Kristi has a great sense of space, placement, and movement, and her ability to teach blocking is phenomenal. Not only is she technically skilled, but her passion for speech is contagious. Her mentoring of our son turned his good interp into a great one and propelled him into the final round at Nationals. More important than any ranking, though, is the fact that Kristi has really boosted our son’s enthusiasm for speech. -Joel (Dad)
I would highly recommend the Heather Neumann to anyone interested improving their speech, writing, and delivery skills, or even just establishing an understanding of how speech works. She is an excellent kick start to the NCFCA year for all competitors of all experience levels. Mrs. Neumann’s familiarity with each of the speech categories makes her a great resource! – Nathan S. (Experienced Student)
Kristi combines an encyclopedic knowledge of literature with a sure ear for speech and motivational, even inspirational instruction. The perfect coach! –Kelly (mom)
Mrs. Neumann has been such a blessing to us! She helped my brother and I incredibly with my speeches. She has a very strong relationship with the Lord – which shows greatly in her work. We love her! Mrs. Neumann immediately dove into our speeches and made them her passion… Even through Skype two states away! She is the best encourager I have ever met! I have learned so much from her. -Makayla Z. (Novice Student)
Kristi represents the very best of the NCFCA community of parents. As a mom who was drawn into NCFCA solely for debate, I hardly knew where to start with interps much less how to help my students improve. I’m so thankful that Kristi and Heather are actively seeking to share their own knowledge and insights so that all our students can better experience the challenge and joy of “bringing literature to life.”
Kristi particularly helped my student identify pieces that were appropriate for him at his age and maturity level. Because he had a piece he liked and that suited him, he was motivated to work harder and he improved more. Her coaching encouraged him to think about his characters more carefully and thoroughly.
Most importantly, her enthusiasm and love both for the students and for the work they do together is contagious. Great teachers and coaches can’t do the work for you, but they do help students begin to “see” what they can accomplish themselves. It is a great gift–and Kristi has it! Although I’m still woefully lacking as an interp coach, I have learned from Kristi too! I hope my younger students and students in my club will benefit this coming season.” -Vera (mom and club leader)
Thank you for all your help! It has been a wonderful. I know I wouldn’t have broken in my HI if it wasn’t for you [Heather]. -Nathaneal R. (Experienced Student)
Kristi’s enthusiasm and joy is so contagious. She is able to give just the right coaching to encourage students to improve without being overwhelmed by too many new ideas. Through one-on-one coaching, Kristi was able to refine my son’s gestures to give more impact to his speech while not having his gestures seeming too rehearsed. -Michelle (mom)
Heather enthusiastically motivates, conveys and ignites enthusiasm in speech students. She is able to see their potential to fulfill goals they themselves never dreamed they could meet. She uses encouraging tools to prepare students not only for the tournament season, but for life. -Laura S. (Mother)
Heather enthusiastically motivates, conveys and ignites enthusiasm in speech students. She is able to see their potential to fulfill goals they themselves never dreamed they could meet. She uses encouraging tools to prepare students not only for the tournament season, but for life. -Laura S. (Mother)
Heather,
Thank you for connecting us with Joel Erickson as our Club’s virtual Lincoln Douglas Coach (LD) for the 2018/19 season. This past year the LD portion of our Club experienced significant growth & we didn’t have enough experienced resources to have an on-site coach. To be honest, I was a bit hesitant to use a ‘virtual’ LD coach, but Joel’s experience and coaching plan helped me take that ‘leap’ and I’m sure glad for that decision. Joel quickly established connections with the students and not only taught them important fundamental skills, he gained their respect and they valued his input and coaching throughout the season. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Joel or Lasting Impact to any debate club looking for a virtual coach and I would be happy to speak more in depth regarding our experience.Many Thanks,
Derald Lo
Debate Lead & TP Coach for Eastside Speech & Debate