One of the things I love about the Lord is that He does not change. He’s the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He is constant, stable, reliable. He does not change like shifting shadows. And though He does not change, He is always doing something new.
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? ~ Isaiah 43:19
I know He is always doing new things in me. And part of the reason He’s doing new things in me is because I’m growing, maturing in Christ, and He knows I am ready for Him to do new things in me and through me.
As a club leader, perhaps you’ve been considering doing something different with your Apologetics coaching. Your program is growing and maturing and it’s time to try something new. Or maybe, you want to begin something new in your club… like getting some Apologetics coaching going for the first time! If so, there’s good news for you… you can do a new thing! Now is the time for it to spring up… do you not perceive it?
Join the thousands of students who have come to Lasting Impact! for coaching. If you aren’t sure how to coach your own son or daughter, or simply just need some extra feedback, or perhaps you need motivation, direction, or a challenge- look no further. Today is the day to give online coaching a try!
Why schedule a Coaching Call? There are numerous reasons why people come to us.
Accountability. Sometimes meeting with a coach can keep you on track. Some students meet weekly, others as needed. We tailor your appointments with your needs.
Feedback. Who feels lost in the realm of feedback? What more can I tell them? Our coaches have been doing this a LONG time and the ideas don’t stop.
Success. If success is what you are looking for- look no further. I don’t think there is another team with more National Champions on staff or have coached more National Champions. However, that is not the only way, I measure success! I have students feel more comfortable, have courage standing up in front of a crowd , or simply ordering a meal at Subway. Success is what you want out of your journey. Whatever it is, we will help you get there!
Growth. There are so many opportunities to grow through Speech and Debate. Having a coach insures that you are making the most of it.
Fun. This is important!! Let’s be honest… a lot of times parents make their students participate in Speech and Debate. However, students will lack desire in a boring stuffy event. That’s when we come in. Speech and Debate is far from boring with us.
The list could go on and on, which is why today and today only… if you purchase a Coaching Call- you will get your next one HALF OFF! You can use the same coach, two different coaches, the same speech, one for speech, one for debate, one coaching call for one child, the other for the next. All you have to do, is schedule your appointment TODAY.
Be sure to check out our awesome team of coaches who can’t wait to join you on your Speech and Debate journey.
Some restrictions apply… both coaching sessions need to take place within six months of purchase.
It’s November! It’s all about Friends-giving, giving thanks, and Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Small Business Saturday!? In honor of all of these, I present to you my first FLaSH SaLE!! $5 off all Ebooks!!! What does that include?
Lasting Impact! Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 – I use both these volumes to teach from almost every week. The articles are simple and easy to apply.
Devotional – Yes! Our newest product is even on sale. This is what Speech and Debate are all about. Pointing to Him!
The Ultimate Duo Handbook – A classic! A must have if you are doing a Duo – includes partnership worksheet and character worksheets!!
Games and Icebreakers – One of our most popular resources. The book is full of ideas to help students make the connection to target skills seen in both Speech and Debate.
Coaching Helps Worksheets/Handouts – This is a newer product. Worksheets to hand out or teach from. Students love having the information right at their fingertips. Example of handouts are: Memorization, Citations, Hooks, and one even for parents on Ballot Writing!
LD Guide – yes! You can even get $5 off on our LD Guide!
All of these products and descriptions can be found HERE. To purchase them with the $5 off discount, simply type in the coupon code – 5MEMBER
As a club leader and parent, these are the resources I use! I coach 5 Speech Clubs, as well as Debate. And I coach kids on almost a daily basis and these are the tools I use, these are my resources! I am thankful for the opportunity to share them with you, because remember, You Got This!
This week a friend called. She needed some ideas for her club kids who are working on platforms. They’ve discussed having a thesis. They are writing, but there is not a lot beyond that to do with those speeches during club meetings right now. Here are the ideas I shared with her to help kids build platform skills before they have a platform speech prepared:
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Undoubtedly one or two things come to mind when you hear the word, credibility: that guy who makes up sources for his extemp round, or that team that slices up their evidence cards so that they say what they want them to say instead of what the author actually said. If that is the extent of your definition of credibility, you might need to stretch your understanding of the term.
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I have been judging and coaching speech and debate for about a year and a half now. Although I miss competing, I absolutely love helping students develop and hone in on their forensic skills. After judging various debate rounds and coaching students in different speech events, I’ve learned a lot as a coach that I really wish I knew as a student. Now that I’m judging, I see different habits and techniques from students that are either really great, or really detrimental to their rankings. These new things I notice as a judge are things I never noticed as a student. However, if I understood the importance of these habits and characteristics as a student, I believe I would’ve gone much further because I would’ve been able to appeal to the judge more.
