Check out new resources and opportunities for you, Coach!
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Take the Survey and Enter to Win a Free School Membership
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Our membership survey helps shape our priorities for the coming school year and influences the resources, recognition, and competitive opportunities we offer. In 15 minutes, you can have your voice heard and enter to win. Three high school programs and three middle school programs will be randomly selected from all complete surveys submitted by Friday, May 2, at 11:59 p.m. CT to win free a free school membership for 2025-2026.
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If you are eligible to participate in our survey, you would have received an email yesterday, April 7 from info@speechanddebate.org via SurveyMonkey with the subject line Response Requested: 2025 NSDA Membership and Resource Survey. Be sure to check your spam folder! We hope you'll take the time to participate and share your perspective.
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NEW Intro to NSDA Student Membership Video Series
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The new Intro to NSDA Student Membership course is a video series for students, by students that introduces the essential elements of speech and debate. Students can enroll and complete the course on our website at their leisure, where they'll receive a certificate upon completion that they can turn in to you to demonstrate their participation. You could also choose video clips from the YouTube playlist to add to your new student onboarding or curriculum next year!
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The course covers:
- Overviews of competition events
- How tournaments work
- Using your account on the NSDA website and Tabroom.com
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Earning points and recognition through the NSDA
- Improving your skills with resources and judge feedback
- And more
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Vote by April 30: District Leadership Election and Hall of Fame
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High School District Leadership Election: Each high school’s advisor may cast their vote by logging in to their NSDA Account and selecting NSDA Voting from the left-side menu. Results will be announced in early May, and elected leaders will need to confirm their acceptance of the position by the end of May. Read more about the election »
Hall of Fame Voting: The highest honor for any high school speech and debate coach is election to the NSDA Hall of Fame. Current Hall of Fame members and active coaches with three or more Diamond Awards may vote online to select this year’s inductees. To access the ballot, eligible coaches can log in to their NSDA Account and select NSDA Voting from the left side menu.
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Last-Chance Qualifier: Time is Running Out to Register
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The Last-Chance Qualifier offers your students another opportunity to compete in their NSDA main event (including Big Questions!) and possibly qualify for the National Tournament. Competition takes place online April 24-26. There are no entry fees! Register your students by April 17. Details »
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Meet the Finalists for the 2025-2026 Student Leadership Council
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Each district had the opportunity to submit one student for consideration for the NSDA Student Leadership Council (SLC). The SLC is a group of select students who create resources and provide feedback for the NSDA throughout the year to ensure we are meeting students’ needs. Congratulations to the finalists for the 2025-2026 SLC! The final group will be announced later this month.
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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 April 15 to hear reports from subcommittees that discussed strategies for recruiting and developing new coaches and creating opportunities for middle school and novice competitors. Review the agenda and share feedback with Director of Competition and Events Lauren Burdt at lauren.burdt@speechanddebate.org.
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How to Register for Nationals on Tabroom.com
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This video takes coaches through how to register their students for the National Tournament on Tabroom.com, including:
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Determining your judge requirement and entering your judge information
- Entering all your attendees to ensure they receive their identifying badges on site.
- Deadlines to make note of.
- Registering for supplementals.
- And more!
It's a helpful resource to have up on your computer as you go through the registration process to make sure you complete all the steps and get immediate answers to FAQs!
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Is Your Student the Next Member of the USA Debate Team?
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The USA Debate Team is a group of NSDA member students who represent the United States in World Schools Debate competitions around the world. Applications for the 2025-2026 USA Debate Team and USA Development Team are open until June 24! Learn more or share with a student »
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Coaches » If you have outstanding points or service citations to enter, be sure to do so before the May 15 recognition deadline to have your accomplishments listed as part of our National Tournament celebration.
Students » Points for the class of 2025 must be entered by July 15. All service points earned this school year must be entered by July 15 to qualify for the 2024-2025 Speaking and Service award.
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Grants Available for High School Teams Attending Nationals
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Are you and your team headed to Nationals? Apply for a grant from the Road to Nationals Fund founded by The William Woods Tate, Jr. Memorial Fund. These grants support high school teams who need financial assistance and can be used for food, travel, and lodging expenses. Grants range from $100 to $1,000, with average grants of $500.
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Reminder: Submit Extemp Question Ideas for Nationals by April 30
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Extemp enthusiasts are invited to submit questions for the 2025 NSDA National Tournament! Whether you're a competitor, coach, or alum, you’re welcome to contribute. You won’t know which questions make the final cut until Nationals. If yours are selected, great! If not, your team has some strong questions you've generated to use for practice. Please share this opportunity with your students—their insights bring fresh perspectives to Extemp.
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