by Joshua Hu | Jan 24, 2018 | From Advanced to National-Class, From Intermediate to Advanced, Negative, Technique
In my last post, I laid out a clear case concerning why rebuttals deserve more attention from debaters, and listed five key fundamentals of national-class rebuttals. This post will look at the uniqueness of the rebuttal speeches, particularly in Policy &...
by Joshua Hu | Jan 3, 2018 | Debate Rounds, From Advanced to National-Class, From Intermediate to Advanced, From Novice to Intermediate, Strategy, Technique, Top Drills
There is no one right way to structure rebuttals, no special formula your speeches should follow so that the judge must vote for you. However, there are certain fundamental elements of great rebuttals. When well-developed, these elements will tremendously increase...
by Noah Howard | Dec 9, 2017 | Communication/Rhetoric, From Intermediate to Advanced
Having trouble getting your points across? Feel as though your audience is almost falling asleep as you talk? Getting comments like, “try not to speak monotone” or, “try to sound more interesting”? If any of this sounds like you, fear not, because all is not lost. You...
by Noah Howard | Nov 29, 2017 | From Intermediate to Advanced, Strategy, Technique, Thinking Strategically
Throughout life (and especially in debate), the biggest improvements are oftentimes made with the slightest of changes. And usually, those changes have to do with the way you think. Change your mindset, and you can change the way you play the game. So what does this...
by Joshua Hu | Nov 11, 2017 | From Intermediate to Advanced, From Novice to Intermediate, Parliamentary, Technique, Uncategorized
We’ve all dealt with it. Whether you were working on dropping your mile time, increasing your vertical, or improving your speaking skills, you’ve probably faced the unfortunate reality of the “Law of Diminishing Returns”. Contrary to what we may think, people do not...
by Emily Rose | Aug 27, 2017 | Best Resources, Coaching, Coaching a Club, Ethos Info, From Advanced to National-Class, From Intermediate to Advanced, From Novice to Intermediate, Lincoln-Douglas, Speech Events, Thinking Strategically
A second-year team went from never advancing to qualifying to NITOC. A second-year LD student qualified to NCFCA Nationals and received second at a National Open. A third-year debater consistently placed first at their tournament. A novice LD debater became second in...