If you are competing in Speech and Debate this year, the likelihood of you competing online is HIGH. Some people may think, "no big deal," but I strongly advise to walk in (to your bedroom and virtual room) prepared!! Sign up for the Lasting Impact! Online Prep Workshop HERE. We will be covering 20 items that we hope you are considering with your online set up- the difference between virtual and in person, how you debate, how you judge, positioning, and more! The workshop will be recorded and is included in the price! Don't take my word- read Kristi's article, she has taught online, judged online, and her son has attended school online. Listen and read her understanding on how you need to think about your online environment...
We didn’t foresee COVID-19, or the shut-down that ensued in its wake. We CAN however see that the tide has perhaps taken a permanent turn toward more online communication. There are certainly trade-offs, but the paradigm IS shifting. Employees and students ARE seeing that they can be productive in a remote environment, and in many cases, they are enjoying the very flexibility that has always marked the home school community. I think we can safely say that a percentage of college instruction, office meetings, sales negotiations, etc. will continue to stay online for the foreseeable future. While some of that programming may shift back, you are likely going to have to learn to be powerful and compelling as a communicator in the online format. Even the not-so-novice speaker has a learning curve here...
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“In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun.” Apparently, Mary Poppins had never signed up for a Speech and Debate Tournament!! Ah- the STRESS!! First there is IF you are going to sign up… Are your parents making you? Are your speeches written? Do you have a case yet? Just breathe! Let us be your guide… your own little Mary Poppins to help you navigate the task set before you. How to survive signing up for a Speech and Debate Tournament…
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With the Speech and Debate seasons canceled, it is understandable that there are a variety of feelings. There are also a variety of people who are dealing with the ramifications of season ending.
Those Who Have Moved On… There are going to be some students that are now looking toward their future. There are a lot of seniors that fall into this category. They no longer need to research, make briefs, edit speeches, etc. This is not the way they envisioned the end of their end of their speech and debate careers. I have seen much disappointment, but I have also seen poise, grace, and determination for what the Lord has in store for them next. For those who have moved on, remember, just because this season has ended, your journey is just beginning! High School Speech and Debate is one drop in your bucket.
Those Who Still Want to Compete… For many competitors, they are longing for more. The thought of throwing in the towel or moving on, when it is only April does not seem acceptable. Lasting Impact! is excited to offer ideas of ways to continue to grow your skills!
What’s Next? Just because the leagues aren’t offering tournament opportunities, doesn’t mean that there aren’t ways to grow your skills and continue to enhance your skills. Lasting Impact! has been connecting students, parents, coaches, and clubs for almost four years. Whether you look to us, to make us a part of your journey or find places to grow your skills- the point is to continue to grow!
Online Tournaments – These opportunities are popping up! Lasting Impact! is excited to announce we are developing our own!! I know one of the primary reasons for tournaments is to be together, the sense of community. Lasting Impact! Tournaments will be no different! I told myself if this can’t look like a tournament, I am not interested. Therefore, that is what we aim to create! We will be running a small prototype Debate Tournament in April with others to follow. This will not just stop at Debate Tournaments, this will make way for Speech Tournaments, as well. Perhaps, one day Apologetics Tournaments for students all over the country? We are excited for what the Lord is doing. This will not only answer the call for this season, but for our online camps, practice tournaments, as well as next season. These online tournaments will offer new experiences. It’s an exciting time! More info. coming soon!
Online Classes – Through the years we have provided many online classes. We will be rolling out a Spring, Summer, and Fall schedule.
Online Workshops – Coming in April, all our Workshops will be FREE! Schedule coming out soon! Workshops such as… – Intro to Foreign Policy – Building Your Club – Is LD or TP Right for Me? – Using Humor
Online Clubs – Our second semester clubs are almost over. It has been a fabulous year! Over 100 students were a part of Lasting Impact! Clubs. Some students joined because they wanted a community to grow with, their area didn’t have a Speech or Debate Club. Some students used Lasting Impact! as a supplement. Whatever the case might be, you are welcome! Enrollment in Fall Clubs are just around the corner.
