Handbook

We’re glad you chose to join the Beavercreek Speech and Debate Team. We will push you to do your best at each tournament all season long. Through continued hard work and competition experience, our members gain confidence, poise, and other valuable life-long skills. Speech and Debate is a competitive activity, and members know that winning is the result of working hard

both personally and as a group. Every member’s effort contributes to the team, and the hardest workers reap the biggest rewards (along with the most trophies). It always feels great when we win, but being a member of a strong team has additional rewards and payoffs; college admissions offices notice Speech and Debate on your application. You don't have to be a national finalist to have this item make a difference to the people considering your college applications. The payoff for participation on the Speech and Debate Team doesn't end there. Employers want to hire people who have poise, confidence, and excellent speaking skills, all of which are attributes honed through forensic activities. We can set you up for that success.

While some scholarships for speech and debate exist, the primary goal of the activity is to teach skills that are valued, by colleges, future employers, your peers, and your community.

~ Coach Guha

Rahul.Guha@gocreek.org

The Beavercreek Speech & Debate team is committed to providing its participants, judges, coaches, and staff the opportunity to pursue excellence in their endeavors. This opportunity can exist only when each member of our community is assured an atmosphere of mutual respect. 

The BHS S&D team prohibits all forms of harassment and discrimination. Accordingly, all forms of harassment and discrimination, whether written or oral, based on race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, citizenship, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by any applicable federal, state, or local law are prohibited, whether committed by participants, judges, coaches, or observers. 

Individuals who are found to have violated this policy will be subject to the full range of sanctions, up to and including removal from BHS S&D Events.

The team requirements for attendance can be best understood by understanding all team members are responsible for attending both meetings and practices. Monday Meeting & Squad Practice The All Team Meeting takes place on Mondays in the Speech and Debate room (BHS 0128) from after school (3:15) until 6:00 pm. This meeting will cover information about the upcoming schedule, team details, fundraisers, or other general information. This is mandatory for all team members on all weeks during the Season.  After the Monday meeting will be squad practice, where students work on their events with a coach in a more classroom-type setting. Especially at the beginning of the year the Monday meetings in September and October are critical to building a foundation for the rest of the season. They are effectively like football two-a-days, band camp, or any other preparation window for any other competitive activity.

Individual Practices Because speech students compete individually at tournaments, we also hold 1 on 1 practices once a week. Practices will either be with an adult coach or a peer coach. We offer 30 minute slots for practice with after school Tuesday through Friday between 3:15 and 5:30pm. - Students should arrive at the team room at least 5-10 min before their session starts - If a student has to miss a slot, please provide at least 24 hr notice if possible. Missed practices cost teammates opportunities - Students may re-select practice slots each month to accommodate schedule changes and to practice with different coaches. Regular attendance of meetings and practices is an expectation. Repeat absences may be taken into consideration for team privileges (tournament attendance, event of choice, etc.) If you can't make it, e-mail the coaches before the meeting. It is the responsibility of the students to get information from any missed meetings from team leadership.

There are nearly two dozen different events for students to compete in across the country. In Ohio there are about 15 different events. At BHS we are currently offering 7 speech events and 1 debate event. Our excellent coaches are best at coaching these 7 to maximize the experience for all students. Students typically pick 1 event per season. Some students do 4 different events over their time in HS, others will do a single event and never change. Because of how the season works we encourage students to pick an event and stick with a whole season before deciding to change for the next year. Picking an event can be difficult, especially for students who want to do it all! We encourage students to talk to their coaches and their parents about which event is the best fit. Coaches are happy to hold “trying out” event activities and make a recommendation. 

There are two main ways to consider which event to choose: a student’s interests and a student’s time availability. All events teach argument and performance but in different combinations and ways. All of the event categories require a lot of work but some require even more commitment outside of scheduled practice time than others. A student should pick an event they are both interested in and have the time to commit to. The events are briefly described on the following pages. More details about the events and the time requirements are located on our team website under the Events tab.

Speech and debate has been a competitive activity in the United States since before the Great Depression. Many national (and Ohio) teams are incredibly disciplined with decades of experience with their coaches and materials. What we are trying to say is, this activity is difficult.

Students in all events must do work at home in between meetings and practices. Coaches will give lots of instructions and details throughout the year.

