Kristi Eskelund and Heather Neumann are teaming up to be an encouragement to all who decide to get on the wild ride of Speech and Debate, aka- Forensics. Their goal is to provide tips, advice, and support throughout your journey…Whether you be a parent, competitor, coach, or club.
Kristi and Heather have a combination of over 20 years experience in Speech and Debate, as parents and coaches. They have coached beginners to National Champions and everything in between. “We love coaching! We created Lasting Impact! to encourage students, families, as well as coaches and clubs!”
Over the years, Heather has the opportunity to coach hundreds of students whether it be through Jump Start Speech Camps, Interp Workshops, through Clubs, or personal coaching. She has coached kids in various leagues, has experience with theater, and has even been a TedX Speaker Coach. She enjoys helping parents, clubs, and coaches learn more about the various aspects of speech. During the speech and debate season she often coaches over Skype or Zoom from her home. “I feel a great sense of privilege when a competitor asks me to look at their speech. When a student shares their speech with me, I feel like they are sharing part of them self- it is something that will be part of me forever.”
Kristi has been a classroom teacher and speech coach for public high school before working with NCFCA students over the last few years. Her family has affiliated with three different NCFCA regions due to active duty military service. Kristi has also taught workshops and camps in addition to coaching widely in and out of region in preparation for the competition season. “I love seeing kids really grow through hard work, careful study, and active competition. They emerge more enlarged, and it is an honor to be part of that growth.”
In addition to Kristi and Heather, they have an amazing group of seasoned coaches to help mentor speech and debate kids. Learn more about the Lasting Impact! team on our Coaching page.
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.