Tournament Hacks: Post-Game Speeches
It can be kinda tough to be put on the spot and speak about a game that literally just finished, and a team you know nothing about. It may not seem like a big deal, but I think it is. It's really terrible to come into the call after a game, having played your hardest and felt like you've achieved something, and then have your opposition put little to no effort in their speech, and downplay the experience. It's important to bring your spirit into your speech, so here are some things I would recommend.
Start by paying attention during the game, particularly if you sub off. Watch the game more objectively - as if you aren't personally up against this team - and make comments. By thinking about these things during the game, you'll have something to bring to the speech. Some of the things I consider are: Force/ pressure; interceptions; flow; cuts; handler-use; overheads; endzone movement; communication; spirit. There are a helluva lot of aspects to Ultimate, so utilise them in the speech!
I also try to point out individuals on the opposition, just because I know how flattered and excited I am if somebody does it for me. For example, if your man was impeccably close to you throughout the game, or there was someone who kept intercepting strong discs, totally point at them and say so! This will definitely boost your spirit because it'll show that you care enough to notice the opposition's strengths, even when you're in a competitive atmosphere.
This next thing I'm going to say is so important to me: Do not downplay their success by blaming it on your weaknesses. If they had strong flow, say they had strong flow; do not say 'Oh we were just a little frazzled and made it easy for you to get the disc past us'. If their zone was strong, say so; do not tell them how tired you were and that it was just because your cuts were slow. If they've just won a game, let them celebrate and feel proud of their achievements!
Just to add to the spirit, have a sense of humour. You don't have to be business-like all of a sudden. Having just played a game of a sport that you all love, sharing in that experience should bring you and your opposition together. Have a conversation with them and crack some jokes. If someone was really clumsy, or if there was a really shoddy pull or two, have a laugh about it. Be personal and friendly, and enjoy the experience of making the speech.
I think the most important part about the post-game speech is sincerity; being specific and honest and kind and - if necessary - constructively critical. With that, I think you do need to accept the fact that you will be put on the spot for each individual game. However, if you are a very nervous speaker, keep a list of phrases that you can fall back on if you're drawing a blank; just make sure you choose relevant ones! Here are some I've heard used a lot:
- You really ran us ragged.
- The score didn't reflect the game.
- Your fitness definitely pushed you that bit further.
- Those quick throws and your flow was what really did it.
- We just couldn't beat those overheads.
- Your force and pressure made getting those simple throws out so much harder.
- Even though it was such an intense game, your spirit was fantastic.
And so on and so forth. Although I think a speech is much better if you just let it come naturally, if phrases like that will make you feel a little more relaxed, then by all means, use them!
If you've any thoughts on other ways to improve on making post-game speeches, drop them in the ask box, or make a post and tag it with 'yourultimatedump'.