Last week I went to see one of my favorite Broadway shows at a local theater. Something was missing. The set was awesome! The costumes were great! It was a full cast! Something was off!? Anyone who spends time in theatre has experienced it. The actors say all the right words. They move to the right places. The show looks polished and well-rehearsed. Yet somehow… it feels hollow. The same thing can happen in Speech and Debate!!
What’s missing?
Often the difference comes down to three very different approaches to speaking lines: reciting, performing, and feeling.
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Practice is where Speech and Debate competitors are truly made—but not all practice is created equal. Hours spent rehearsing without focus can lead to burnout, frustration, and stalled growth. Purposeful practice, on the other hand, builds thinkers, communicators, and confident competitors. The difference isn’t time... It’s intention. Read on for more EIGHT intentional practice tips and to understand why purposeful practice is so important...
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One of the most common pieces of feedback students receive in Speech and Debate is about hand gestures: too stiff, too distracting, too much, or not enough. While gestures can feel awkward at first, when used well, they become one of the most powerful tools a speaker has.
The goal isn’t perfect choreography. The goal is natural communication.
Hand gestures should support meaning—not compete with it. Remember, hand gestures can help grab your audience’s attention or also give them a VISUAL CLUE as to what you are trying to say. They are a big deal to helping you effectively communicate your thoughts, but they can also distract!! What can you do? Read on to hear Heather’s tips on how to create meaningful hand gestures that aren’t over-the-top, yet still have an IMPACT!…
To win an LD round, you’ve got to convince your judge that your side is “good.” But to answer that question, you first need to ask a more important question: What IS the good? In the particular situation posed by this particular resolution, what ought we to value as our highest priority? Why should we value it? Is LD just a math problem? Is it enough to just tally up the benefits and count up which side provides more? If you’d like to discuss these principles further, or get personal help refining your cases, a few spots are still available in this semester’s LD Socratic Circle club. The club meets on Mondays at 6pm CT. Sign up here: https://lastingimpact.info/product/club24801/
Coach Henry Chen addresses these questions and more in this new resource available as a free download in the Lasting Impact shop. His article describes the two levels of argumentation that an LD debater must win, and he explores the scenarios that can occur when students fail to recognize the clashing worldviews at play in a round. This resource will help debaters and coaches better identify conflicting frameworks and weigh the impacts of each side. Check it out int the Lasting Impact! Library as a PDF soon~
The “Two-Step” of LD Debate Lincoln-Douglas debate is unique because it requires two distinct victories. You cannot just prove your side is “good” (Step 2); you must first prove how we define “good” (Step 1). The “Scale” metaphor visualizes this hierarchy. Step 1: The First Order of Debate (The Framework) Image: Top Left (Framework Conflict) ● The Metaphor: This panel represents the Value and Criterion debate. ● The Action: Notice the two debaters are not looking at the weights (the arguments/impacts) on the table. They are arguing about the instruments in their hands. ○ The debater on the left wants to use a Standard Balance Scale (Utilitarianism). He wants to measure quantity—who has the biggest pile of benefits? ○ The debater on the right wants to use a Precision Gauge (Deontology). He wants to measure quality—did a specific rule or right get violated? ● The Lesson for Students: “Before you tell me how many lives you saved or how much money you made (the weights), you must win the argument of which type of scale the judge should use to weigh the round. If you start throwing weights on the table before the judge has picked a scale, you are wasting your time.”
Step 2: The Second Order of Debate (The Impacts) Once the “First Order” is settled and a scale is chosen, the debate moves to the “Second Order”—weighing the arguments. There are three possible outcomes shown in the other panels.
Outcome A: The Utilitarian Framework Wins Image: Top Right (Utilitarian Match) ● The Scenario: The judge accepted the Utilitarian framework, and both sides are arguing about quantity of impacts. (e.g., Value of Prosperity with a Criterion of Maximizing Well-being). ● The Metaphor: We use the scale that measures quantity, the debate becomes a math problem. ● The Action: ○ Left Pan: “Maximize Happiness” + “Save Lives” (Heavy weights). ○ Right Pan: “Minor Harm” (Light weight). ● The Result: The scale tips. One quantitative impact is found to be “heavier” than the other. ● The Lesson: “If Utilitarianism wins as the scale, then the heaviest pile of rocks wins. Your goal is to pile up as many positive consequences as possible. The side with the greater quantity or has the ‘heavier’ net benefit wins the round.”
