I coach an inner-city policy debate team. The kids with innate public speaking abilities are the kids that quit the team after a few tournaments. The come in as beginners and their talent wins them an award or two. They rarely attend practice and don’t work on learning the case. Then they stop winning. My kids that take the time to develop their skills and understand the material, start to shine. One of my favorite moments was a tournament three years ago. Two shy freshman girls, had attended every tournament and practice and never won a debate or award. They spent the season building confidence, learning to project their voice, and understanding the material. It was the last tournament of the year, each walked away with a personal speaker award and a trophy for qualifying for the quarter finals. That is the power of determination!