Finding a Voice in Extemporaneous Speaking: What the Event Asks and Who It Suits
Real Stories, Real Skills: Profiles and Case Studies
Most FFA speeches are written and rehearsed. Extemporaneous speaking is not. Members receive an agriculture-related topic, build remarks in a short window and deliver them to judges who then ask questions. It is one of the clearest tests of thinking on your feet, and one of the best places to find your own speaking voice. This article summarizes what FFA says about the event, collects advice on managing nerves and offers a practice routine members can run with a friend.
- Key takeaway: extemporaneous speaking rewards a repeatable structure and calm preparation more than polish.
- Caution: the structure suggested below is this site’s, not an FFA requirement.
What the Event Asks
FFA’s description says the extemporaneous public speaking event develops members’ abilities to express themselves on a given agriculture-related topic without prior preparation or rehearsal. Participants formulate and present remarks in a limited time, and judges evaluate speaking, presentation, content and the ability to answer questions about the topic. The event is held in conjunction with the National FFA Convention & Expo and sits under the Career Ready Practices pathway (source).
The workplace parallel is clear. The National Association of Colleges and Employers defines communication as clearly and effectively exchanging information, ideas, facts and perspectives, and its sample behaviors include communicating in a clear and organized manner (source).
Managing the Nerves
FFA’s March 2025 guide to public speaking nerves offers five suggestions. Start preparing long before competition day, avoid overthinking and over-rehearsing, talk with other competitors, notice the layout of the room as you enter and remember that judges want you to succeed (source). The guide is written for prepared events, but the advice about the room and the judges applies equally here.
Scott Stump, who later led National FFA, said that when an instructor suggests the extemporaneous speaking contest, the right answer is to say yes and give it a try (source).
A Simple Structure
| Step | What to do in the prep window |
|---|---|
| Point | Decide the one thing you want judges to remember |
| Three reasons | Jot three supporting ideas |
| Example | Pick one real example from farms, markets or school |
| Close | Restate your point in a sentence |
This framework is this site’s suggestion. A fixed structure frees attention for content and delivery.
Practice With a Friend
- Have the friend pick a topic from a news headline about agriculture.
- Take the allowed prep time, then speak for the time limit.
- Have the friend ask two follow-up questions.
- Ask what was clear and what was confusing.
Honest Limits
FFA’s event page describes design and scoring but not outcomes. The nerves guide is advice from a member-writer, and no source here shows that the event improves later speaking.
On this site, Mark Sanborn became a leadership speaker and author, Jackie Mundt competed in speaking contests and leadership events and Javier Moreno was the first National FFA President whose native language was not English. Their bios do not claim extemporaneous speaking shaped those paths.