Outcome B: The Deontological Framework Wins (The Clash of Duties) Image: Bottom Right (Deontological Match) ● The Scenario: The judge accepted a Deontological framework, but both sides are arguing about duties. ● The Metaphor: We use the scale that measures quality, the debate becomes a calculus of duties and rights. ● The Action: ○ Left Pan: “Duty to Protect” (e.g., National Security). ○ Right Pan: “Human Right” (e.g., Privacy). ● The Result: The scale tips. One moral duty is found to be “heavier” or more fundamental than the other. ● The Lesson: “If Deontology wins, then the strength of the obligation wins. Is the Duty to Protect the Nation ‘heavier’ than the Individual Right to Privacy? The side with the greater moral weight wins the round..”
Outcome C: The Deontological Framework Wins (The Mismatch) Image: Bottom Left (Deontological Mismatch) ● The Scenario: The judge accepted a Deontological framework, but the debaters have different types of things to weigh. ● The Metaphor: This scale is designed to detect specific moral properties (like rights violations), not the weight of consequences. ● The Action: The debater tries to put Utilitarian weights (“Maximize Happiness” and “Save Lives”) onto the Deontological machine. ● The Result: “DOES NOT COMPUTE.” The needle doesn’t move. The machine doesn’t care about happiness; it only cares about rights. ● The Lesson: “This is the most common novice mistake. If your opponent wins a ‘Justice/Rights’ framework, and you keep arguing that your side ‘boosts the economy’ or ‘makes people happy,’ you are putting the wrong fuel in the engine. It doesn’t matter how great your impacts are; on this scale, they weigh zero.”
And Why AI Can’t Replace the Human Touch in Speech & Debate
Artificial intelligence has changed how students write. With the click of a button, speeches can be outlined, rewritten, polished, and refined. AI can be a helpful tool—but it is not a coach. And when it comes to script assessment, nothing replaces the insight of a human who understands people, performance, and purpose.
At Lasting Impact!, we believe technology should support growth, not replace mentorship. And while AI can assist in brainstorming or editing, it cannot fully understand what makes a speech connect. Did you know Lasting Impact! has live classes (Winter 2026 Clubs just started!) instructors, and coaching waiting to work personally with your competitor? Although AI can be a great tool, don’t let it replace the human touch! Continue reading about how to use AI and ways to connect with an audience…
An Oratorical Speech category has come and go throughout the years. Leagues see the value of looking at other speeches, whether the presenter is famous or not. Lasting Impact! has written several articles on the subject throughout the years, which you can find by typing the word “oratorical” in our search button on the right hand side. Or go HERE. NCFCA is introducing Oratorical Thematic this year. This is an exciting and meaningful speech event that invites students to do something powerful: to discover a unifying theme and bring it to life through the published words of others.
Rather than writing an original speech, students curate, select, and perform excerpts from existing speeches, weaving them together to explore a big idea – think Interpretive Thematic or Biblical Thematic. It’s an event rooted in research, interpretation, creativity, and purpose—and one that rewards thoughtful storytelling and clarity.
For students who love ideas, history, rhetoric, and performance, Oratorical Thematic offers a unique opportunity to communicate truth through voices that have already shaped the world. Or maybe you are looking for something different- an old/new category that isn’t super difficult to breakdown. Intrigued?? Read on…
Since most people’s default mode is policy thinking, Lincoln Douglas Debaters need clear positive examples of what values reasoning looks like when it’s working. Here are How Different Frameworks Generate Duty-Measure Arguments… Each major moral framework has its own way of generating duty-measured arguments. Understanding how your chosen framework generates duties helps you construct genuine values arguments. Read on to see different frameworks and how judges can respond to them…
Why Students and Parents Benefit from Investing in an Outside Speech & Debate Coach
In Speech and Debate, we often talk about skills—communication, organization, delivery, argumentation. But behind every great speaker, every confident competitor, every transformed student… there is usually a coach… a coach can be a club coach, mentor, sibling, alumni, even a parent!!
