We cannot teach our young people to communicate effectively unless we ourselves communicate.
Not all of us judge 14 rounds at our first ever tournament like someone I know, but if you are an adult at a Speech and Debate Tournament, chances are you will be roped into at least one round to judge. Why? Who can say “no” to the unbelievably sweet staff who beg so politely? 🙂 Okay really, in all seriousness, the tournament will screech to a halt if there are not enough judges to rank and critique the speakers, so in the event that you find yourself staring at a ballot here is my two cents on the indispensable role of a judge…
We are coming for YOU! Our hearts and minds are full and we can’t wait to show and tell and practice what the Lord has been showing us! This is going to be the best year yet!! We have students, parents, coaches, and clubs joining us from all over the country, and last year we were coaching internationally! Are you ready for the sneak peak of the line up of where we are headed this summer, and what AMAZING clubs and classes you will see from Lasting Impact! Fall 2022!!
The Lasting Impact! Summer Tour (if you aren’t on this list, you better call us NOW)
Charleston, SC
Jacksonville, NC
Raleigh, NC
St. Louis, MO
Chicago, IL
Dallas, TX
St. Paul, MN
And More!
Fall of 2022 (possibly MORE!)
Debate Readiness
Public Speaking 101/Speech Club
Public Speaking 102
Drama Club
Beginning and Intermediate LD Debate
Beginning and Intermediate TP Debate
Parli Debate
Apologetics Club
Extemp Round Table
Foundations of Platform Speaking
Descriptions and Registration COMING SOON! Be sure you subscribe to Lasting Impact! to see the latest updates! Do you have a place you want to see us go? Do you have a class you want to see offered? Contact heather@lastingimpact.info
Are you new to Extemp this year? Thinking about it for next year? You will definitely want to become familiar with Extemp Genie! Marc Davis, Coach for New England Debate and Lasting Impact! breaks down how to effectively use Extemp Genie.
We all know Speech and Debate is a long road! It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Or for those who know me, I love my football analogies… Speech and Debate is like a football season! If anyone would have told you it would be a Bengals vs Chiefs Super Bowl, they would think you are bonkers! The Chiefs this season were at 500 (won only half their games) multiple times this year. The two top seeded teams were taken out in the playoffs with home field advantage (sorry Titans and Packer fans). That’s why the term, “any given Sunday” is so relevant. Anything can happen!? The question is, what are you going to do with the time left?
Just because you won a tournament doesn’t mean you are on the top to stay. Or perhaps you haven’t advanced or broken in your favorite event. There are three months to continue to hone your skills… or call me crazy (which happens daily), start something NEW! Of course, you can start a new speech, or even debate in February! I have coached competitors, even National Champions that started a speech mid-season. Whatever you decide to do… DON’T GIVE UP!
Keep Growing.
Try New Things.
Seize Opportunities.
If you feel stuck- talk to a friend, parent, club leader, or even hire a coach! If you are bored, that’s on you… the possibilities are endless! If you hate your speech, find a new one! The opportunities for growth are sitting right in front of you! And remember, the art of communication is a life skill! What you put into it can last a lifetime, even if you don’t get a piece of metal or plaque that will eventually end up in a box or at the thrift store.
Second semester is well underway… looking for opportunities to grow this week?
LD CLUB – Starts TONIGHT! Lasting Impact! will be launching a 10-week, second-semester Lincoln Douglas debate club on Monday evenings (TONIGHT)! This online club, hosted by Noah McKay, will focus primarily on tournament preparation, case refinement, and competitive strategy. The format will be largely discussion-based, with short lectures planned for the beginning of each meeting and the remainder of the window reserved for students to discuss the content of the lecture, ask questions, practice their cross-examination and rebuttal technique, and – depending on the week – discuss trends in the tournament world and potential strategies for refuting common cases. Students will also help each other analyze both their winning and losing ballots in order to foster consistency in their competitive performance.
MOOT COURT WORKSHOP – BOGO! Register – and your partner is FREE! This workshop will be focused on three things: (1) diving into this year’s NCFCA packet to improve argumentation; (2) improving case structures so that they are easily intelligible to judges, yet nuanced and complex enough to win rounds; and (3) improving speaking and delivery. This two-hour workshop, led by former Moot Court competitor and current coach Ethan Tong, is aimed towards those who already have experience with this year’s packet, but those who are looking to start Moot Court would greatly benefit as well. The workshop will be RECORDED.
