advanced LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATE

 This class is designed for experienced LD debaters (and those crossing over from other formats) to help them compete at the highest levels  in Lincoln-Douglas Debate, qualifying to the state and national tournaments to earn credentials for college. 

This course covers advanced debate topics required to succeed on the national level. Students will learn how to write their own national-level affirmative and negative cases under the supervision of coaches, as well as tailoring arguments and rebuttals to different judge pools at the various major regular season, state and national qualifying, and national tournaments. Coaches will also travel with students to top competitions and judge and coach students between rounds. Tournaments occur throughout the year but the emphasis will be on major invitational tournaments and earning qualifying bids to the Tournament of Champions.

For classes, students will need a high speed Internet connection, an electronic device with which to access the Internet, pen and paper to take notes, and a willingness to learn both about the topic and from other students. In-person classes will also require that they like eating pizza and drinking soda or bottled water.

For competition, students will need conservative professional attire, an electronic device to access the Internet, a timer or a smartphone timer app (TimeKept for iPhone and NSDA Timer for Android are strongly recommended). In-person tournaments will also require coordinating rides back and forth to competition sites and meal money, while online tournaments will require a high speed (preferably wired) Internet connection and a hotspot or other backup connection is strongly recommended.

For parents looking for a good value on a laptop, Homeboy Industries is selling refurbished MacBooks for as little as $199. TableTote stands are also recommended as they allow students to place their laptops on a level surface at chest level and enunciate their arguments clearly.

Qualification to the “TOC” requires students to place in late elimination rounds at major regular season tournaments (earning qualifying “bids”) at least twice, although students can be considered on a case-by-case basis with one qualifying bid. This tournament is held every year at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky and is considered the most prestigious debate tournament in the country.

Qualification to the CHSSA (California) state tournament requires students to place among the top handful of spots in their qualifying league. Students are required to compete representing their degree-granting school and RLA will coordinate with school officials to facilitate this. Students attending Conejo Valley area schools compete through the Tri-County Forensic League while students living in West Los Angeles compete through the Western Bay (West Los Angeles / South Bay) Forensics League. The state tournament alternates every year between northern and southern California.

Qualification to NSDA nationals requires students to place among the top handful of sports in the West L.A. district qualifier. Students are also required to compete on behalf of their degree-granting school and RLA will coordinate with school officials to facilitate this. The NSDA national tournament is usually held in second tier cities in the middle of the country (Des Moines, Kansas City, Indianapolis, etc.) but has been as far east as Florida and as far west as Arizona.

Competition on the “national circuit” for debate can get expensive very quickly and students and families need to remember that in Southern California, they are competing against some of the wealthiest schools in the world. There is always another national level tournament somewhere in the country but that doesn’t mean that we have to attend it.

RLA coaches have always had the philosophy that it is possible for students in SoCal to be nationally competitive while traveling regionally – traveling to tournaments in places one city away like the Bay Area, Las Vegas, Phoenix, San Diego, and occasionally Salt Lake City. It does students no good in the long term to win every debate tournament possible if they fall behind in their schoolwork.