Friday will begin a four-year series of columns entitled “Exodus to Excellence,” providing a tournament-by-tournament and round-by-round breakdown of my career competing for Danville High School (KY) from 2000-2004.
Source material will be drawn from two places: old ballots and a journal of notes that I kept during these years. My old coach Steve Meadows kept all of our ballots each season and presented them to us at the team’s award ceremony. So I have four thick manila envelopes to sort through since this is before tournaments became virtual and ballots became electronic. I have not looked at many of these materials for close to 20 years.
It is my hope that this series can serve as an advice column for younger and seasoned competitors, while also providing a nice “blast to the past” for any longtime extemp veterans that visit this site. The column will showcase what extempers were talking about prior to the September 11 terror attacks (and how that tragic event reshaped the activity); practice routines; and the achievements, challenges, and setbacks that I faced as an ambitious competitor from a lesser known state.
So check back on Thursday for the posting of the first “Exodus to Excellence” column, which will be followed by another on Friday that details my first tournament experience at Scott County High School on November 11, 2000!
Your experience is always appreciated Logan! I can’t wait to hear more about the myth, the man, the legend!
But in reality, thank you so much for all the coaching and resources you’ve provided for the Speech and the exempt community. Holding institutional knowledge for anyone with internet access and a laptop!