NCFCA TP Sourcebook – only $20! https://lastingimpact.info/product/book9535/ NCFCA LD Guide – only $20! https://lastingimpact.info/product/book9588/
We have TWO awesome opportunities in February for you Debaters!
Online Moot Workshop with Ethan Tong. This one evening event will focus on three things: (1) diving into this year’s NCFCA packet to improve argumentation; (2) improving case structures so that they are easily intelligible to judges, yet nuanced and complex enough to win rounds; and (3) improving speaking and delivery. This two-hour workshop, led by former Moot Court competitor and current coach Ethan Tong, is aimed towards those who already have experience with this year’s packet, but those who are looking to start Moot Court would greatly benefit as well. The workshop will be RECORDED. Online Moot Court Workshop – Lasting Impact!
2nd Semester LD- Lincoln Douglas Club with Noah McKay. This ten-week club will focus primarily on tournament preparation, case refinement, and competitive strategy. The format will be largely discussion-based, with short lectures planned for the beginning of each meeting and the remainder of the window reserved for students to discuss the content of the lecture, ask questions, practice their cross-examination and rebuttal technique, and – depending on the week – discuss trends in the tournament world and potential strategies for refuting common cases. Students will also help each other analyze both their winning and losing ballots in order to foster consistency in their competitive performance. 2022 2nd Semester Online LD Club – Lasting Impact!
Lasting Impact! hopes we can assist you in your Speech and Debate journey. Our hope is to encourage students, parents, coaches, and clubs! Please let us know, how we can help!
Every Moot Court competitor knows the following scenario: you go up, prepared to answer the toughest questions and objections, only to hear crickets from the bench. Maybe a question or two––maybe none. We blame it on the bench—“Ugh, it was a cold bench this morning” or “the judges were not asking us anything”––when we should be blaming it on ourselves. Because it’s YOUR JOB to invite questions…
Mid-season tournament preparation can be perplexing business, Coach Noah McKay will be starting his 2nd Semester LD Club in just a couple weeks. He will help you break down your cases, help analyze the best values, and come up with a strategy! Did you know you could also learn a ton from your ballots?
You have probably experienced the sinking feeling of going 1-5 after months of pre-season research and writing, along with attendant confusion about what, exactly, you are supposed to do to bring those numbers up the next go-round. After all, if you couldn’t find a winning argument anywhere in the thousands of pages you read between July and December, where can you find one?
Last week, we posted and wrote about how nonverbal communication skills can help elevate you, as a speaker. But the content in a speech is also important. Heather Neumann likes to share the I-Test with her students and Ted Talk clients. The I-Test is a series of questions she came up with, you can ask yourself to determine if your topic, as well as the content is a good choice for your speech. She believes these four things can make a huge impact on your judges or audience, whether they realize it or not. If you have already selected your topic or written your speech, you can still use the I-Test to see if there is anything you should add to improve your speech.
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Have you ever wondered what makes someone a good communicator? “She’s a natural! He is so talented!” We hear phrases like this all the time in competitive Speech and Debate. However, is it the words and the content of the speech OR the person who is doing the effective communicating? Is it the way the communicator is presenting OR the speech, itself? Could someone else give the speech just as well? Think about it. Heather Neumann breaks down the attributes that should be noticed (if you are looking) during one of her weekly classes...
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“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” ~ Chinese Proverb
Heather Neumann has been teaching a Public Speaking Class or Club for over a decade. Each year she prays about the lesson plan- the journey she is about to embark on with her students. At this point she has literally coached thousands of students, both nationally and internationally. I have been one of her students, I have sat in her Zoom Room watching apprehensive beginner students turn into writers, speakers, and more importantly confident human beings. Mrs. Neumann has given me permission to share her ideas with you this year. A first hand glance at what she is teaching. This year’s mantra for her classes and clubs - Observe, Think, Practice! Sounds easy. These three little words can really pack a punch if we put them to work and are being purposeful. Every year she has a new perspective or way to wrap our brains around God given gift and privilege we call the art of communication. Each week she offers us students a challenge on how we can implement her lessons, and how they can make an big IMPACT, not only in Public Speaking, but for life... Are you ready to observe, think, and practice? If so- be ready to GROW...
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The Problem – You Don’t Have to Defend Transhumanism This Year It has come to my attention that this year’s Lincoln Douglas resolution is breeding uneasiness among rank-and-file debaters and parents in the NCFCA. Of course, almost everyone is uneasy about new resolutions, because, well, they’re new. But the present distress goes beyond standard concerns about definitional vagueness or bias: some have questioned whether it is even morally permissible to defend the Affirmative position…
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