or storytelling, and end with a strong conclusion. With these strategies in mind, you’ll be well-equipped to excel in any speech competition that comes your way.

So go out there and show them what you’ve got!

1. How can I prepare for a speech competition?

Preparing for a speech competition involves researching the topic, organizing your thoughts into a clear structure, practicing your delivery and seeking feedback from others to refine your presentation.

2. What are some tips for delivering an impactful speech?

To deliver an impactful speech in a competition, it’s important to start with a strong opening that grabs the audience’s attention, use body language and gestures to enhance your message, speak confidently and passionately, engage the audience through eye contact and connect emotionally with them by sharing personal stories or anecdotes.

3. How do I handle nerves before and during a speech competition?

Nerves are common before and during a speech competition. To manage them, try deep breathing exercises or visualization techniques to calm yourself before going on stage. During the presentation, focus on connecting with the audience rather than worrying about being perfect.

4. What is the role of storytelling in winning speech competitions?

Storytelling plays a crucial role in winning speech competitions as it helps captivate the audience’s attention and makes your message more relatable and memorable. Incorporating storytelling techniques such as vivid descriptions, emotional appeal, and well-crafted narratives can make your speech stand out among competitors.

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The Winners of Our ‘How To’ Contest

Over 2,200 teenagers submitted essays on how to do everything from fix a toilet to fight a kangaroo. We’ll be publishing the work of the winners all week.

By The Learning Network

Almost from the time our new “ How To” Informational Writing Contest for Teenagers went live in January, we knew it would be a success.

First there was the creative range of topics. As submissions rolled in — 2,223 by the deadline — we were happy to see students take on a variety of key emotional, intellectual and physical skills, including how to win an argument, fix a toilet, cope with anxiety, remember names and trip gracefully.

But we were even more delighted to be introduced to a few offbeat skills we hadn’t previously realized were crucial, like how to do the worm, snowball-attack your sister, fight a kangaroo and “talk to your crush without sounding like a talking potato.”

Our participants had fun. We know that because in their accompanying process statements they told us so. They liked coming up with topic ideas, and writing something for school in a format they’d never seen before. They even enjoyed finding and interviewing experts — a contest requirement that had seemed daunting at first to many, but turned out to be one of the most rewarding steps.

We hope you’ll enjoy the results as much as we have. We’ll be publishing the work of the top 11 winners all week, and we’ll add links here when we do.

In alphabetical order by the writer’s first name

“ How to Befriend an Introvert ” : Ashley Zhang, 14, Collingwood School, West Vancouver, British Columbia

“ How to Do the Worm ” : Camille Gonzales, 18, Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Houston

“ How to Find Your Balance ” : Chelsea Hu, 18, Phillips Academy, Andover, Mass.

“How to Make Bubble Tea” : Hanyi Zhou, 14, Chinese International School, Hong Kong

“How to Make the Perfect Sandwich” : Jackson DeNichilo, 15, Fallston High School, Fallston, Md.

“How to Wrap a Dumpling” : Jacob Wang, 16, Charterhouse School, Godalming, England

“How to Conduct a Podcast Interview” : Matthew Jeong, 17, Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Houston

“How to Be a Kid Forever” : Raniya Chowdhury, 17, John Fraser Secondary School, Mississauga, Ontario

“How to Become Friends With a Wild Bird” : Shannon Hong, 16, Herricks High School, New Hyde Park, N.Y.

“How to Host Unexpected Guests” : Sofia Fontenot, 18, Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Houston

“How to Make Fear Your Friend” : Zoe Brown, 14, Summit High School, Bend, Ore.

“How to Recover After Yet Another Disappointing Season by Your Favorite N.F.L. Team” : Alden Comes, 13, Briarcliff Middle School, Mountain Lakes, N.J.

“How to Tell the Ugly Truth” : Alex (Hayoung) Jung, 16, Seoul Foreign School, Seoul

“How to Remember Names” : Anahita Driver, 13, Gregory Middle School, Naperville, Ill.

“How to Find Gratitude in Everyday Life” : Andrew Coraggio, 16, Arrowhead Union High School, Hartland, Wis.

“How to Antique Shop” : Callisto Lim, 17, Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Houston

“How to Build an Optimal Environment for Your Fish” : Chasity Rolon, 16, Deer Park High School, New York, N.Y.

“How to Snowball Attack Your Sister” : Harper Mooney, 14, Marblehead High School, Marblehead, Mass.

“How to Achieve Inner Peace by Washing Your Dishes” : Jackson Cooke, 18, Briarwood Christian High School, Birmingham, Ala.

