Tips from the judges chair...
Hey girls-
So, this weekend Ryan and myself both judged the local Miss America's Outstanding Teen Pageant in Omaha, NE(Photo: Ryan, myself, the judges, & winners after the pageant). I was sooo excited to be back in my hometown and choose the girls who would represent the place that I call "home." I know some of you are gearing up for nationals, so having recently sat in the judges chair, I thought I would give you some pointers.
BUT, first - I have to share a little tidbid. The current Miss Nebraska and Miss Nebraska Outstanding Teen are former NAM girls!!!
Theresa Scanlon, Miss Nebraska 2010 was a former NAM contestant and is now headed to Las Vegas to compete on the Miss America stage.
And Staci Craighead, Nebraska's Outstanding Teen for the Miss America Organization was the 2006 NAM Nebraska Preteen.
Theresa Scanlon, Miss Nebraska 2010 was a former NAM contestant and is now headed to Las Vegas to compete on the Miss America stage.
And Staci Craighead, Nebraska's Outstanding Teen for the Miss America Organization was the 2006 NAM Nebraska Preteen.
It was great to see how much both of these 2 girls have grown up & have become prominent faces & role models across their state.
Now for some helpful advice from the judges side:
1. Wear your hair out of your face. For crying out loud - it drove me nuts when a girl would fling their heads to keep the hair out of their face. I wished they had pined it back with a clip of boppy pins or something. Im not talking in an up-do or anything - just get the bangs off the face! I wanted to see their pretty smiles & their eyes sparkling with confidence. The girls who weren't worried about their hair being in their face showed more confidence.
2. Laugh in interview & take charge! These girls were asked some TOUGH questions in interview. While I was interested in hearing these girls opinions on controversial issues, how they deal with peer pressure, and their dreams for the future. I wanted to see them enjoying themselves, as well as being poised and focused. The judges are nervous too - so YOU break the ice - make them laugh - take the interview into your own hands & be in control of the interview... and you'll be memorable.
3. Make sure your dress fits you well. All the girls looked amazing, but I saw a few girls who couldn't even walk in their dress because it was to tight or it bunched up at the stomach. Even though, we were not judging the attire - it was hard for my eyes not to be drawn to these flaws and it took my focus off of the girl and more on "what in the heck was up with her outfit?"
4. If you mess up - dont let it fluster you. This is in regards to mostly Talent, but is a great tip for other areas of competition like Personal Intro. I remember a few girls starting out STRONG in their performance and then they would miss a step, not hit the note just right, etc and it threw them off for the rest of the performance. When you practice your routine -ACTUALLY PRACTICE MESSING UP. Then you can practice how to recover and move on. It's ok if you mess up, but dont make it worse by being flustered and continuing to mess up. Save yourself, move on, and the judges will forget that you messed up.
Now for some helpful advice from the judges side:
1. Wear your hair out of your face. For crying out loud - it drove me nuts when a girl would fling their heads to keep the hair out of their face. I wished they had pined it back with a clip of boppy pins or something. Im not talking in an up-do or anything - just get the bangs off the face! I wanted to see their pretty smiles & their eyes sparkling with confidence. The girls who weren't worried about their hair being in their face showed more confidence.
2. Laugh in interview & take charge! These girls were asked some TOUGH questions in interview. While I was interested in hearing these girls opinions on controversial issues, how they deal with peer pressure, and their dreams for the future. I wanted to see them enjoying themselves, as well as being poised and focused. The judges are nervous too - so YOU break the ice - make them laugh - take the interview into your own hands & be in control of the interview... and you'll be memorable.
3. Make sure your dress fits you well. All the girls looked amazing, but I saw a few girls who couldn't even walk in their dress because it was to tight or it bunched up at the stomach. Even though, we were not judging the attire - it was hard for my eyes not to be drawn to these flaws and it took my focus off of the girl and more on "what in the heck was up with her outfit?"
4. If you mess up - dont let it fluster you. This is in regards to mostly Talent, but is a great tip for other areas of competition like Personal Intro. I remember a few girls starting out STRONG in their performance and then they would miss a step, not hit the note just right, etc and it threw them off for the rest of the performance. When you practice your routine -ACTUALLY PRACTICE MESSING UP. Then you can practice how to recover and move on. It's ok if you mess up, but dont make it worse by being flustered and continuing to mess up. Save yourself, move on, and the judges will forget that you messed up.
Anyways, thanks to the Miss Omaha/Douglas County crew for a great weekend. National American Miss is a GREAT start if you have hopes of heading down the Miss America path. Hope these tips help you girls be a stronger competitor!