Tournaments: Speech teams from all over the state host invitational tournaments throughout the season. So, on Saturday mornings we pack ourselves up in a bus and head off to compete. Tournaments range in size from about 12-30 schools.

The tournaments are set up in rounds. Early in the season there are 3 rounds in a tourney; later there are final rounds, for which students qualify through their preliminary rounds performances. In each round, the students perform their pieces in turn against 5-6 students from other schools doing the same event. Each competitor in the round is given a rank in relation to the others. The goal is to get the highest ranks possible: 1 being the best in round, 6 being the least best. :-)

The competitors change for each round, so the students are not competing against the same speakers in every round (ideally). Rounds are judged by coaches, assistant coaches and hired, experienced judges. Most coaches are teachers at the schools where they coach, like Mr. B.

Forensics competition in the state of Illinois is governed by the Illinois High School Association (IHSA). This means that all the competitors throughout the state follow the same rules and guidelines. We have 13 categories of competition for Individual Events in the state of Illinois. Each category of competition is called an event.

The season for Speech Team runs nearly the entire school year - from September (preparations, rehearsals) into March (state finals). Keep reading for more specifics.
WHAT IS REQUIRED OF THE STUDENT - PART 1