Most (not all) events are “top heavy” because students pick a topic or script and write their speech or cut their script at the beginning of the year and compete with that selection all season. 

There are many times changes and tweaks will need to be made but the base work is all done at the beginning of the year. Therefore while practices are always important a late start can be devastating to a successful season. Practices are to discuss with coaches and peers how the individual work is going and to practice delivery after the script is memorized.

OO/INFO

 Students must research, select a topic, research more, write a speech, edit, and then memorize the script.

Declamation 

Students must find a script, cut it down, write an introduction, and then memorize the script.

Dramatic/Program Acting 

Students must find a script, cut it down, write an introduction, memorize, and practice delivery and “tech” at home

Extemp

Students should regularly and weekly be reading the news, following current events, and researching about complex topics like economics or international relations.

Debate 

Students come to 6 hours of practice during the week but are still expected to complete assignments and work not done at practice at home.

Discipline isn’t working on Speech and Debate 4 hours a day

It is cutting down on TikTok to do homework, so you can practice speech and debate 1 hour a day 

You have your material memorized and rehearsed. Your files are full of well-organized research, and your diction is

flawless. Now it’s time to compete! We are an active team from October through March. Tournaments are on Saturdays and typically rounds run from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm (or as late as 6-7 depending on delays) We travel around the State so location & travel is a major consideration. We ask all families to just consider  ach tournament a full day activity for planning purposes. 

September – Recruitment, general team information and topic selection

October – Getting your scripts/events ready and practiced, maybe a novice or practice tournament 

November – Regular season with 2-3 tournaments

December – Regular season with 2-3 tournaments

January – Most difficult regular season month with 3-4 difficult tournaments

February – State qualifiers, national qualifiers

March – First weekend of March (Thursday through Saturday) is Ohio Speech and Debate Association State Tournament

Students do not need to compete at all tournaments, however the experience on the team is made best by tournament competition, not after school practice, so students are encouraged to attend all tournaments they can fit within their schedule.

Our team's competition goal is to maximize our success at the OSDA State Tournament!

Sign-ups are managed through the team’s Tournament Sign Up form, filled out at the beginning of the year. Because we have unique judging and transportation (discussed later) arrangements, we want to know your likely attendance schedule as soon as possible. You are allowed to change your mind about attending a tournament by emailing Coach Guha at least 2 Mondays before the tournament. Tournaments dropped with only 1 week of notice will be taken into consideration when cuts/selections for special tournaments need to be made. Tournaments dropped with less than 1 week of notice are subject to a $15 drop fee due to tournaments charging Beavercreek drop fees for events dropped this late (to be collected via Online Portal) You are assumed to be attending any tournaments you signed up for, unless you drop by the drop deadline.

There are 3 parts to a tournament; before rounds, rounds, and after rounds.

When we arrive at a tournament, the team will usually set up in a cafeteria and then follow a coach or captain to a classroom for warm-ups A coach will get the registration materials, assign you your number, and relay information regarding schedules. Rounds are when you compete 3-4 times throughout the day in classrooms against random groups of people from your event. How you do in rounds determines how you did at the tournament. There is usually a break for lunch after round 2 or 3. Awards are held after rounds are over.

You are not allowed to leave the competition site during the tournament.

Things to Bring

- Laptop (AND CHARGER!!!*) if your event requires it

- Money for lunch (or your own lunch if dietary restrictions are a concern)

- Change of shoes if you are wearing anything uncomfortable

- Copy of your script

- Pens/Paper for notes through the tournament

*I do not care if you “charged it at night.” BRING A CHARGER or risk your entire day’s success!

Free Time

Behavior during wait times also affects our team’s reputation. Waiting for the next round or for the awards ceremony can take a while. You may bring school work or something to read while you wait. Games may be played only after your last round; if you’re still in the competition, you should be prepping. Don’t distract your teammates who are prepping. “Wall talk” may look goofy, but notice what the winners do with their spare time. Do not leave the tournament site. 

Etiquette 

During rounds , be a class act from the time you enter the room until you leave. Sit quietly and attentively. Make sure your cell phone is turned off, and do not distract your competitors by yawning, drumming fingers on the desktop, doing homework, or dropping things. Please note that snickering or rolling eyes while someone is speaking is also rude and distracting. If the presentation is funny, you may laugh, but not too loudly; inappropriate or boisterous reactions are rude and can negatively impact your scores from the judges. Be  the audience member you want them to be for you. Debate partners may pass information/notes and talk discreetly during prep time, but you should not talk to each other during either your own or your opponents’ speeches.

