(Sign up for the final Moot Camp today!! It’s just around the corner––August 17th and 19th. It’s so much fun every year, and campers always express being grateful they decided to come.) https://lastingimpact.info/product/camp22585/
I’m a Moot Coach, so I hear a lot of people’s thoughts on the event. But oddly enough, the most common objection I hear to competing in Moot is not “idk, it looks scary.” It’s not “I dunno, it doesn’t look fun,” or even “I don’t have a partner.” No––the overwhelming #1 objection is “I don’t have time for it. I’m too busy this year.”
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” This popular quote from Benjamin Franklin is one that I often heard parroted at me by coaches throughout the years, always immediately followed by an instruction to start working on my speeches and debate cases much sooner than I would have liked. At the time, I felt like it wasn’t that helpful to start in the summer, after all, the same materials would still waiting in the fall. While I don’t like to admit that I’m wrong, I was definitely wrong; getting a head start on preparation during the summer has proven to be invaluable in my experience, especially when preparing for Moot Court. Getting a head start on the extensive reading and analysis only helps you. However, figuring out where to start is difficult, should you read the Supreme Court cases first? Or the facts? When should you start writing your cases?
Here are a few tips on jump-starting your season a few months in advance:
The last time Nationals was held at Anderson University was 2019, my senior year. That year, my Moot partner and I had aspirations of making the final round. We had fully memorized our speeches and were the top seed at a previous National Open.
But when breaks were announced, the team of EJ Rorem and Ethan Tong wasn’t announced. As we’d later find out, we went 3-5 (there used to be 4 rounds with 2 judges each). Though we both got Oral Advocate awards later that week, it was a small consolation. We wanted to be in finals. And that was our last chance… (Keep reading to find out what I learned at Moot Court Nationals and why you should try Moot…)
MEMBERSHIP PRiCES for ALL – through the 4th of July!! Our Online Camps are LESS THAN $100 (see below for details on the discounts). Sign up today for Lasting Impact! Online Camps, they will provide – amazing information, instruction, and inspiration! And, as always, the recording is FREE! Running a Club this year? Club Leaders are also welcome to attend! Learn and glean from top notch coaches to walk away with a jump start on the season making progress towards success!
Ethan Tong said, “Some of my fondest memories of High School Speech and Debate were the summer camps: hanging out with friends, not understanding how much I was learning, with little to no pressure to perform well. I remember one camp in Wisconsin where I was doing a practice round. One of the camp coaches was judging. I could not finish a single sentence without stuttering and saying ums all over the place––despite it being my 2nd year competing. I was so embarrassed that I literally said, in my speech, “I’m sorry, I promise I’m usually not this bad”!”
The great thing about camps is that you’re allowed to make mistakes and not be on your best game. You need to remember- you go to camp to learn, grow, and explore!
Lasting Impact! is offering summer speech and debate camps all over the country – including Hawaii! But did you know we also are providing some AMAZING speech and debate opportunities ONLINE this summer?? We are offering ONLINE DEBATE – in three different events––TP, LD, and Moot Court–– and ONLINE SPEECH! We guarantee they will help you learn the elements to get you started on the road to progress. By heading to a summer camp you are guaranteed to be further ahead than if you didn’t! We, at Lasting Impact!, are all about the process and progress over the perfection! If you can’t make it to an in person camp this summer… check out these online options…
TP and LD Camp – (TP – July 10-11/LD – July 12-13) These are called “Principles of TP” and “Principles of LD” because we will not just teach you how to succeed in a particular resolution, but how to succeed in any resolution. Coach Ethan Tong and Coach Nathanael Kolssak will teach you the principles of debate that all nationally-ranked debaters use. They are not only experienced coaches and past competitors, but they are also experienced judges! Therefore, they will be able to give you tips from the other side of the table and tell you what judges like and what they don’t like. Click HERE and enter the Code – DISCOUNT2310 for $25 OFF!!
Moot Camp – (July 26-27 or Aug. 4-5) This camp is geared for beginners and advanced. Beginners will cover…
⁃What is Moot Court? ⁃What To Do When Cracking Open the Packet ⁃Case Writing 101 ⁃Responding to Questions 101 ⁃2023 Packet Discussion ⁃…and more!
The advanced track will cover: ⁃Improving at Moot ⁃Case Writing 201: Compelling Intros and Conclusions ⁃Mastering the Rebuttal ⁃2023 Packet Discussion Click HERE. And enter the Code- DISCOUNT2310 for $10 OFF!!
Jump Start Speech – (July 17) Heather Neumann will lead students of all levels to get a kick start for the upcoming season. Through class time and engaging activities, Heather will break down all the speech categories, teach the benefits of speech and debate, and dispel various myths. Even the most apprehensive students will walk away with a foundation, and the varsity students will be inspired! Click HERE. And enter the Code- DISCOUNT2310 for $10 OFF!!
Do you need a camp to do well? No, not necessarily, but our camps will have value. You have the opportunity to start your journey NOW! Begin the process NOW. Oh––and one more thing: we promise these camps will be fun. Yes, they’re online. But we use high energy, humor, games, activities, and everything in our power to make these camps some of the best you’ve ever been to. Just hear what a Moot Court camper said:
“The energy was immaculate, the feedback was top tier, and the way the coaches handled everything (from jokes to lectures to drills to giving tips) exceeded my already high expectations greatly. Would 100% pay again. 10/10.”
As the first Moot Tournament draws even closer, many students are panicking. How do you even prepare for an unlimited amount of questions from judges? How do you anticipate what questions might be asked?
Let me tell you about the key to a successful first tournament…
About a month ago, the 2022-2023 NCFCA Moot Court packet dropped- an edited version of the college Moot Court (AMCA) packet from five years ago. Many experienced mooters immediately dove into the packet, hoping to analyze it with their friends. But for others, the packet is big and terrifying: 23 pages of daunting legal material.
Ethan Tong and Blackstone Moot Court has partnered with us for a couple years now. In fact, Ethan Tong is one of our newest Lasting Impact! Coaches. We are excited Blackstone is going to offer another opportunity to show High School students what Moot Court is all about…
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!
Are you wanting to understand Moot Court better? Ethan Tong is the guy! In two weeks, Lasting Impact! will host an Online Workshop specifically for Mooters! Sign up NOW! Online Moot Court Workshop – Lasting Impact! This workshop will be recorded! And in the meantime, read Ethan’s tip about Moot…
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…
NCFCA Announces Online Moot Court! What!? I know what you are thinking? How can this be? Some of you may be thinking of throwing in the towel! Not so fast!! Check out what Ethan Tong has to say about the incredible value of Moot…
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