From Novice to Intermediate
Confidence: Fake It Til You Make It
Looming ten feet tall, their steps shattered paving stones. The rumble of their debate boxes sent panicked crowds fleeing. Several witnesses reported seeing them breathe fire on at least one occasion, and their refutation skills had been known to make small children...
Crash Course Guide To Better Rebuttals: Part 1
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...
Progress: Moving Past the Plateau
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...
3 Keys to Potent Persuasion
Recently, I have been thinking more and more about how the skills we learn in formal rhetoric (i.e. debate) transcend the lectern into real-life. Primary among these skills is the ability to market an idea. Whether you realize it or not, we are constantly marketing...
Lessons learned from XL 2.0
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...
Squirrel Hunting
The life of a squirrel is a dangerous one. They have to deal with snakes, weasels, coyotes, red foxes, raccoons, birds of prey, cats, dogs and humans, depending on their species and where they live. Every squirrel has to deal with weather. Since the 1900s, a new...
Top 5 Tips for Debating Complicated Affs
Have you ever lost to a case simply because your audience didn’t understand what was happening? If you’ve debated for any time at all, chances are your answer is an emphatic yes. Complicated cases are as abundant in number as they are frustrating to hit. But it...
In-Depth How-To: Analyze an Article and Create a Brief
In this 1.5 hour video, peel back all the layers of the onion to the nitty-gritty of research: analyzing a journal article and turning it into beautiful, saved, useful selected quotations. Issues discussed include: - Evidence ethics of underlining - Proper...
The Syllogistic Case Structure
“Ships that pass in the night, and speak each other in passing, only a signal shown, and a distant voice in the darkness; So on the ocean of life, we pass and speak one another, only a look and a voice, then darkness again and a silence.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow...
Weighing Mechanism Basics Every Debater Should Know
At my day-job, statUP, today we completed a major product design, the coach dashboard. That means Monday is when we’ll decide what major design epic to pick up next. Choices include Athlete Profile+, Skilltrees, Goal-Tracking, Club Dashboard, Mobile App Improvements,...
From Beginner to Intermediate: A Personal Journey
In this video, I outline my own personal journey from being a beginner debater to an intermediate debater. I point out the highs and lows, and some key steps that helped me reach my goals. If you're a beginner debater who wants level up, feel free to contact me with...
The 7 Deadly Sins of CX
Unscripted. Fast-paced. No prep time. Cross-examination is the true test of a debater, and my personal favorite in a debate round. It forces you not only to think on your feet, but to reason. It also necessitates a very artful crafting of your questions. This article...
How to Research (basics) – Webinar by Isaiah
Have you ever sat down to research but didn't know where to begin? Have you ever spent 5 hours in front of the computer just to find 2 pages of evidence? I know the feeling. In this webinar, Isaiah explains the most effective methods and tools for researching. He...
You Won’t Win if That’s Your Goal
“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 habits, and...
A Glossary of Normalized Debate Terms
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...
Negative Strategy
National Champion Ryan Collins delivers a lecture on negative strategy.