Complaints

Don’t risk ruining the reputation of our Speech and Debate team. Refrain from negative comments and criticisms about anyone during the tournament. If you have a legitimate problem at the tournament, talk to a BHS coach quickly and privately so that it can be addressed. Competitors, coaches, and judges are all around the tournament site and a careless complaint can be overheard by someone from their school, your next judge, or maybe someone you’ll face next week. So for any complaints that don’t warrant going to a BHS coach for immediate resolution, the rule is: save it for the bus. 

Food

Eat a healthy breakfast before the tournament. They will have food for sale and there will usually be time for lunch in the schedule. You may also bring your own food. You may not eat during a round. Depending on when we leave the tournament and the length of the drive, we may stop for dinner. Please plan accordingly. Food for sale at tournaments is often not compatible with food allergies or other special dietary needs.

Occasionally, we cannot take every student who wants to attend a tournament. This can happen when there isn’t enough space in the hotel or vans, we aren’t able to supply enough judges, or the tournament limits the number of students we can take per event (Ex. States limits each team to 4 entries per category.) In those cases, we must unfortunately make cuts. When we are limited by event, that event’s coach will decide who to send and announce that to the students affected. When the cuts are due to space restrictions or insufficient judges, the coaches will decide together who to send. In general, students who have met their judging expectations throughout the year, who have regularly attended and participated at practices, and who have shown dedication by regularly signing up for tournaments are less likely to be cut. We take the decision of our competitive rosters very seriously and consider the team as a whole. The coaches’ decisions are final and are not negotiable.

Speech and Debate depends on community and parental involvement to ensure our students have the greatest opportunity to succeed. 

All tournaments require that each school bring judges who observe the events and complete ballots that determine the winners of the round. Students are therefore required to provide volunteer judges in order to compete. Although parents are a common choice, the student is free to provide any judge that is a high school graduate, for example an older sibling or a family friend would all be welcome. We do not wish to make parent-provided judges a requirement for your child to participate, however it is the TEAM’s requirement to at tournaments in order to participate. 

It all comes down to ratios: for every 1-5 students competing in a tournament, we must provide 1 judge. Once we register a 6th student, we jump a level and need to provide a 2nd judge etc. If we don’t meet our team quota we must cut students from tournaments. 

Therefore, students on the BHS team must a judge at least 3* times a year. Families for whom there are work, other children, ESL, or other concerns have some other volunteer or financial buyout options for this requirement. 

The above Ratio allows coaches to pick parents who have the easiest time taking a weekend to judge. Hopefully we can give you all off weekends and make this an easy commitment. The team will provide judge training sessions throughout the season. Parents must attend training prior to judging their first tournament.

*If your child attends all 10+ tournaments and then additional qualifiers, please try to contribute 4 times or help us hire a judge too

Due to numerous factors (team size, bus costs (driver wages + mileage), judging requirements) the S&D team uses both buses and parent driven vans/cars to get to tournaments. The general idea is parents are asked to be at the tournaments anyways. Most tournaments are close to an hour or nearer to BHS and parents prefer to drive themselves, and it is a major help to just try and use that space in the vehicles to take the rest of the team. We are approved by the district to use this plan on a year to year basis. We are also working to make sure this system has no access issues for any student who wishes to join our team, but parents who have information on specific access concerns for their child should contact us ASAP to make sure we accommodate all needs. 

- All students turn in a Transportation Permission form at the beginning of the year noting their parent has given them permission to be driven in another parent’s vehicle 

- All parents are asked to volunteer themselves to the best of their ability and comfort level with regards to all tournaments. If we don’t have a means to safely get to the tournament, we won’t go.

- We meet at BHS before all tournaments no matter where the tournament is. At BHS coaches will distribute van assignments, directions, and do a check in of all students before van’s are told to safely be on their way to the tournament location.

- We meet back at BHS after the tournament for students whose parents didn’t travel with us to be picked up by their parents  

- There is no van driving requirement for parents on the team, but we do ask parents who are judging to please volunteer if able & willing to be drivers. Especially parents with high capacity vehicles...

