Weekly Coach Newsletter — November 25, 2025
This Thanksgiving season, we’re especially grateful for you as coaches and the countless ways you open doors for students. Your dedication helps students discover the power of their voices.
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Read the Latest Issue of Rostrum Magazine
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In the new issue, we share stories of service and leadership. Read the issue in full and don't miss these articles!
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The legacy of former NSDA Executive Director Jim Copeland and how he saved the organization from crisis.
- How a student leadership program helps support a team of 165 students!
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An examination of how shifting the focus of competition from outcomes to process combats perfectionism and centers learning.
- Resources for visual aids in Info, lesson plans for Extemp, tracking attendance at practice, entering service points, and more.
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Congratulations to the 2025 Keith West Memorial Fund Grant Recipients
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We are excited to announce the recipients of the 2025 Keith West Memorial Fund School Grants!
Congratulations to these eight teams—we can't wait to learn about the impact they make this year in speech and debate.
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Time is Running Out: Register for Our Free Online Tournament
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The Springboard Capstone event is an online tournament hosted by the NSDA on Saturday, December 6. It is free to participate; there are no entry fees, and the tournament is open to members and non-members. This is a chance for your students to demonstrate everything they have learned throughout the fall and celebrate their achievements in speech and debate! To register, sign up through the Springboard Capstone Registration page by December 1.
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Resource Package subscribers can access advanced evidence for the LD and PF November/December topics.
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Sample World Schools Motions
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Show Thanks with Faces in the Crowd
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It's the season of gratitude! Help us celebrate members of the speech and debate community who, through their actions, attitudes, and leadership, serve as gentle reminders that the speech and debate community is a kind and caring environment. Nominating them for recognition is a great way to show your appreciation for their efforts!
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Read the Competition and Rules Leadership Committee Minutes
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The Competition and Rules Leadership Committee met on November 11 and discussed:
- A recommendation that the unlimited, free-form nature of judge paradigms in Tabroom.com be limited.
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A recommendation that observers are prohibited from using technology while spectating rounds at the National Tournament.
- Reaffirming the rules for use of artificial intelligence in debate and Congress.
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Gathering member feedback about a potential rule change regarding when prep time must be used for evidence exchange in debate:
- (1) Continuing ad-hoc requests but giving teams one minute to produce evidence before prep time begins to accrue, or
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(2) requiring teams to share any evidence prior to the speech in which it is read, with one minute allotted for sharing before prep time is used.
If you would like to share feedback with the committee related to one of these items, please email Lauren Burdt, Director of Competition and Events. Review the minutes »
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