“How to Spot Counterfeit Currency” : Kaylie Milton, 17, West High School, Iowa City, Iowa

“How to Pee On a Hike” : Lauren Acker, 17, Lakeside High School, DeKalb County, Ga.

“How to Mimic an Accent” : Michael Noh, 14, Korea International School Pangyo Campus, Seongnam, South Korea

“How to Speak Like a British Person” : Owen Wilde, 16, Maynard High School, Maynard, Mass.

“How to Ask a Teacher for Help” : Sarah Harris, 15, Boothbay Region High School, Boothbay Harbor, Maine

“How to Spin Pens” : Siddharth S., 16, Peepal Prodigy School Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India

“How to Make Kids Excited About History” : Vivian Wenan Chang, 17, BASIS Chandler, Chandler, Ariz.

“How to Ride a Roller Coaster Without Fear” : Wang Ziyun, 16, Raffles Girls’ School, Singapore

“How to Make a Three-Point Shot” : Will Peña, 17, Academy at the Lakes, Land O’ Lakes, Fla.

“How to Play Darts” : Xizhe Yang, 15, Shanghai High School International Division, Shanghai

Honorable Mentions

“How to Survive Middle School Hallways” : Alice Liang, 13, Islander Middle School, Mercer Island, Wash.

“How to Learn a New Language” : Andrew Chen, 14, International School of Beijing, Beijing

“How to Let Go of Someone” : Ariel Ting, 16, Taipei American School, Taipei, Taiwan

“How to Cope With Your Anxiety” : Ava Cho, 18, Daegu International School, Daegu, South Korea

“How to Live Openly As a Lesbian” : Ayco Phlypo, 17, Atheneum Gentbrugge, Ghent, Belgium

“How to Make Homemade Pasta” : Bella DiBernardo, 16, Alta Vista Middle College, Santa Barbara, Calif.

“How to Prepare for Running a Marathon” : Brett Barker, 17, Arrowhead Union High School, Hartland, Wis.

“Keep the Sandman at Bay” : Bryant, 18, Bandung Independent School, Bandung, Indonesia

“How to Fix a Toilet!” : Carla Lopez, 16, Jose Marti STEM Academy, Union City, N.J.

“How to Order at a Specialty Coffee Shop” : Cassandra Garcia, 16, home school, Portland, Texas

“How to Trip Gracefully” : Eileen Kim, 15, Urbana High School, Ijamsville, Md.

“How to Drive Your Siblings Mad” : Elaine Kim, 15, West Ranch High School, Stevenson Ranch, Calif.

“Being Objective” : James Yi, 17, Orange County School of the Arts, Santa Ana, Calif.

“How to Accept Failure” : Jamie Park, 16, Yongsan International School of Seoul, Seoul

“How to Cope With a Panic Attack” : Jason Kim, 15, Georgetown Preparatory School, North Bethesda, Md.

“How to Escape a Night Market” : Joyce Chang, 16, Stella Matutina Girls’ High School, Taichung City, Taiwan

“How to Overcome Assault: A Survivor’s Guide on Trauma-Related Shame” : Juliana Segal, 17, The Montessori School of Raleigh Upper School, Raleigh, N.C.

“How to Play Out of Tune On the Flute” : Kavya Muralidhar, 13, Islander Middle School, Mercer Island, Wash.

“How to Write a Poem” : Lareina Yuan, 14, YK Pao School, Shanghai

“How to Make Tanghulu” : Lehan Gu, 15, Northwood High School, Irvine, Calif.

“How to Be When Meeting New People” : MaryEden Rall, 13, Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School, Montgomery, Ala.

“How to Make the Perfect Playlist” : Rachel Wieland, 17, Arrowhead Union High School, Hartland, Wis.

“How to Talk to Your Crush Without Sounding Like a Talking Potato” : Roxanne Wu, 16, International School of Beijing, Beijing

“How to Help a Child With Autism” : Sarah Zeng, 15, Victoria Park Collegiate Institute, Toronto

“How to Deal With Nerves” : Sasha Luhur, 14, Northwood School, Lake Placid, N.Y.

“How to Watch Clouds” : Shio Kim, 14, North London Collegiate School Jeju, Seogwipo, South Korea

“How to Discuss Controversial Issues With Parents” : Siyao Feng, 18, Linden Hall School for Girls, Lititz, Pa.

“How to Write a Song” : Sophia Kim, 15, Chadwick International School, Incheon, South Korea

“How to Write a Song” : Stephanie Ma, 16, The Webb Schools, Claremont, Calif.

