What the Winter Olympics Can Teach Kids About Public Speaking

With the Winter Olympics underway in Milan, families around the world are watching athletes perform under intense pressure. Years of training. One moment to deliver.

Public speaking works the same way.

At Stand Up and Speak, we often tell students that strong speakers are built, not born. Olympic athletes prove that mastery comes from preparation, repetition, coaching, and learning how to perform when the spotlight turns on.

Let’s take a fun look at what winter sports can teach kids and teens about public speaking.

Figure Skating and Speech Delivery

Figure skaters are judged not just on technical difficulty, but on poise, clarity, and flow. Every movement matters.

Public speaking is similar. A strong speech is not just about words. It is about pacing, posture, eye contact, and how confidently a speaker moves through their message.

When students practice delivery skills, they learn how to:

• Control nervous energy

• Speak with rhythm and clarity

• Recover smoothly from small mistakes

  
  

Great speakers, like great skaters, make difficult things look effortless.

A figure skater performs with control and confidence under competition pressure.

Hockey and Thinking Fast on Your Feet

Hockey players do not have time to overthink. They read the play, adjust instantly, and make decisions on the move.

This is exactly what happens in impromptu speaking.

In public speaking, students often face:

• Unexpected questions

• Follow-up prompts

• On-the-spot challenges

  
  

Learning to think clearly while speaking is a skill that improves with practice. Impromptu speaking teaches kids to trust their thinking, stay calm, and respond with confidence even when they haven't rehearsed every word.

Speed Skating and Preparation

Speed skating races are short, but the preparation behind them is massive. Athletes train repeatedly on starts, turns, and finishes.

Public speaking works the same way. A speech may last only a few minutes, but the preparation behind it determines how confident a student feels when speaking.

Students who prepare properly learn that confidence comes from:

• Knowing their structure

• Practicing openings and closings

• Rehearsing transitions

Preparation reduces anxiety and replaces it with control.

A speed skater demonstrates focus and preparation during a high-speed race.

Curling and Strategic Thinking

Curling may look slow, but it is one of the most strategic winter sports. Every move is deliberate, and every decision affects the outcome.

Public speaking is also strategic.

Strong speakers learn how to:

• Structure ideas logically

• Anticipate audience reactions

• Choose words intentionally

  
  

This is especially important in persuasive speaking, debates, and presentations. Students learn that speaking well is not about talking more, but about thinking clearly and choosing wisely.

Competition Builds Calm Under Pressure

Olympic athletes feel nerves. The difference is that they know how to manage them.

Public speaking competitions and showcases give students the same opportunity. They experience nerves in a supportive environment, learn how to breathe through them, and discover that pressure does not have to stop them.

Over time, students stop fearing the spotlight and start trusting their preparation.

That confidence carries far beyond the stage.

A student speaker delivers a speech confidently to an audience.

Public Speaking and Sports: From the Olympics to the Podium

The Winter Olympics remind us that excellence is built through coaching, repetition, and learning how to perform when it counts.

Public speaking is no different.

When kids and teens are given the right tools, guidance, and opportunities to practice under real conditions, confidence follows naturally. Whether on the ice or on stage, performance improves when preparation meets opportunity.

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