Organising a Competition

1. Set a date for your competition that does not clash with other competitions. If you overlap with another competition, it will be harder to get other schools to sign up. Even if you are targeting a different student pool, the limited pool of judges may not be sufficient for both competitions on the same day.

2. Download our "Organising a Competition" Resource Package. This package contains a step-by-step guide, as well as all the forms, scoresheets, and briefing materials you will need for your event. Read through it in advance, and contact us if you have any questions. Settle the resource requirements as early as possible with the hosting venue. You will need ushers, timekeepers, chairpersons, classrooms, holding rooms, and a lecture theater to gather everybody and brief them.

3. Find Adjudicators. We can assist you in emailing our list of qualified adjudicators to find the right judges for your level of competition. Try and use multiple judges per room, and always have some backup judges in case there are last minute cancellations. Get schools to sign up early. Have a swing team ready in case a school has to pull out.

4. Publicise the competition to your target audience. We can email schools for you, and you can make announcements using the forum.

5. Remind the participants and judges with the required details just before the event. People fall sick, cars break down, and people can get lost, so have a contingency plan available. Also, it helps to start your competition at a reasonable hour, and don't ask judges to come down too early. Nobody wants to wake up at 7am to attend your briefing at 7:30am, only to find out that the first round only starts at 10am. Be nice to the judges, they're all volunteers.

Hiring a Coach

1. Determine the scope and aim for the coach. Do you want him/her to coach the school team to the national championships? Or do you want them to introduce all the students in your debate club to debating? How many hours a week do you want the coach to come down? Once you know what you want in the long term, it's easier to find the right coach.

2. If you would like to hire a coach, based on your scope/aim for the coach, you should determine what your budget is. Most coaches charge per-hour, and the rate depends on the qualifications and track record of that coach. If they have won numerous championships and also coached teams to win local trophies, expect to pay more for that coach. We have created an optional "Coach's Quiz " if you would like to find out whether your prospective coach understands the key requirements of the local debate format. You can check their Results of the Coach's Quiz if you wish.

3. Place a forum announcement on the Coaches Market Forum for your requirements. It helps to be specific about what you want. You should negotiate payment offline in privacy. Interview a number of candidates and select the one you think would suit your students the best.

4. Most coaches are quite young, many are still in university. This is normal. Most adult debaters are successful lawyers/politicians/working professionals, so it is unlikely that they will be able to coach a school on the side. Younger coaches are well-qualified, eager, and dedicated, so do not be too worried. If you are unsure, feel free to ask other teachers or coaches about the reputation and quality of a coach you are about to hire. It's a free market, after all.

5. Paying your coaches. Different schools have their own arrangements for paying individual coaches who are not on the GeBiz system - find a system that works for you and your coach. Discuss rates and training schedules in advance so that there are no misunderstandings or miscommunications. You should check in with your coach and the team regularly to ensure that things are proceeding smoothly.

6. Once you've found a coach, don't forget to post a reply in the forum to your original request stating that you have found a coach and are no longer taking applications.

Using Debate in the Classroom

http://www.learndebating.com

Simon Quinn has written a how-to guide from his personal experiences as the world's best debater at the 1999 and 2000 WSDC. A must-read for all young debaters.

http://www.idebate.org

The Debatabase has plenty of ideas and suggestions for debate-related activities and useful exercises designed to build skills in a wide variety of debate areas, from argument construction to developing a debate club to style and delivery.

http://www.eslflow.com

Suggestions for how to use debate and discussion in the classroom to strengthen students' confidence in English

http://www.educationworld.com

Links to resources for classroom debates, lesson plans, rules, assessment ideas.

http://www.webenglishteacher.com

Links to teacher resources for speech and debate

http://debate.uvm.edu/

Information on different international formats of debate

http://www.nationalgeographic.com

Specific lesson plan: The Great Energy Debate

See the forum for more links

Coaches Marketplace

Queenstown Sec School looking for Div 3 JG coach urgently posted on October 12, 2009, 12:27:07 AM
'Queenstown Sec Sc is looking for Debate Coach for a new team deating in Div 3 of JG competition in 2010.

Pls email: wenmien@yahoo.com
Write Comment

See the forum for more listings.
Ask your coach to take the voluntary Coach Proficiency Test.