Many pupils who don’t shine in the classroom make an impression on the sporting field. That’s why presenting awards for sporting achievements is so important. When you are speaking at such a school prizegiving speak about the benefits sports gives young people. Speak about team spirit and the competitive element. Above all sell the idea that sports people can be a success because of the discipline imposed by training and preparing for sporting fixctures.

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This week I was unexpectedly presented with a sporting award and asked to give a speech. This brings to mind the problems of speaking off the cuff. Unless you are a very accomplished speaker it is wiser to keep it simple and simply say, Thank you I am honoured to be given this award. I shall treasure it.”

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Give credit in speeches, where it’s due. That’s right, I owe a lot of people. In fact the list is ‘this’ long. How am I going to fit it into this acceptance speech? I’ll do it alphabetically. Perhaps chronologically would be better. We’ll all be here till doomsday or at least until I have lost your attention and sympathy. But I have do it, otherwise I’ll be causing offence. Ok, I might just say ‘to those of you I haven’t already had a chance to thank personally’. Or what about, ‘to everyone who has helped me’? Or ‘for everyone who has worked so hard, inpsired me and encouraged me, I thank you all’. You could dedicate the award to them, or why not give them the award altogther?

Now, that’s going too far.

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