by Emily Rose | Oct 21, 2015 | Coaching, From Novice to Intermediate, Soapbox
“In it to win it” is not a sufficient goal. And most debaters can’t differentiate between preparing to win and making winning the priority. Of course, competition is good. It’s a refiner, a strainer, a purifier. It sharpens your skills, weeds out bad...
by Isaiah McPeak | Oct 9, 2015 | Coaching a Club, Communication/Rhetoric, From Intermediate to Advanced, From Novice to Intermediate, Soapbox, Technique
For a skill that hinges on unblurred communication, debating can be brutally muddled. Thank unexplained debate jargon, thrown around in every speech. In the 20th century, cultivated primarily by guides who experienced debate as debaters rather than audience, debate...
by Rebecca Frazer | Aug 16, 2013 | Coaching, Counterplans, From Novice to Intermediate
“Wait, they are running a topical counterplan against us? What do I do?” I said something along these lines to my debate partner in an NCFCA policy round at a national open. Arguing theory wasn’t popular in my region (I hadn’t debated a counterplan in two...
by Zack Voell | Sep 12, 2012 | From Novice to Intermediate, Technique, Tournaments
Taken/compiled from “The Debate Bible”, by Jon Bruschke Partner Interaction: 1. DO NOT interrupt your prepping partner unless they explicitly ask for your help. Immediately before they get up to speak, you get 30 seconds to tell them the 3 or 4 most...
by Joshua R | Sep 7, 2012 | From Novice to Intermediate
The title here is deceiving. I write this article not just for novice debaters or people who know novice debaters. I write this also for advanced debaters that are looking for ways to contribute positively to the development of junior debaters. In each section,...
by Isaiah McPeak | May 5, 2011 | Coaching, From Novice to Intermediate, Technique
An Ethos Customer asked us: “Could you give tips on developing credibility while maintaining rapport with the judges? Especially for girls. Guys seem to have a slightly easier time of it. I usually give funny and rather pertinent stories as openers for my...