That’s why I’m writing this informative article for you, so that you can learn the characteristics and skills that judges rank high on. With that being said, here are the top 3 things I wish I knew as a student that I now know as judge:
#1 – Less is more
When I was a competitor, I always thought I had to have an abundance of articles, an array of intelligent-sounding words, and lots of personal examples. Although these are very important aspects to include in speeches and cases, less is more to a judge for a couple of reasons: It’s very hard to write down notes as the competitor speaks. The more content a competitor includes, the more notes the judge has to take. When the judge is more focused on taking notes rather than listening to a speech, it can become less enjoyable for the judge and can make him lose interest. You want your judge to enjoy your speech, not stress out about it. It’s very hard to follow along if there are too many examples For me as a judge, if a competitor has too many examples, I sometimes feel as though they aren’t able to explain in depth about each one. The competitor may graze the surface of the example, but if they don’t go further into the complexity of the study/story/statistic, it’s hard to me to make the logical connection to what the impact is. I would much rather hear a student share two examples throughout his whole speech and go in-depth into each one, rather than share five examples with only three sentences of explanation each.
#2 – Talk slower rather than faster
Anyone who knew me as a competitor would know that I speak very fast. I got so excited to speak, that when I finally did, I would sound like an energizer bunny, rambling and ranting about a random speech topic. Although I covered a lot of information and did pretty well, on all my ballots I would constantly get the comment: “Please speak a bit slower.” Looking back, I tried to speak slower, but it rarely changed the overall pace of my speech. However, as a judge, I now fully appreciate when a competitor speaks slower. I feel like I’m able to follow along better and can truly enjoy the speech rather than just rush along like the competitor is. You see, when you rush your speech and speak with a fast pace, you are rushing the judge. This will keep them from fulling enjoying your presentation, rhetoric, and nonverbal communication such as body language. When you speak fast, the judge is mainly focusing on your words rather than all the other important aspects of you speech. Speaking slower enables the judge to not only focus on what you say, but also on your thoughtful pauses, your speaker’s triangle, and your hand gestures. Also, when you talk slower, you are able to stress out less. I know that when I talk fast, I feel energized and excited. However, this excitement can turn into a fast heart-rate and shallow breathing, which can lead the judge to believe that you are nervous. But by talking slower, you give your brain time to process what you’re saying, as well as focus on your hand-gestures and walking. Essentially, talking slower helps you and your judge.
#3 – Relate it back to the judge
I always love when the competitors challenge me and inspire me to do something. Whether it’s a call to action in a persuasive speech, a compelling personal story in a Mars Hill Impromptu speech, or a moral lesson in an interp piece— no matter what it is, I feel so involved when a competitor includes me in a speech or debate case. Whenever a competitor calls me to support an organization or change my opinion about a certain topic, I feel as though they actually care about educating me, not just about getting a trophy. You see, when you as the speaker create that connection with the judge, the judge will remember you. The judge will remember the conviction you made him feel, and that will definitely affect your ballot in a positive way. There are many students I coach and judge that forget that the judge really is the most important person in the round. The round isn’t just about the competitor… it is also very much about the judge.
I hope these three insights helped you learn more about the judge’s point of view. If I knew the importance of these three things as a competitor, I would’ve been much more confident in my abilities as a speaker and debater.
God bless and good luck in your competition season!
Although you can still get awesome coaching from Isabelle through Lasting Impact!, she recently branched out and started her own coaching services…
Lasting Impact! is excited to announce another coaching expert for your coaching needs… Schedule a one on one coaching session with Chris Baldacci, watch his Moot Court Recorded Video Workshop or join his 4 Week Moot Court Seminar … STARTS MoNDAY! If you can’t make all of them- they will be recorded!
Chris Baldacci was a two-time national champion in collegiate Moot Court and the top individual speaker at the national championship in 2018. He is the only orator in American Moot Court Association history to win three titles. He was also the runner-up in last year’s national brief-writing competition. Chris has competed on the varsity Moot Court team for four years at Patrick Henry College and has been active in coaching underclassmen and serving as a volunteer judge. He will attend law school in the fall.