“How to Be a Good Dukjil-er” : Suevean (Evelyn) Chin, Asia Pacific International School, Seoul

“How to Win an Argument” : Suri Boryang Kim, PTGMS, South Korea

“How to Tie a Shoe” : Vivian Olivera, 17, Academy at the Lakes, Land O’ Lakes, Fla.

“Grilling Pork Belly For the Best Flavor” : Yoonseo Cho, 17, Portola High School, Irvine, Calif.

Thank you to our contest judges.

Ana Paola Wong, Annissa Hambouz, Caroline Gilpin, Dana Davis, Elisa Zonana, Isaac Aronow, Jeremy Engle, Jeremy Hyler, John Otis, Juliette Seive, Katherine Schulten, Kathryn Curto, Ken Paul, Kimberly Wiedmeyer, Kirsten Akens, Michael Gonchar, Natalie Proulx, Phoebe Lett, Shannon Doyne, Sharon Murchie, Shira Katz, Sue Mermelstein, Susan Josephs, Sydney Stein

How many 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards did Taylor Swift win? Here's the answer and her acceptance speech

A lthough mega pop star Taylor Swift wasn't in attendance for Monday night's iHeart Radio Music Awards , it didn't stop her from taking home a lot of hardware. The Midnights singer was nominated for a show-high nine awards, winning six.

Swift went home with:

• Artist of the Year
• Pop Artist of the Year
• Best Lyrics - "Is It Over Now? (Taylor's Version)"
• TikTok Bop of the Year - "Cruel Summer"
• Favorite Tour Style
• Tour of the Year

A pre-recorded acceptance speech was played, with Swift thanking fans, saying "You know, to the fans, it is completely up to you to choose how you spend your time, what concerts you want to go to, what music you want to make the soundtrack of your life. And to anyone who has included me in those choices, I am so, so, so thankful for that."

Swift also promised some "exciting things coming up" with her new album, The Tortured Poets Department , releasing April 19.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggN_NfOHSP4

This article originally appeared on For The Win: How many 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards did Taylor Swift win? Here's the answer and her acceptance speech

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Beyoncé and taylor swift top the 2024 iheartradio awards, give speeches, 2024 iheart music awards beyoncé and taylor swift steal show ... give respective speeches.

Beyoncé and Taylor Swift were the feature attractions at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards Monday night -- and two superstars walked away with more than a few statues.

But, unlike Taylor, Bey showed up at the star-studded event at L.A.'s Dolby Theater, flashing her new persona as a leather-clad cowgirl after last Friday's release of her very popular country music album, "Cowboy Carter." Taylor arrived later via video message.

After posing for some pics on the red carpet, Bey and the other stars went inside to enjoy the show, which was hosted by Ludacris . Among the awards nominees were Miley Cyrus , Drake , Jelly Roll , Luke Combs , Morgan Wallen , Olivia Rodrigo , Shakira , SZA and Usher .

Of course, Bey was part of that group of super artists along with Taylor, who led everyone with nine nominations.

When it came time to hand out the Innovator Award, music icon Stevie Wonder presented it to Bey, who took to the mic and gave a rousing speech.

Bey said in part, "Call me an innovator and I'm grateful. Innovation starts with a dream. Then you have to execute that dream. That road can be very bumpy. Being an innovator is seeing what everyone believes is impossible. It means being criticized often, which often will test your mental strength."

Taylor also won big, accepting a whopping 6 awards, including for Pop Artist Of The Year. Since Taylor couldn't make it to the ceremony, she sent in a video message, thanking everyone for their support.

In her short statement, Taylor said, "I want to say thank you so much to anyone who voted for this award. iHeart, you have just been so incredibly supportive over the course of my entire career."

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Writing off George Galloway ignores his dangerous appeal to both far left and right

Muslims angry over Gaza and white conservatives joined in electing the new MP for Rochdale. Those who see him as a fringe figure do so at their peril

G eorge Galloway’s victory in the Rochdale byelection has been greeted with a shrug of complacency by most commentators. After all, Galloway has a habit of pulling off shock byelection wins only to disappear quickly afterwards, and his success this time owed much to happenstance. Perhaps if Labour had not been forced to suspend its candidate after he was recorded at a public meeting claiming that Israel had planned the 7 October attacks, Galloway would not have won. Perhaps the whole episode tells us little about the outcome of the forthcoming general election, let alone the future of British politics. Then again, perhaps not.

