On February 24th, the ADM Speech Team performed 37 different speeches on varying topics at the annual IHSSA Individual Districts contest that took place at Northwest High School. Out of these 37 speeches, 24 of them were chosen to advance to the state competition. While it is always a goal of the team to send students to state, this year was even more important as the students would be representing ADM as the school was tasked to host the event.

This year, the individual state speech competition will be held at ADM on March 9th. Jacque Seidl, head coach of the speech team, shared why they decided to take on this challenge.

“I received a call from Stacey Hansen, the director of the IHSSA, looking for a place to host state speech. We like to host because, one, it allows our kids to perform on familiar territory. They know the rooms, they know the space. They can feel confident here. And two, it gives us a chance to showcase ADM and some of the great spaces that we have here. Plus, we make a lot of money, which is a way that we can support our speech team for the next few years.”

In 2022, ADM hosted the state speech competition, from which numerous valuable lessons were learned.

“The last time I hosted was my first time hosting a state contest so I did learn a whole lot. The first thing we learned is more food. We didn’t run out of food, but we got really close so we want to give more options. We want people to eat here and utilize the services that we’re bringing in,” Seidl stated. “We have rolled ice cream coming, which is kind of fun. We’re also going to be serving Domino’s personal pizzas. Morning Grind will even be coming and offering a coffee bar. We are trying to make it a little bit different from your typical concession stand. It’s kind of fun to offer some of these things.”

The speech competition will hold over one thousand students and 100 schools from the southwest quadrant of Iowa. The competition will have 12 different categories, ranging from poetry to spontaneous speaking, and the performers will be placed in 22 different centers around ADM Middle and High School. The coaches, including Seidl, have worked tirelessly to create the best layout for the competition, building on their experience hosting the event in 2022.

“We learned a bit about what spaces work best for what specific categories. We had a couple of centers that were a little close to each other two years ago, so we’ve moved those farther apart.”

Jaclyn Vander Waal, a second-year teacher and first-year speech coach, has also been working to make the event run smoothly.

“The coaches [Vander Waal, Bedard, and Seidl] meet once a week during our prep period, and we have this big checklist that we go through to make sure all the necessary things are done,” Vander Waal explained. “For example, we created a map with all the classrooms that we need and we will hang up signs so that students and audience members know where to go. These were some of the things on the checklist. We go out during the week and do our own little parts that we’ve assigned to each of us, and then we come back and figure out what’s next on our list.” 

Seidl shares what behind-the-scenes work all of the coaches have been working on, including the teamwork and planning required for the day.

“A lot of the things that I am doing are kind of behind-the-scenes things that have to happen so that that day works. I had to find over 60 judges who were certified by the IHSSA and who were willing to come on that first day of spring break. That has kind of been an issue, but we’ve got it. We’re ready. The other coaches and I have been working on what centers we are going to use and what classrooms will be best for these. We are always thinking about the materials that we need for the day,” said Seidl. “We have also been working on getting the judges’ packets ready and building that schedule. There are a lot of behind-the-scenes things that have to happen so that when kids come on that March 9, it is smooth sailing and they get to go, perform and have a great day.” 

When doing the planning for March 9th, the planning team has had to work closely with local businesses, parents, volunteers and judges. Vander Waal emphasized the importance of collaboration among coaches and other parties when preparing for the event.

“The coaches all meet every Wednesday. I know Ms. Bedard has worked with the concession stand companies. We have been working with some of the local businesses as well as our judges to find categories that they are passionate about. We have also worked with parents who are willing to help out in concession stands. The same goes for students who have been talked to so we can see where they can help out,” Vander Waal explained. 

Volunteering is a crucial piece of planning for the state speech competition. Both Vander Waal and Seidl agree that finding volunteers for the event has been particularly stressful, especially considering that it takes place during the first day of spring break. Seidl hopes to see more volunteer signups in the weeks leading up to the competition.

“We are still looking for some volunteers, so if anyone is not going on a spring break trip and leaving that first Saturday, we’d love to have you. It’s really easy volunteer work and you get to be entertained while you’re volunteering. If you’re not volunteering, anybody is free to come and join us,” urged Seidl. “Come and watch some good quality performances from all across the southwest portion of the state.”

With all of the preparation leading up to this event, it could be easy for the coaches to feel overwhelmed, but the ADM speech leaders have shared their personal goals leading up to this day. Vander Waal, who started working with the ADM speech students earlier than in previous years, is determined to see her students succeed.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing all the students showcase their talents. I think it’s a lot of fun to see what the students have come up with in their individual pieces. These showcase the things that they are passionate about, both from our students and from the students in different schools,” praised Vander Waal. “It’s also really cool to see what other coaches have been working on with their students. I just hope that everyone on performance day does the best that they have done all season and gives their best performance.”

All of the coaches have agreed that their students’ success is a top priority. When it comes to the state speech competition, Seidl speaks about her additional goals for the day.

“I want it to run smoothly. I want everyone to come here and say, Man, ADM does a great job at hosting contests. We want to have no problems, or if there are small issues, we want them to be easily resolved and have everyone leaving ADM feeling like they had a really good experience.”

Hosting the IHSSA Individual State Speech contest for 2024 has been a significant undertaking. With the combined efforts of three speech coaches and volunteers from around the district, ADM looks to be well-prepared to welcome the performers of this generation and attentively listen to all they have to share.