Lovell/Rocky speech and debate season underway

Speech and debate coach John Mickelson has faith in all his team members.
“We expect great things from all of them, actually,” Mickelson said. “But like Kate Badget, she’s a returning state placer. All the kids actually have potential. It’s just if they want to get to do the work. Talent will get you so far, but actually getting in there … a lot of it is on them to be successful is the amount of work they put outside practice.”
The speech and debate team consists of 10 members from both Lovell and Rocky Mountain high schools. The speech and debate competition season starts in November and runs through March.
At their first meet in Rock Springs, the team placed first for the 1A/2A division. Three individuals placed at the meet. Rachel Pope placed seventh in varsity informative. Bianca Krei placed sixth in varsity original oratory and fourth in original oratory novice. Lilly Keele placed fifth in novice improv.
The next competition for speech and debate is at Casper Kelly Walsh. This meet will be bigger than the first. Mickelson estimates that 20 teams will be there. The big tournament will be a shock to his players, he said. It is a great opportunity for the team to get used to the shock, which helps prepare them for the state tournament.
 “It’s a great opportunity for them to just have that shock and awe moment,” Mickelson said. “When they get to State everybody competes against everyone, and then they break down the classes later. But it gets that, you know, I can actually hold my own. I can actually compete against 3A/4A schools.”
Mickelson said many students who compete in speech and debate are shy, and he looks forward to them coming out of their shells. He likes to see students go out of their comfort zones, grow as an individual and test their limits.
Competing in speech and debate helps students to grow their mental fortitude in the same way that sports builds physical stamina, Mickelson said. This year, the team will have one or two Lincoln-Douglas debaters, which they were lacking last year.
In that event, students are on their own during the debate against an opponent, whereas in other debate events it is two people with one able to do research. The early season topic for Lincoln-Douglas debate is “Should military service be mandatory?” Students have to know both sides of the issue, because they will argue both sides throughout the season.
Speech and debate teaches valuable life lessons, Mickelson said. It teaches students to accept themselves, resilience, risk taking, to grow from criticism and learn to live with people who have different opinions than they do.
Speech and debate is a good place for kids to fit in, he said.
“It’s always good to see kids being accepted because not every kid gets a chance to express themselves intellectually or dramatically. Not everybody can wrestle; not everybody can play basketball,” he said. “And this gives them an opportunity for them to shine. It gives them a lot to get out of the team.”