Public Speaking Center
w
www.uwlax.edu/CommStudies/PSC
w
251 Murphy Library
Note: McGraw-Hill Higher Education published the original version of this outline as a student resource. The accompanying video is available:
https://docs.google.com/a/uwlax.edu/file/d/0ByUSqH2mXhyPVHVJZFVOTDVVWGc/edit?usp=sharing
The five steps of Monroe’s Motivated Sequence are indicated below in parentheses.
________________________________________________________________________________
Persuasive Speech
Sara Speaker
Specific subject: Special Olympics
Specific purpose: To persuade the audience to volunteer for the Special Olympics
Introduction (attention)
I. Attention getter: In Seattle, nine young athletes began racing in the 100-yard dash as the gun
went off. All except one little boy who stumbled on the asphalt, tumbled over a couple of times,
and began to cry. When the other eight runners heard the boy cry, every single one of them
turned around and ran to his side. One girl with Down syndrome kissed him and said, “This will
make it better.” Then all nine linked arms and walked to the finish line—together. These athletes
were competing in the Special Olympics. Founded in 1968, Special Olympics encouraged the
world to understand that people with disabilities can be respected, valued, contributing members
of society (McCoy, 2000).
II. Listener relevance: One of those children that crossed the finish line could have fallen into
your arms, or some day one of them could be your own child.
III. Thesis statement: After working as a volunteer for Special Olympics and doing additional
research for this speech, I want to encourage you to donate your time as a Special Olympics
volunteer.
IV. Preview of main points: Today, we’ll discuss the need for Special Olympics volunteers, how
you can help by becoming a volunteer, the rewards of volunteering for Special Olympics, and
next steps to take to get involved.
Body
I. First main point (need): As Special Olympics has grown over the years, so has the need for
volunteers.
A. In her book, Hearts of Gold: A Celebration of Special Olympics and Its Heroes, Sheila Dinn
(1996) mentions that more than 1.3 million athletes compete in Special Olympics around the
world.
1. Participants must be at least eight years old and must be identified as having an
intellectual or cognitive disability.
2. There are currently 200 Special Olympics programs in more than 150 countries
(Miller, 2008).
B. The success of Special Olympics depends on its large corps of volunteers.
1. In an interview I conducted with Julie Buedding (personal communication, February
23, 2008), the Director of Development of the Special Olympics here in Wisconsin, she
mentioned that there are 10,000 athletes and 3,500 volunteer coaches.
2. Yet because of all the individual attention required by Special Olympics athletes,
there is always a need for more coaches and for more volunteers in other areas as well.
Transition: Now that you know the need for Special Olympics volunteers, the question is:
What can you do to help?
II. Second main point (satisfaction): You can help by becoming a volunteer.
A. The most obvious way is to get involved as a coach. You don’t need to be a great athlete or
have prior coaching experience.
1. The Special Olympics website (2008) offers information on a general course on the
principles of coaching.
2. It also offers a mentoring program in which new coaches receive guidance from
experienced coaches.
B. If you don’t want to be a coach, there are other ways to help.
1. You can work behind the scenes by assisting with fund-raising or helping to organize
events.
2. You can also help with the countless other details involved in running a large
organization such as Special Olympics.
3. Your involvement in Special Olympics can last from a day to a year to a lifetime,
depending on the level of commitment you want to make.
III. Third main point (visualization): No matter how you decide to help, I can guarantee you that
working with Special Olympics will be immensely rewarding.
A. As a coach, your instruction and support are vital for the athletes.
1. You will help them develop social skills as well as athletic skills.
2. Ronna Vanderslice, Professor and Dean at Texas Tech University, and author of
Special Olympics: Beneficial to All (2004), reports that athletes in the Special Olympics
develop larger networks of friends, are more likely to socialize with others, and receive
more social support.
B. It’s not just the athletes who benefit from Special Olympics.
1. In my case, working with Special Olympics is one of the most gratifying things I have
ever done.
2. Not only do I have the satisfaction that comes from helping others, but I have met so
many amazing people and made so many friends that I would not trade the experience
for anything.
IV. Fourth main point (action): Now I’d like to ask you to take the step of getting involved with
Special Olympics.
A. If you want more information, you can check the Special Olympics website—www.specialol
ympics.org—or visit the local headquarters.
B. I also have brochures with information and contact numbers that I will hand out after the
speech.
C. You may not have a lot of time available right now, but you can volunteer for the time that
fits your schedule.
D. The most important thing is to get involved in some capacity and for whatever amount of
time you can manage.
Conclusion
I. Thesis restatement: Today, I hope I sparked an interest in you to volunteer for the Special
Olympics.
II. Main point summary: We discussed the need for Special Olympics volunteers, how you can
help by becoming a volunteer, the rewards of volunteering for Special Olympics, and next steps
to take to get involved.
III. Clincher: Remember the nine children I mentioned at the start of my speech. Think of their
happiness and their support for one another. Think how much they gained from running in that
race. Now think how you can help other people experience the same benefits as they strive to
fulfill the motto of the Special Olympics: “Let me win. But if I can’t win, let me be brave in the
attempt.”
References
Dinn, S. (1996). Hearts of gold: A celebration of Special Olympics and its heroes. Chicago, IL:
Blackbirch Press.
McCoy, D. (2000). The history of Special Olympics. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Miller, D. (2008). The official history of the Olympic Games and the IOC: From Athens to Beijing,
1894-2008. Chicago, IL: Mainstream Publishing.
Special Olympics. (2008). Volunteer as a coach or official. Retrieved February 15, 2008, from
http://www.specialolympics.org/officials.aspx
Vanderslice, R. (2004). Special Olympics: Beneficial to all. Boston, MA: Wadsworth.