Speech and Debate: Transforming Lives Throughout Colorado

Creating everlasting memories: something so many kids and coaches are able to do throughout their time in speech and debate.

Beyond the bold voices, lies so many of the brightest young minds. Allowing the competitions and camaraderie to be about so much more than just preparing an argument, or a speech.

“Speech and debate is a transformative activity that empowers students to share their ideas, thoughts and voices with the world,” said Marti Benham, Cherry Creek High School’s speech and debate coach. “To be a small part of students becoming more knowledgeable and more confident in expressing themselves and advocating for themselves and others is amazing.”

Advocacy and breaking out of comfort zones is a big part of the competitive landscape. Benham knows the importance of this well, being inducted CHSAA Hall of Fame in 2021 as one of the states top speech and debate ambassadors. On top of being a hall of famer, Benham also serves as the chairperson for the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) Colorado region, where she was awarded the National Federation of State High School’s section VI Speech, Debate and Theater Educator of the Year award in 2020. She’s not the only one working to transform students’ lives through speech and debate, though.

“I think the three biggest impacts I’ve seen speech and debate have on students are confidence, involvement, and belonging,” said Renee Motter, Air Academy’s speech and debate coach. “I can’t tell you the number of students who enter speech and debate and have no confidence in their voice. They aren’t really convinced that they have anything worthwhile to say, and even if they feel that they have something to say, they aren’t convinced that anyone wants to hear it.”

Undoubtedly, generating that confidence has changed the lives of so many people. Allowing someone to get in a room and express themselves plain and simply cannot be overvalued. Motter herself is also well versed in the importance of finding your confidence. Motter is an elected member of the NSDA. She was named the NSDA Educator of the Year award in 2017, along with receiving the 2013 NSDA Chair of the Year award. Motter also received the Sharon Wilch Lifetime Achievement Award.

When you grow in such a way that you might have not otherwise thought possible without speech and debate, it certainly can bring about a special connection between a community of like people.

“Coaching speech and debate is being part of a community that is about more than competition,” Motter said. “It is a community about helping each other; whether that’s helping one another become better coaches, taking your own students to another school to teach them an event they haven’t previously competed in, or celebrating everyone’s victories. Colorado has a great community of coaches who really care about the activity and the students and each other.”

That growth and development over the four short years that someone can compete in speech and debate events are critical to helping some of the brightest young minds create that confidence within themselves.

Those skills created while creating arguments and speeches about things like polarizing issues across the United States, or preparing interpretations from complicated literature like a Shakespearean poem will serve them well beyond their high school years.

“As a speech and debate coach, I often get to work with students for three or four years of high school,” said Benham said. “It is so rewarding to watch them develop lifelong skills in communication, critical thinking, and teamwork that will serve them for the rest of their lives.”

As some championships conclude and others right around the corner, special moments come and go.

All that hard work, all the dedication and all the late nights: all with a chance to win on the biggest stage in Colorado.

“My favorite part of the Speech and Debate State Championships is the community coming together to provide hundreds of students the opportunity to connect, perform, learn and grow, all while competing and crowning new champions,” Benham said. “It is an awesome event that highlights an entire season of work. Regardless of the finish in the tournament, students win by participating, challenging themselves, and celebrating each other’s successes.”

As champions are crowned, one of the most heart-warming moments happens when students in the crowd cheer and give standing ovations for the people recognized on stage regardless of school.

School-to-school rivals can bring excitement, but the sheer love and support that transcends those rivalries means just that much more.

“I love that we get to see coaches and students from across the state,” Motter said. “Speech and debate is one of those communities where you compete strongly in the round, but you also find friends outside of the rounds. State allows us to connect with friends we haven’t seen all year, and to show off all the work we’ve done to prepare all season.”