Things would be more straightforward if we could take Galloway, and the Workers’ Party of Britain (WPB) that he leads, at face value. They claim to be a leftwing outfit that won Rochdale on a surge of pro-Palestinian sentiment in the wake of Israel’s brutal assault on Gaza. But the truth is murkier. During this campaign, Galloway’s team sent out more than one set of correspondence. One, addressed to Muslims in the constituency, urged voters to “use your vote to send Keir Starmer and the Labour party a message – stop supporting genocide, stop supporting Israeli aggression, and stand with Palestine”.

His other election address, targeting a different demographic, tells another story. It trumpets Galloway’s record of backing Brexit, opposing Scottish independence and supporting family values. A whole paragraph is dedicated to outlining his opposition to transgender rights and his conviction that “God creates everything in pairs”. “I believe in law and order,” the letter reads. “There will be no grooming gangs in Rochdale. Even if I have to arrest them myself.” It ends with a deliberate nod to Donald Trump, promising to “make Rochdale great again”. Alienated white voters were a key part of Galloway’s winning coalition.

The WPB is as much about social conservatism as it is about leftwing economic policies. It promises decent housing, better-funded public services and workers’ rights. But it also promises to combat the “ridiculous intersectional ideology of radical liberals”, and to put a stop to net zero. Perhaps this is why Nick Griffin, Britain’s most famous far-right leader, called for a vote for Galloway in Rochdale, saying Galloway “understands the position of working-class white Britons on immigration”. Chris Williamson, a former Labour MP and now the WPB’s deputy leader, was asked on the BBC’s Today programme if he would like to distance the party from Griffin’s endorsement. He declined to do so.

Galloway’s political shift can be measured in organisational terms. When he was expelled from the Labour party in 2003, he joined Respect, a broad leftwing party that emerged from the movement against the Iraq war. Galloway last stood for Respect in 2015, when he lost Bradford West to Labour . By 2020, he had shifted gear entirely, founding All for Unity, an unsuccessful attempt to bring together Scottish unionists, including Tory and Ukip figures, before the 2021 Scottish parliament elections. Now, Galloway leads the WPB, which campaigns, in its words, “for the workers not the wokers”. Whereas Respect often relied on the activist work ethic of the Socialist Workers’ Party (SWP), the WPB was until recently backed by the Communist party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist), an explicitly Stalinist organisation. The authoritarian, socially conservative group made excellent bag-carriers for Galloway’s long march away from the left.

Across Europe, figures are toying with the same strategy. Sahra Wagenknecht was until recently a prominent spokesperson for Germany’s Left party. She split last year to found her own project and is now polling at about 7% before May’s European elections. Like Galloway, she espouses an explicitly conservative agenda on culture war issues and opposes environmentalism. She has long called for a rolling back of Germany’s acceptance of refugees, once warning that “there should be no neighbourhoods where natives are in a minority”. Like Galloway, she was critical of Covid lockdowns, playing to an audience otherwise courted by the far right. And, like Galloway, Wagenknecht has spoken about Putin’s right to push back against “Nato aggression”.

There are plenty of caveats to Galloway’s success in Rochdale. The demographic coalition he is trying to unite – Muslim voters angry about Gaza and socially conservative white working-class voters – are not obvious bedfellows. It is more than possible that Labour will regain the seat at the general election. But politics is about more than election results, and after a decade of upsets it is unwise for anyone to write off what Galloway represents. Received wisdom has him down as a fringe left figure whose moment in the sun will pass. The opposite is the case: Galloway is no longer bound by the left, and freed from it he is dangerous.

Michael Chessum is a freelance writer and socialist activist

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a letter of up to 250 words to be considered for publication, email it to us at [email protected]

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• Byelections

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George Galloway may challenge Andy Burnham for Greater Manchester mayor

George Galloway targets Angela Rayner’s seat after he is sworn in as MP

Galloway win makes Workers party a focus for far-left challenges to Labour

The Ego has Landed: George Galloway basks in his swearing in as MP

Labour rattled by Galloway win as Sadiq Khan slams PM over racist ‘poison’

Rochdale byelection confirms dissatisfaction but little else is certain

George Galloway heckled on climate during Rochdale victory speech – video

‘This is for Gaza’: George Galloway sweeps to victory in Rochdale byelection

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NC State advances to first Final Four since 1983: DJ Burns leads 11 seed to Elite Eight upset of 4-seed Duke

The wolfpack's magical postseason run will continue to the final four after a 76-64 win vs. duke in the south regional final.

DALLAS -- No. 11 seed NC State is dancing its way to the Final Four for the fourth time in school history and first time since 1983 after upsetting ACC rival and crosstown rival Duke in a 74-64 thriller in the Elite Eight on Sunday. The Wolfpack trailed the majority of the game but chipped away at the margin as the game went on before opening up a double-digit lead and busting it wide open in the final minutes.

