Central Grad Talks His Way to Second Place in Nation    

Braden was the only Indiana contestant to make it all the way into a final round of the main events at the NFL's 2012 National Tournament held in Indianapolis June 10-15. The NFL tournament is the largest academic competition in the country.   Braden competed in Original Oratory against 250 other qualifiers from the 109 districts in the NFL. He competed in 7 rounds on his way to a return trip to the semi-finals, where he finished in 10th place a year ago.   This year, Braden made it through the final cut and competed with five other students for the national title. He went into the finals in a 3-way tie for fourth place. If the final round was the only round that counted for the tournament, Braden would have been the champion as he won that round. However, the scores of the previous eight rounds all accumulated to determine the winner.    As Braden and Central coach Kevin Ong started to exit the stage of the Indianapolis Convention Center, NFL officials asked the pair to remain on stage. Braden was awarded the Mr. & Mrs. Donus D. Roberts President's Bowl for winning the final round, which was observed by more than a 1,000 NFL contestants, coaches, and fans as well as a panel of 13 judges.  Braden said when he was initially asked to remain on stage, he thought it was for a photo. "I had forgotten about the President's trophy," he said. "Typically the winner of the championship also wins the final round so I really wasn't thinking about it. I was just soaking in all the excitement."

2012 Central High School graduate Andrew Braden with his trophies for second place in the nation and winner of the President's Bowl.

Braden acknowledged he was "very minimally disappointed" at not winning the Oratory championship. “The nice thing about speech is that everyone is so supportive," he said "You feel a great sense of camaraderie. Whether I got sixth or first, I was just happy to be a part of that final round.

“The person who won, also won last year as well," Braden continued. “He has become a friend of mine, so I was glad for him. And I was happy that I could say I beat him in that final round."

Looking back on his speech career, Braden said he's pleased with how far he's come since finishing sixth at state as a freshman. "The next year, I finished 10th," Braden said. "I had tried to recreate my success of the year before with a similar speech and a similar style. I didn't really push myself."

Braden said that's one of the reasons he chose a more serious topic this year. “It's a big topic that spans generations," he reported. "I wanted something a lot different than before because I wanted to push myself. I wanted to recreate my style."

In the fall, Braden is off to Indiana University where he plans to major in political science. IU doesn't have a speech team, but Braden said he does plan to continue using his public speaking skills in some form, such as drama or a member of the school's Ethics Team.

“I'm looking for some new opportunities to use the skills I've learned," he stated. "I really do enjoy public speaking."  

Ong described Braden as a born orator, noting when Braden showed up for his first speech practice as a freshman, Ong was immediately impressed with his stature and natural talent. "Even as a freshman, he became a dominant performer," Ong said. "He won many first places in his main event, which was Prose. He won the sectional tournament, and placed 6th over all at the state tournament."

Braden speaks on "Lessons of the 9/11 Generation"

Near the end of Braden's sophomore season, Ong asked him to compete in Original Oratory, which includes writing and delivering a speech. While Braden did not make it into the final round that first year at the NFL district tournament, he announced he had "found his event."   Braden took speech very seriously, attending a summer camp at Bradley University in Illinois in both 2010 and 2011 to perfect his craft. He was voted the best camper at the camp both years.   His hard work resulted in an extremely successful junior year. Braden placed 3rd at the state tournament in both Original Oratory and Prose, and placed in the top 10 at both the Catholic Nationals in Washington D.C., and the NFL national tournament in Dallas. It was only the second time in the school's history that a member of Central’s speech team qualified for a national tournament.   Ong said Braden's success in speech is due to his natural talent, a lot of hard work, and his willingness to take risks. In his early years, Ong pointed out, Braden gravitated toward humor in his events.

"This year, he took a risk in both his Prose performance and his Original Oratory by choosing more serious topics," Ong stated. "His speech, 'Lessons of the 9/11 Generation' was a risk. But it resonated with members of his own generation." 

And while many contestants are very animated when they speak, Ong said one of Braden's talents is what you might call gravitas. "His stature and his resonant voice command the attention of his audience," Ong explained. "He's not flashy in his presentation; that isn't his style. But he has a great smile that attracts admirers around him. He's very popular in the state and among other contestants he has competed against."  

"Since I'm the executive director of the Indiana High School Forensics Association, I had the privilege of announcing Andy's name for his awards and to be able to hug him on stage," Ong stated.   As thrilling as the state tourney was, Ong said it doesn't compare to the NFL nationals. "Being up on stage with my wife for a main event award, in my home state, to watch Andy place so high and win the President's Cup was a dream from which you do not want to wake," he stated.   "It's very tough out there in the forensics world," Ong continued. "I'm grateful that Andy joined our program, that he energized our team, and that he showed them how hard work and dedication can reap amazing awards. He will be missed, but he will definitely adorn our 'Wall of Fame' in my classroom."  To view a video of Braden's award-winning speech at nationals, click here.

Central speech coaches Kevin and Valerie Ong pose with Andrew and Marjorie Braden after the awards ceremony at the NFL national                 tournament in Indianapolis earlier this month

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