Requirements
Time. Initiative. Commitment.
Speech & Debate requires time, initiative, and commitment. It’s just like a sport. Um. Well, sort of... You have to put in the hours and the effort if you want to get anywhere. You’ll spend several weekends attending tournaments and many afternoons practicing and coaching. And since we have such a large team (one of the biggest in the nation - somewhere around 370 people!), being involved in speech and debate takes a lot of initiative on your part. Practice sessions will be held during meetings, but you also have to sign up to practice at other times. There are, however, plenty of people who are always available to help you. All the coaches and anyone who has been on the team before would love to answer any and all of your questions. So ask. Please. And lastly, Speech and Debate is a commitment, just like any sports team. If you put in the time, initiative, and commitment, Speech & Debate can be an incredible experience and buckets of fun! Buckets and buckets!!! And you know how we just LOVE buckets. Never mind.
Practice! Practice! Practice!
Speech & Debate members practice several times a week. You can sign up to practice with one of the coaches. You should also arrange to come in with one or two other people to practice your speeches or to practice debating. You will practice with your group at the weekly event meetings. And lastly, you should practice at home whenever you can. Practice never hurts. Only the lack thereof hurts.
Weekly Event Meetings
You will have an event meeting every week. At this meeting, you will practice, coach, or work on your speech. Occasionally, a meeting will be a workshop during which you will either watch tapes of past tournaments, or participate in drills/skills building sessions. At the event meeting after a tournament, you will fill out your tournament critiques. You will also debrief the tournament. This is why it is important for you to attend!!