Youth Speaks A Debate is a national public speaking and debate competition run by the Rotary Club which allows young people to come together to express their views on some of life’s biggest issues from abortion to youth crime. It helps young people to build their confidence, self esteem and debating skills. These invaluable skills are built in every level of the competition from the auditions to the finals. On top of this the competition allows young people from the ages of eleven to seventeen to meet other people who share the same interests. I have taken part in this competition twice and the benefits have been truly endless.

Auditions are never easy, but when you’re reading out something you have written, expressing your inner values and opinions, it’s even harder. The audition process is one of the hardest parts of the whole experience, but it is also one of the most rewarding. Once you get past that first hurdle, your confidence already starts to build. Next, you must meet your two fellow teammates, and then the work begins. Every lunchtime, the team comes together and writes and fifteen-minute-long speech, one person proposing a notion, another opposing it and a chairperson to introduce and end the speech. After that, rehearsals begin. The weeks of rehearsals are some of the most rewarding parts of the whole process. Seeing your own improvements can really help to build self-esteem. Over the process of rehearsals, I made some of my closest friends in my teammates, and seeing their skills and confidence improve was invaluable.

All of these days and weeks of rehearsals lead up to the competition itself, which is both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time.  Once you have overcome the fear if meeting your competitors and the amazing members of the rotary club, the scariest part begins. When you get onto the stage and look out over the full hall of people looking to you for a great performance, all of the hard work begins to pay off and your newly built confidence begins to shine. As you deliver your speech the fear disappears, and only pride and confidence are left. Needless to say, I very much enjoyed my experiences at youth speaks, and the competition isn’t all.

The short-term benefits of this amazing competition are endless, a good reputation around school, fast track to roles such as head student or prefect, the confidence to land roles in events and plays that your school may put on and so many more. The confidence that is built throughout this competition can help with schoolwork and assessments that may otherwise cause high levels of anxiety and stress. Overriding this stress can hugely benefit results and grades which will in turn increase confidence, creating a cycle of confidence that will follow you into later life.

The long-term effects are even greater, the skills that you acquire from this process are useful in many careers and job roles such as, law, medicine, teaching and a plethora of others.  Confidence, public speaking, and researching skills are highly sought after in the world of work and can really help you to enter into new jobs or achieve promotions in a career. The benefits don’t end at your professional life, your social life could really benefit too. Making new friends, joining sports clubs or other community run groups will become far easier because of the skills you acquire.

Overall, Youth Speaks A Debate, has truly changed my life for the better and it could change yours too. The skills you build alongside people who share your interests and values can be taken along with you throughout your life leading to endless opportunities. I strongly recommend taking part in this competition or one like it – you’ll love it.