Yep. I remember speaking to Anthony Minichiello in 1999 at the Roosters end of season awards night. Was very shy and not comfortable talking to people he didn't know, let alone the media. By the end of his career he was very comfortable in any such situation. It comes with experience and just plain old maturity.
This a hard one to prove or explain, but not necessarily. So many Australian kids are shocking speakers and don't really improve all that much even in adulthood. Aussie kids are shy and timid speakers next to the Yanky cousins. American children are actively encouraged at home and school to express themselves and thoughts constantly, whereas Aussie kids get a pass and are not pushed into public speaking situations all that much.
It's just a different attitude between the two cultures. Yanks are taught to embrace the world and stand up and grab whatever you want from it or someone else will, but Aussie kids are not encouraged in the same way at all. Much more laid back. Also I prescribe to the old adage when you here kids say "Um" between their thoughts and words, a quick smack over the knuckles with the ruler is the called for remedy. Getting rid of "ums" and "ars" is a huge push forward in getting kids to speak with much more purpose and authority. You need to roll with your thoughts and sentences and keep your words coming, bouncing along to engage. The larger and varied your vocabulary is the greater command you'll have over listener/s, and generally by having a larger pool of words to draw on you can then naturally find ways to be more engaging and or entertaining. It makes your mind quicker.
Aussies in general are terrible speakers next to Americans. Negros who make up some of the poorest and least educated groups are awesome speakers even with their ghetto crap lingo. They are just on another level to us verbally. It needs to come from your early years generally, that turn of phrase and confidence that American kids have. Mini maybe confident in his public speaking now, but can he engage you much in what he is saying? I say not because he is just ticking all the boxes when he speaks publicly. That thinking on your feet in public and being confident not to trip up is what you learn in your formative years.
Speaking is one thing, but being eloquent, informative and entertaining are totally different. The Americans in general master how to be themselves and can entertain in front of the camera with great confidence. Aussie sports men and women generally don't unless they are character driven personalities that naturally know how to entertain.