How cool is it, we live in an age where we can meet people all over the country from the comfort of our homes? How awesome is it, that your students can receive solid coaching and instruction from experienced instructors? Lasting Impact! is dedicated to helping you and your students, in your Speech and Debate journey, with the guidance you are looking for by offering online classes, clubs, and workshops. Sign up for our Second Semester Clubs NOW…
This four-week course will give beginners a strong foundation in moot court and help experienced students separate themselves from the competition with advanced techniques. The four classes will cover the fundamentals of constitutional law, how to prepare arguments like a lawyer, argument building for both the 2nd and 5th Amendment issues, and improving your answers to judge questions. Students will also receive individual feedback on their arguments and presentation styles to make them more confident and professional. All sessions will be recorded.
Second Semester Online Apologetics (Stoa and NCFCA)
Start Date: Feb. 19, 8:00-9:00pm CT (every other week)
Cost: $40 members/$50 nonmembers
Instructors: Matthew Harper and Kirsten Erickson
Are you competing in apologetics in NCFCA or Stoa? Interested in trying the category but unsure where to start? Or simply looking to gain a deeper understanding of Christianity and how to defend it? If so, Lasting Impact’s online apologetics club is for you! Aimed at helping students prepare throughout the semester and stay engaged between tournaments, meetings occur twice a month, alternating between apologetics teaching and speech coaching. All meetings are recorded, so you can review previous sessions if you miss a week or would like to review a lesson. All experience levels are welcome; whether you’ve competed in apologetics for years or are trying it for the first time, you will be encouraged and equipped!
Second Semester Team Policy Debate Club (NCFCA)
When: Starting Wed. Feb. 13 Time: Approx. 1 hour/ 8:00-9:00pm CT Instructor: Eric Meinerding Cost: $50 per member/ $75 per non-member
Looking for additional Team Policy support for the competition season? Well you’re in luck! Eric Meinerding is hosting a second semester TP debate club exclusively through Lasting Impact. He’ll be meeting with students weekly for 8 weeks, all across the NCFCA nation to work through strategies against the popular cases, find the best arguments in the current climate, go over ballots, discuss debate theory, advanced impacting, and a host of other topics. Included with your enrollment is a free coaching session with Eric at any point during the season to get direct, personalized feedback tailored directly to your team’s needs. So whether you are without a club for the season, looking to go above and beyond, or are looking for innovative strategies, this seminar will provide what you’re looking for.
LD (NCFCA) Club for Intermediate/Advanced Students
Instructor: Joel Erickson When: Feb. 12, 8:00-9:00pm CT (meets weekly for 8 weeks) Cost: $50 per member/$75 non member
We’ll be studying advanced strategy and drilling techniques, deconstructing cases, and collaborating on briefs. The club will be recorded weekly.
To SIGN UP for any one of these awesome opportunities… CLICK HERE
How to develop the triple threat of being a club leader, as a student…
So, you’re a student leader in your club? You now have to balance your own busy tournament preparation schedule with the obligations you have to your club. If you’re attempting to rework your IO/Expos boards the week before a tournament where several novices are panicking before their first tournament, it could seem like you have a little bit too much on your plate. But luckily, these dual responsibilities aren’t as insurmountable as they may first appear. Being a student leader while a competitor can be one of the most rewarding experiences you will have while participating in speech and debate. It gives you a unique perspective on forensics and, as a teacher, you will come up with new ideas that you normally wouldn’t have considered as only a competitor. I’ll be discussing some different methods to ensure you can succeed as a club leader or captain while also growing as an orator and logician…
Ahhh, with Thanksgiving right around the corner, I thought it fitting to start the season off with a small crash course of our coaches, whom we are so thankful for!! Let me begin by saying I have seen the skills of almost all these fabolous public speakers and know that they are going to be incredible coaches to you all. I love that they believe in the mission behind Lasting Impact! and want to see students excel in public speaking, empower coaches and clubs, and equip parents with the tools to see their students succeed. Now that I am done with all that mushy gushy stuff let’s get down to BUSINESS…
It’s the beginning of a new speech and debate year! Why not have a new syllabus, right? Each year club leaders go above and beyond creating their syllabus for their club. This is our second year creating one. Lasting Impact Syllabus 1.0 using Vol. 1 is still available. In fact, we had a lot of clubs that chose to use it! So why did we create another one? And what makes this one better?
The biggest question students ask themselves as the summer weeks wind towards another academic year is: what should I write my speeches about? Parents ask themselves: how do I help my students decide what they should write their speeches on? Each feels the gravity of answering that question too soon, too late, incorrectly, insufficiently, etc. An ambitious student may average three speeches a year for six years, resulting in a grand total of eighteen platform and interpretative opportunities… but this number can feel paltry when there are so many books to dramatize, subjects to explore, and ideas that need to be addressed!
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