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Rachelle from Missouri
Our team's superstition deals with the number of curbs our coach happens to run over in the bus. If the number is odd, we'll do well at the tournament. If it's even, we'll do badly.

Thomas from Washington
I like to rub my coach's beard before going into a round. For some reason, I never lose as long as I put some salt and pepper between my fingers.

Allison from Missouri
Yes, I never wash my debate clothes, and I fast before debate tournaments. I bring religious figures to my rounds as well.

Anne from Nebraska
I have a very unusual good luck charm. I have a 3-foot long fish pillow named Gary. He comes with me to every tournament and while my coach isn't exactly too pleased with it, he's still part of the team!

Cameron from Georgia
Before I begin any speech, I recite Colossians 4:6 in my head, "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man."

Sohail from Missouri
I drink an ounce of holy water, and ALWAYS make sure I put my right shoe on first.

Ashley from Indiana
A big group of us on our team have a special way of wishing each other 'good luck'. We cross our fingers on both hands, then cross our wrists like an X. So far, it's done us good -- we won our sectional yesterday!

Kyle from Indiana
Before every round, I walk around the halls of whatever high school I am competing at and sing. I'll sing all different types of songs from rap to country to try and get my voice warmed up and my enunciation up to par.

Drew from Ohio
My extemp partners and I sing a Duck song with rubber duckies.

Anna from Washington
As a good luck ritual for our team, we all eat Paydays and drink Pepsi! We do this because when our coach was a student, she did this and she ended up getting 1st in all her events!

Ryan from Florida
A tournament isn't a tournament without warm-ups! There is just something about getting in a huge circle with 50 of your closest friends and acting like a complete swirling weirdo. Who cares if the judges and other competitors see you doing it? It is a tradition and one of the best experiences in speech.

Roy from Texas
When my debate partner and I check into a hotel before a debate contest, we always have to jump from bed to bed. This is what we call our good luck jump.

Emily from New Mexico
Before state, we play a string game. The president starts and says something about that year, and throws the yarn to someone else, and they tell about the year and it continues until you have a huge tangled star, then we all cut the string, and wear it somewhere until the awards ceremony and then cut it off.

Robert from Nebraska
I always wear maroon tube socks with my dress shoes. My school colors haven't let me down yet.

Whitney from Missouri
My coach gave each member on our squad a personal inscribed card. Inside the card was a pressed four-leaf clover. Now, I always carry the clover with me. It has brought me lots of luck!

Benjamin from Virginia
Our team's good luck superstition is to listen to Outkast's. "Hey Ya" before every tournament. As for my personal good luck charm, I have a special pen that I keep just for my impromptu events.

Mike from Idaho
Yeah, I have a little blue bear named Baloo for my Policy or Congress, and in Speech, I don't look at the person who goes before me.

Ben from North Carolina
My personal ritual was always wearing an American flag tie to the final session of a tournament.

Calista from Ohio
Before every Saturday tournament, my friend Molly and I drive to Starbucks blasting "Footloose". At Starbucks, I have to get a grande peppermint mocha. Since freshman year, after arriving at any tournament, Lauren and I go outside and give each other a pep talk, then we squeeze hands and scream as loud as possible. It's a great stress reliever and we know there is no point in the day when we will make bigger fools of ourselves than that moment.

Justin from Maine
I carry around a scarab that my coach gave me in my suit pocket. I never review my speech material on the day of competition. I never think of winning anything, I concentrate only on the next round and how well can I do.

Jessica from Colorado
When entering a room for a round, I always have to put my name and code in a different color than the rest of the competitors for good luck.