With over 10 years of running program we are fortunate to have a bank of alumni and friends who love to judge. Some former parents who judged still love to judge for us. Alumni love their turn in the judge’s seat. We call them hired because we appreciate their time and paying judges helps keep them coming back. 

We understand not all families can provide a literal parent judge because of factors including but not limited to; English as Second Language, many younger siblings, work schedules, and other complications. factors, not all parents are available or comfortable judging our primarily English language event. 

We encourage those families with those or other complications but some discretionary budget to use our "Buyout Option" to help us hire judges through our booster (Creek Speech and Debate Booster) with a one time $300 donation. This donation removes all obligation for your child to provide a judge for the season. 

We are piloting this "buyout" option for the 2024-2025 school year. We are limiting the buyout to the first 8 families who request it. 

"Buyout" families will still be asked for volunteerism or other assistance during our annual tournament, the Beavercreek Phoenix Invitational.

Another note, Judges do not need to be parents. We ask they be over 18 adults because tournaments treat judges as parents (so please, high school graduate age only.) They can be family friends, uncles, aunts, etc.

The team uses many different web and tech services to help manage our complicated activity.

Email - Students are expected to learn professional habits and check their emails at least once a day (even if they take a bit more time to reply to coaches requests)

Google Environment - Classroom (Parents and Students), Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive

ParentSquare - We will give it a good college try to use ParentSquare this year for communication. Please join our Group using this Sign-Up link

This Website - We will post most updates to the operational pages of this website. Parents can also get to internal team resources here. Updates and direct links will be sent by Email and ParentSquare for relevant updates.

At the end of the year, our team gives out honors and awards. If you compete in at least 70% of the tournaments for which you are eligible, and remain in good standing on the team, you will earn a varsity letter. Each subsequent varsity year earns you a service bar. If you would like to include Speech and Debate on your application for National Honor Society, you must make varsity in your Sophomore year. 

Note: A community speech contest or event (e.g. VFW, Rotary Club, Optimist Club, Poetry Out Loud) counts as one tournament toward earning a varsity letter. 

BHS Regular Year-End Awards

Outstanding Novice, Improvement, Speaker– 9 awards for students in Interp, Public Speaking, and Debate who demonstrate outstanding qualities in their first year, year to year, or overall

Outstanding Peer Coach - Presented to the student who has gone above and beyond as a peer coach through the season

Spirit of the Phoenix– Selected by peers to honor the member who best represents BHS Speech and Debate throughout the season. 

Awards are presented at our closing ceremony in the spring. New NSDA members will be inducted and additional degrees will be awarded.

To help with administrative tasks, team management, and other duties, the coaches select student leaders from among the varsity members. We have an executive team of President, Vice President, and Secretary with various duties, and Event Captains for each competitive category. Team leaders are responsible for almost everything that a coach isn’t needed for, from organizing parties, peer coaching, helping with website sign-ups, to organizing our team t-shirts and hoodies! If you have questions or concerns and cannot reach a coach, the exec./captains will probably have the answer. Leadership roles are assigned at the end of every school year for the following season. Students who want to become a team leader are encouraged to apply at the end of the year but also to shadow current year captains to see what they do and how they do it!

Thank you. Thank You. Thank You. I have been in this activity since 2003. None of the amazing memories and experiences I had as a competitor and coach would have been possible without the parents who drove me to tournaments, judged, or even stepped up as coaches when our teachers stepped down at BHS. The involvement you have here is unlike any other activity. I often contrast our activity to football. When your child joins football (or soccer, whatever) parent participation is usually orange slices and bleachers. In Speech and Debate we ask you to drop your kid off at the football field and then change into a referee outfit and get on the field. We know this is a big ask. If you can indulge me, please consider this to be an opportunity. Dozens of parents can attest this kind of participation as a judge and/or driver creates a special kind of memory as a parent volunteer. You are in the event with us, you learn it like a coach, like a competitor. Parents are welcome to join with the team for warm-ups (though you’re welcome to just drink your coffee) and you’re with us through awards. Being with us at overnights or driving the team to and from great success or disappointment also lets you see the kids  interact and grow together. I know the requirements are a lot and other activities are less involved for parents. We try to make every accommodation possible to ease the burdens. Hopefully as the team grows, we have a larger pool of parents to help distribute the work around. But ultimately, thank you for any time you can provide, you don’t know how much I appreciate it.

Coach Guha