Speech Team

The Ball State Speech Team has won the Indiana state championship for 10 consecutive years and placed each year at the national tournament. Members of the Speech Team, also known as the individual events program, receive individual coaching as they finesse their public speaking and oral interpretation skills. 

What Events Does the Speech Team Do?

• interpretation events include prose, poetry, dramatic interpretation, program oral interpretation, and duo
• public address events include informative, persuasive, after dinner speaking, and rhetorical criticism
• limited-preparation events include extemporaneous and impromptu speaking

What Does Traveling to Speech Tournaments Entail?

• The speech team travels to about five tournaments a semester.
• State and national tournaments are in the spring.
• Primarily, the team travels in university vehicles.
• The team pays for lodging, entry fees, and food. 

What are the rules to compete?

• Students must maintain a 2.5 cumulative grade point average (GPA).
• Students must compete in two events.
• Students must coach at least one hour per event per week.
• Students must have events approved by members of the coaching staff.

Want to Join?

Contact the director of individual events, Spencer Coile , for more information on how to be involved with the speech team.

Contact Director 

The Ball State Speech Team goes to the Indiana Forensics Association State Tournament every year, and has won 12 consecutive team championships. For six years running, the speech team has placed in the top 10 at this national tournament.