A coach is more than a tutor. More than a teacher. A coach is a guide, a mentor, and often the person who sees potential long before the student sees it in themselves.
Coaching, at its core, is a gift—a gift of clarity, confidence, and growth that lasts far beyond tournaments. Why can a coach be the right fit for you? Why does coaching matter? Read on…
The competitive season is about officially to be in full swing—and whether you’re still searching for the right case, considering a strategic switch, or preparing for the arguments you know are coming, we’ve got exactly what you need.
Today, we’re excited to unveil the Lasting Impact Team Policy Mid-Season Release, a powerful new resource designed to equip debaters with fresh, relevant, and high-quality material right when they need it most.
In a world overflowing with information, it’s easy for students to lean on shortcuts—summaries, prewritten cases, or someone else’s arguments passed along as their own. But the true value of Speech and Debate doesn’t come from finding the right answer quickly. It comes from learning how to think deeply, critically, and independently…
Judging a Speech and Debate round is both an honor and a responsibility. You’re not just ranking performances—you’re shaping communicators. The feedback you give can influence how a student grows, how they see themselves, and how they use their voice in the future.
So, what does it mean to be a great speech judge? It’s not about being the most experienced speaker or the toughest critic—it’s about being attentive, encouraging, and helpful.
The Purpose of Judging
Your role as a judge is to:
Evaluate each performance fairly according to the rules.
Encourage students in their development as communicators.
Equip them with feedback that will make their next speech even stronger.
Each ballot you complete is more than a score sheet—it’s a coaching moment.
What Kind of Feedback Students Want
Most students don’t want generic comments like:
“Nice job!” or “Good eye contact.”
They want specific, actionable, and encouraging feedback.
Here’s what that looks like:
Weak Feedback
Strong Feedback
“Good introduction.”
“Your introduction grabbed my attention right away! Consider pausing before your first line to make it even more powerful.”
“Work on gestures.”
“Your gestures matched your message, but be mindful of repeating the same hand motion—it can distract from your words.”
“Good job overall.”
“You communicated with confidence and passion! Next time, try adding more variation in tone to emphasize your key points.”
✅ Students crave feedback that helps them grow, not just compliments or criticism.
Why Your Feedback Matters
Your written comments might be the only coaching a student receives between tournaments. A single thoughtful note can:
Build confidence
Clarify direction
Encourage persistence
Inspire excellence
In short—you have the power to change how a student feels about their voice.
Be Observant and Balanced
A good judge looks for both strengths and areas of growth (GROWS AND GLOWS). Think of it like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich… The bread (GLOWS) holds the peanut butter and jelly (GROWS) together. Try using this simple approach:
Start with praise (bread/GLOW) – What went well? Be specific.
Give one or two suggestions (peanut butter and jelly/GROW)– What could improve? Focus on what’s realistic for next time.
End with encouragement (bread/GROW)– What inspires you about their message or performance?
Example:
“You have a natural connection with your audience. Work on pacing your transitions a bit more evenly, and your delivery will feel even smoother. I loved the authenticity of your message—keep sharing it boldly!”
Practical Tips for Being a Better Judge
Be attentive – Stay engaged, even if you’ve heard the piece before. Don’t text during a speech!
Avoid thinking about what YOU think they might be capable of. – Judge each speech/competitor on their own merit.
Know the rules – Familiarize yourself with event criteria. Base your decisions on the ballot.
Be kind – Remember, they’re learning.
Encourage growth – Your words can motivate excellence.
The Heart of Judging
At its best, judging is mentorship in motion. It’s an opportunity to affirm truth, recognize effort, and guide the next generation of communicators.
Whether a student wins or not, your thoughtful feedback can remind them of something far more lasting: * Their words matter. * Their growth matters. * Their voice matters.
Final Thought: When you step into a judging round (or signing up for an online tournament), you’re not just evaluating speeches—you’re investing in people. And that makes your role one of the most meaningful parts of Speech and Debate.
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