There’s a lot more to life than sports

It seems that modern day society focuses on sports, sports and more sports, from grade school through college and beyond.

In February, I experienced a different type of team spirit, It was a national qualifying high school speech tournament held at Youngstown’s Ursuline High School. Students from 12 area public and private schools attended.

As a 1942 East High School graduate, I was in awe as I watched the several hundred boys and girls there to participate eating lunch in the cafeteria. The boys were attired in suits and ties and the girls were equally impressive in their outfits. I don’t remember such a great non-sport event during my high school tenure.

Supportive parents were helping out in the cafeteria. For several hours, I dispensed beverages, with bottled water for dry throats being a popular item. The real workers on my shift were parents Anne and Jerry Monroe, Kim Coulter, Martha Iskander, Linda Kriezer and Kathy Young.

Speech team member

I was involved because, my grandson, Ursuline junior Patrick Kriezer is a speech team member. Their team is under the capable direction of Joan Williams, the head speech team coach.

There were seven national forensic league categories represented: humorous interpretation, dramatic interpretation, original oratory, duo interpretation, domestic and international extemporaneous public form debate (2 vs. 2) and Lincoln Douglas debate (1 vs. 1).

Arriving home, I found a yellowed national forensic league card dated May 23, 1939, issued to Mike Lacivita as a participant in debating contests. Unfortunately, I was involved only in my freshman year and did not heed the great advice of my debating coach Mr. Morris, who urged me to continue.

At 83 years of age I still continue to make presentations to groups of all ages, giving “I was there” recollections of the Great Depression and World War II. Public speaking is a lifelong invaluable addition to our lives and something we can continue to use into a ripe old age.

X Michael J. Lacivita is a Youngstown retiree and has been inducted into The Ohio Senior Citizen Hall of Fame and Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame.