Two hours was all I had from the moment I was asked to speak until the moment the event started.
No time to overthink—just a message to find, write, and deliver.
Not long ago, that may have been overwhelming. Instead, I felt ready.
That confidence came from Toastmasters. It trained me to think on my feet, organize ideas quickly, and deliver a message with clarity.
This is one of those times I can directly connect my Toastmasters training to real-world experience. And it’s why I highly recommend Toastmasters to anyone looking to improve their public speaking skills. Find a Club.
What follows is the speech—built in just two hours—and the video of how it came together on stage, and this year’s Pop Warner Eastern Region All-American Scholar Banquet.
We all know Pop Warner’s mission.
In a nutshell: it’s to develop children for success in life – and we do that using football and cheer & dance.
We teach, coach, and mentor.
But the All-American program flips the script.
This year was the first year we accepted online applications, so I had the chance to look through the applications and learn about these amazing kids.
The discipline and commitment to school.
Balancing practices and homework
Then, also getting involved in the community or different causes.
It’s impressive.
I think I speak for all the adults when I say:
We’re inspired by you.
We’re encouraged by you.
And, going back to our mission:
We’re excited for you.
So tonight we simply pause to recognize and celebrate you. So enjoy it.
But tomorrow I know you will all be back it.
Keep doing what you’re doing.
See how it turned out on stage: