by Joel Erickson | May 9, 2022 | Speaking, Strategy
Last year, Ben wrote a superb piece on impromptu with a takeaway you should immediately incorporate into your Nationals prep regimen: strategically accumulate potential speech material related to adversity and personal relationships. I hope to expand this analysis...
by Zachary Kos | Apr 29, 2022 | Coaching a Club, Speech Events, Stoa, Thinking Strategically
In Acts 17, Paul is in Athens discussing an altar to an ”unknown God.” He recognized the people of Athens acknowledged the existence of a higher power far above their own Roman deities. As a result, he used their culture to share the gospel and to further God’s...
by Amanda McPhetridge | Apr 25, 2022 | Affirmatives, Debate Rounds, From Advanced to National-Class, Negative, Technique
Have you ever witnessed a round where you can practically feel the mic-drop potential after the last speech? That’s what every single round should be like. You should be able to step away and say with a confident smile, “I rest my case.” The balance of defending...
by Jeremiah Mosbey | Apr 20, 2022 | From Advanced to National-Class, Speaking, Technique
A few weeks ago, I was listening to an old episode of The Tim Ferris Show, in which Ferris was interviewing the actor Hugh Jackman. One of the most interesting concepts that was discussed was the “85% rule for optimal performance,” as Jackman was...
by Justin Marwad | Apr 19, 2022 | From Advanced to National-Class
If you’re a veteran of speech and debate, you’ve probably heard of the exercise of “speaking to your grandmother” that your coach has taught you. Essentially, the idea is to practice speaking your argument from a debate or a concept from a speech in a way so that...
