The new membership cycle started August 1! If you haven't yet renewed your annual school membership, be sure to do so by the end of September to continue to receive this newsletter. Questions about speech and debate? Email us at info@speechanddebate.org or call us at (920) 748-6206. We're here to help!
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New Resource: Collaborating with Parents and Families
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Our new self-guided online course takes you through the crucial role of parents and families in supporting your team. It explores the techniques you can use to communicate effectively, including educating parents and families about speech and debate, keeping them informed, and asking for their help with fundraising and logistics. This resource, like all courses, is included with your school's NSDA membership.
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Recognizing Students with All-Inclusive Membership
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With your school’s NSDA membership, you can now add unlimited students to your roster and recognize every student as they advance through the NSDA Honor Society at no additional per-student cost. As students earn new degrees, schools can download high-quality, full-color certificates at no additional cost from their NSDA Account. They’re designed to look great printed locally on standard paper or card stock (we use 8.5"x11" 80# paper), so you can recognize students right away.
Want to add something extra? Recognition can be as flexible as your program needs it to be. Schools can print complimentary certificates for every student, order seals to add to the blank printable version of those certificates, purchase printed certificates along with seal sets, or let individual students and families decide whether they’d like to purchase physical recognition items themselves through the NSDA Store. Note that physical certificates and seals may be ordered at any time, with certificate orders fulfilled in three scheduled shipments this school year: November, February, and April. Seals will ship on an ongoing basis.
Whether you recognize a handful of students or your entire team, the new membership model makes it easier to include every student and choose the recognition option that works best for your program.
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Team Funding Available—Apply by October 1
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Keith West dedicated his life to coaching and teaching youth in the ways of argumentation and debate. To honor his life and legacy, his family and friends have established the Keith West Memorial School Grant to provide one $5,000 grant, two $2,500 grants, and five $1,000 grants to teams who have strong potential but a significant lack of financial resources.
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What to Expect Coaching in Each Event
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We asked coaches about their experience with each NSDA main event to help new coaches know what to expect. They share what makes their event unique, how it benefits students, what they most appreciate about the event, and what a new coach should know. If you're preparing to choose events for your team, check these out or share them with a new coach or assistant!
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Read the Competition and Rules Leadership Committee Agenda
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The Competition and Rules Leadership Committee will meet on September 15 to discuss:
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Prioritization of subcommittee focus areas and member-submitted rule change proposals.
- The future of the pilot rule allowing Extemporaneous Speaking competitors to use a notecard at district tournaments.
- Eligibility standards for districts on growth plans to host national qualifying district tournaments.
- A proposed process for reviewing district split requests every two years.
Review the full agenda and share any feedback you would like the committee to consider with NSDA Chief Programs Officer Lauren Burdt.
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2026 National Tournament Highlights
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The Chronicle commemorates the 2026 National Tournament with a recap of the week, results, and photos of all our award winners.
Want to check out a final round? All 2026 rounds are included with NSDA school membership in our new flat fee model. All high school rounds are now available. Middle school is coming soon!
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The latest episode of The Herd from Zebrapad brings together three-time national finalist Jaimee Canalejo, two-time national champion Lindsey (White) Isaac, and national champion and Zebrapad co-founder Natalie Sintek. They explore the powers, pitfalls, double standards, challenges, and joys of being a woman in humor. Listen to the episode on Spotify »
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6600 Westown Parkway Suite 270 | West Des Moines, IA 50266 US
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