Public Speaking – When big kids cry



You signed me up for WHAT?!

Statistics show that 74% of people suffer from speech anxiety. I think that number increased when I told my son he would have to enter a speech contest.

After school I knocked on my teen sons’ bedroom door and began talking, “Hey, I signed you up for a speech contest.”

“You did WHAT?”

His face contorted, he pouted, and I thought he would throw a tantrum like a two year old. No tears were present, but he looked like he wanted to cry.

I tried to encourage my son by telling him that there are only five people signed up for the competition (so far). I also told him that I (or Granny) would match his winnings. He was still less than excited about the contest.

As we sat in the quiet room at the first contest rehearsal, my son leaned over and whispered to me, “Can you NOT sign me up for anything else without telling me?”

I didn’t agree to anything. I just smiled and waited for the organizers to give instructions.

In an effort to keep the tears at bay, I offered my son two tips for his public speaking engagement.

·         Visualize – picture yourself having a successful outcome, whatever that means to you. It may mean engaging the audience, making them laugh or projecting your voice in a confident manner.

·         Practice – practice what you’re going to say, where you will place emphasis, and how you will move. Practice, practice, practice.

In an article on public speaking, tips were given on how to deal with nervous symptoms that may occur.

·         Trembling hands – put them together

·         Knees knocking – shift your weight and flex your knees

·         Quivering voice – pause, take a deep breath and smile

My son now has an arsenal of information to aide him on the journey of getting through his speech competition. I’ll wait until after the contest to tell him that I threw up the first I had to perform in front of a large audience (at his age).

Have you ever encounter speech anxiety? How did you handle it?