NC State star DJ Burns Jr. had a career performance and an all-time March Madness moment with 29 points to lead the Pack past No. 4 seed Duke. Burns had a strong eight points in the first half but took over in the second half as Duke struggled to defend his size.

Blue Devils star Kyle Filipowski fouled out of the game with 4:52 remaining after briefly flirting with foul trouble with four fouls. Mark Mitchell and Ryan Young primarily drew defensive duties on Burns in his absence, and neither could keep in front of his burly frame and sweet feet.

NC State's dream run to the Final Four almost didn't happen at all after a 9-11 finish to ACC play in the regular season. The Wolfpack then won five games in five days in the ACC Tournament to earn the league's automatic NCAA Tournament berth before winning three of its four March Madness games as an underdog.

Wolfpack keeps winning in March 

Around this time three weeks ago, NC State looked like they were heading toward the NIT. The Wolfpack had just dropped their fourth straight game to close the regular season and needed an improbable run at the ACC Tournament to advance to the Big Dance. NC State proceeded to win five games in five days to secure the automatic bid and then knocked off No. 6 seed Texas Tech, No. 14 seed  Oakland, No. 2 seed Marquette and No. 4 seed Duke in the NCAA Tournament to reach the Final Four for the first time since 1983. The Wolfpack are the sixth No. 11 seed since 1979 to advance to the national semifinals.  

The legend of Burns grows

Burns is becoming a March Madness legend before our eyes. The NC State star began his career at Tennessee before transferring to Winthrop after his freshman season. He played three seasons with the Eagles before transferring a third time at his final stop: NC State. Burns plays with a passionate fire that energizes teammates. He's also extremely hard to stop down low. Burns will likely get the Zach Edey assignment when NC State faces Purdue next weekend. If NC State is going to slow down the reigning national player of the year, it starts with Burns staying out of foul trouble. That gives NC State the best chance of pulling off another upset.  

Duke's McCain shines, Proctor struggles

McCain routinely played like Duke's best player in the final two months of the regular season. He was also the best player on the floor for the No. 4 seed throughout the NCAA Tournament. McCain finished with 32 points and connected on 5 of 11 attempts from distance. It's very likely that McCain at least puts his name in the 2024 NBA Draft, where he projects as a first-round pick. McCain's backcourt mate, Proctor, had a game to forget. Proctor finished with zero points and missed all nine of his field-goal attempts. Throughout the season, Proctor disappeared in big moments, and this was the latest example of it. Proctor projects as a first-round pick this summer, and his stay-or-go decision will loom large for the Blue Devils' program.  

NC State upsets Duke, advances to Final Four

Final: (11) nc state 76, (4) duke 64.

The final ticket to the Final Four has been punched. No. 11 seed NC State advanced to its first Final Four since 1983 with a 76-64 win over No. 4 seed Duke in the South Regional final. The Wolfpack will face No. 1 seed Purdue in the national semifinals next Saturday. 

NC State, the final double-digit seed remaining in the NCAA Tournament, continued its improbable run with its ninth consecutive win in an elimination game dating back to the ACC Tournament earlier this month. The Wolfpack had to win five games in five days to receive the automatic bid in the ACC Tournament fbefore winning four games the last two weeks to advance to the fourth Final Four in program history.

NC State star big man DJ Burns Jr. scored 29 points and DJ Horne added 20. The Wolfpack erased a nine-point deficit late in the first half and shot 19 of 26 (73.1%) from the floor after halftime. Duke was limited to 5 of 20 shooting from beyond the arc and star guard Tyrese Proctor was held to zero points. 

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NCAAW Elite 8 Highlights: No. 3 LSU vs. No. 1 Iowa

Ncaaw elite 8 highlights: no. 3 uconn vs. no. 1 usc.

JuJu Watkins, Paige Bueckers, Geno Auriemma Sound Off Following UConn Advancing To Final Four

Game Recap: Paige Bueckers Hits Floater, Puts UConn Up 11

NCAAW Final Four Preview: Pick To Win National Title

NCAAW Final Four Preview: South Carolina Continues The Chase For Perfection

Paige Bueckers Leads UConn To Victory Over USC

NCAAW Final Four Preview: Caitlin Clark Leads Iowa Back To Final Four

Angel Reese Responds To Criticism Following Season-Ending Loss

Caitlin Clark's Dominant Performance Leads Iowa To Final Four

On-Site Reaction: No. 3 LSU vs. No. 1 Iowa