Debate Develops Enduring Skills

Bridger Gordon, staffEric Johnson, debate and language arts instructor, uses his role as debate coach to teach personal development and responsibility to his debaters. Johnson is entering his ninth season as debate coach, four of which have been as head coach. Johnson became the debate coach largely by accident.

As a youth, Johnson knew one thing: he did not want to be an English teacher when he grew up. Johnson entered college as a chemistry major, but a persistent professor, Dr. Sue Shirley, convinced him to switch to a major in English.

After college, Johnson moved to Alaska to fish and write. But eventually, Johnson changed from using “da bait” as an Alaskan fisherman to coaching debate at SBHS.

Interestingly enough, Johnson didn’t intend on coaching debate when he moved to Sturgis. He started out teaching seventh grade English. Johnson was looking for a house in the Sturgis area to raise a family in, but to do this, he needed a loan from the bank. The bank wouldn’t agree to giving Johnson a loan because of his financial situation. Johnson saw an ad in the local newspaper saying that a debate coach was wanted.

Johnson said, “I should be good at coaching talking. I’ve been doing it my whole life.”

The extra money from coaching debate improved Johnson’s financial situation enough that the bank would give him a loan to buy a house.

“The rest is legend,” Johnson said.

Johnson enjoys coaching debate because it allows him to watch and be a part of the personal growth of his students. He likes to see his debaters go from their awkward flailing to eventual mastery of their skills.

Johnson said that he also enjoys being a debate coach “because I know that while I am eating prime rib [in the Casper tournament’s coaches room], my debaters are having to eat from a potato bar.”

Johnson said that a lack of sympathy is what defines him as a coach.

While this may sound harsh, Johnson said, “It’s not that I don’t care.”

Johnson cares in a different way. This lack of sympathy is preparing his students and debaters for adulthood, which is a stark contrast to childhood coddling. He wants to make his students realize they need to work for what they want.

Johnson said the way he interacts with his debaters “tempers feeling of entitlement.”

Mr. Johnson’s favorite students are the ones who fully give themselves to the team and embrace the personal growth and responsibility.

SBHS alumni and former Sturgis debater Jordan Smith said, “Mr. Johnson is among the most formative people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. The debate team took me from a stuttering, terrified middle schooler to a confident, capable man ready to take what I have to say and change the world.”