Online Camps – Dates are getting set. We are planning a full summer!! Please reach out to us if you are looking for your club to host camp, whether it be in person or online.
Share Your Speeches – Just because you don’t have a tournament to compete in, doesn’t mean you can’t share your speech! Find ways to bless others! Lasting Impact! is always looking for more speeches to put in their video gallery! Contact us, if you have a speech you want to share!
Lasting Impact! is a resource that comes alongside students, coaches, parents, and clubs to provide valuable insight into the world of Speech and Debate. Become part of the online community which includes articles, coaching, classes, clubs, camps, workshops and so much more! Whether in person or online, we aim to help families navigate the world of speech and debate by providing opportunities to explore. Make sure you SUBSCRIBE to make sure you are getting all the latest email updates.
Before we begin this article, let us introduce you to Hope Turner. She has been going to Speech and Debate Tournaments before she could compete, and hit the ground running when she was 12. She has been to a plethora of competitions during her Speech and Debate years, which culminated in 2019, her senior year, as Moot Court Champion with her partner, Hope Rawlson. If you want to know how to survive the long days of a tournament, read on…
On September 6th, 1998 one of the greatest quarterbacks football has ever seen started his first game. Peyton Manning, the first pick in the 1998 draft out of Tennessee, lost in his first game as a rookie with the Indianapolis Colts. Unlike many of the star first round quarterbacks of today’s football, Peyton Manning was never known for his strength, speed, or agility. While he certainly possessed the physical characteristics one would expect from two-time Superbowl champion, that didn’t define his style. He wasn’t one to consistently roll outside the pocket to extend a play or hurtle a ball downfield on sheer talent alone. Peyton Manning’s study, awareness, and preparation allowed him to become the football legend he is now known for today. That notion of skill development and preparation extends so well into the world of competitive forensics. It is one of the many reasons competitive forensics ought to be considered a sport. And it would behoove competitors to think of debate as such.
Definition of Introduction: the thing preliminary to something else, especially in an explanation section at the beginning of a book, report, or speech. If you have read any of the going on 400 articles Lasting Impact! has wrote, I have already made it very clear I think an Introduction is super important element in your Interpretive Speeches. But one type of Intro might have a little more punch when it comes to the judges...
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Are you wanting to take your speech to the next level? Have you exhausted your club and family for ideas? Do you need a fresh new perspective before bringing the same case or speech to the next level of competition?
Lasting Impact! realizes what a critical time this is in a competitor’s season. That’s why we are adding another round of Online Workshops… be sure to check back to see what we add!
It’s crunch time. What to do going into that last tournament, whether it be one more qualifier or your Regional Championship. How to ratchet up your game just enough to get ONE step further?
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It seems like every year there are speech and debate students that need to be re-educated. For whatever reason students think there is a magic system for the order of their appearance in a competition room. I hope through this article you will see there is no reason to go hiding in the bathroom until the end of the round…
“Remember, there is $10,000 riding on this speech. Don’t—mess—up.”
I stared at the contest administrator wide-eyed. Was that advice supposed to be helpful? Giving a speech with $10,000 riding on it already felt like the most nerve-wracking competitive experience of my life… But it was also amazing!!
Did you know you can give speeches for scholarship money? In the busyness that often defines high school, many skilled communicators neglect incredible opportunities to hone their public speaking skills while earning money for college. Yet a number of public speaking scholarships are out there just waiting to be contested. In this article, I’ll tell you about 5 amazing speech scholarship opportunities and share some valuable tips on how to succeed at them…
We write a lot of them as parents (or alumni). Competitors get an envelope of them after every speech and debate tournament. And sometimes we have more to say about the ballots than we take away from the ballots! What are these ballots, and how can both judges and competitors use the ballots to best effect during the competition season?
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I know that will not always be the first thought coming to mind when you are done with a speech. But even if it is not, you should feel good stepping out of that room. Walk out with as much confidence you had walking in.
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