Resources for Coaches

Welcome Coaches!

Welcome to a new year with SEDA! Whether you're returning or joining us for the first time, we’re thrilled to have you as part of our debate community. Your dedication helps students find their voices and think critically.

Debate club registration and benefits 

Why register?

  • Voting privileges at our Annual General Meeting
  • Access to lesson plans and tailored support
  • Access to a club view to track your clubs registrations
  • **NEW** Access to a $200 credit for your students towards tournament registrations
  • **NEW** There is no fee for club membership!

Student membership fees

Students who want to participate in SEDA events must register as a student member and pay the student membership fee of $50. Additional fees apply for:

  • Online tournaments ($20)
  • In-person tournaments ($40)
  • Workshops (variable pricing)

Financial assistance is available and can be requested on registration forms. A parent or legal guardian must fill in the student membership form.

SEDA will provide coaches with a handout for parents to introduce them to SEDA.

Tournament registration & Schedule

The Event Calendar shows upcoming tournaments. Each event has its own detail page and registration link. Please note:

  • Registration opens a minimum of two weeks before and closes one week before the event
  • Coaches or parents can complete tournament registration. Coaches must know the student’s financial aid preference if submitting
  • You’ll receive a link to track your club’s registrations

Volunteer Judges

Our tournaments depend on volunteer judges to support debaters.

  • Each team must provide one judge (parent, family, friend, teacher) at every event they compete in
  • No experience is needed
  • We offer judge training at every tournament

National Debate Opportunities 

If your students are highly competitive debaters who would like to participate in national debate opportunities, please refer to our qualifying criteria in the programs section of our website. This page will list the national opportunities and how to qualify for them.

 

Feedback

Providing good feedback is a critical skill for anyone wanting to judge or coach debaters. Debaters are looking for honest, constructive feedback on they can improve their debating skills. We recommend that the feedback be structured to provide encouragement. Consider these three questions when giving feedback:

  1. Is what I am saying helpful?

    Ensure your feedback is specific, phrased in positive language, and focussed on a particular skill that was displayed or needs improvement. 

  2. What did they learn from my feedback?

    Feedback should be structured so that the debater is clearly able to see what went well, what did not, and how to improve. 

  3. How will my student use the feedback?

    It can be tempting to spend time talking about what you would have done (especially as a former debater). Before you give a piece of feedback, ask yourself if the comment will help your debaters in the next round. If it won’t, hold that comment unless your debater asks for feedback on specific argumentation in the round.

Good feedback

Your speech was very persuasive; the loaded language that you used in the introduction really hooked the judges. Try adding more concrete examples to drive home your argument.

Bad feedback

Your speech needed a lot of work, put more effort into the material next time.

Good feedback is important because it addresses learning and motivates debaters. It shows the next steps students should take to be successful and it allows them to feel in control of their own learning, providing the motivation. 

For a new coach, a basic method of evaluating your students is provided below.  If you answer no, that is an area of improvement.

  1. Content 
    • Does the debater avoid both unsupported assertions and the continual citation of authorities?
    • Are the contentions supported with sufficient well-documented evidence?
    • Does the debater show convincing knowledge of the resolution?
    • Has the debater highlighted the important issues that have emerged in the debate? Does the debater follow through on these issues?
    • Are the definitions and the interpretation of the resolution sound and responsible?
  2. Refutation
    • Is the refutation clear-cut in its attack on significant points of disagreement between the two teams?
    • Is significant new evidence or argumentation presented in refutation, or is it merely a repetition of ideas presented earlier?
  3. Reasoning
    • Is the reasoning sound? Is it quick and agile?
    • Are fallacies avoided and detected?
    • Is there evidence of original thinking?
  4. Organization
    • Is there a clear outline of constructive arguments?
    • Do the members of the team co-operate to present a unified case?
    • Is refutation well organized and easy to follow?
    • Does the speech contain an effective, clear introduction and a summary conclusion?
    • Is each argument organized in a logical fashion?
  5. Persuasiveness
    • Is the debater convincing and effective?
    • Does the debater seem sincere?
    • Does the debater use persuasive words and emotion to connect to the audience?
  6. Delivery
    • Does the debater speak with a clear style?
    • Does the debater give the impression of genuineness and sincerity?
    • Does the debater adapt, in manner and content, to opponents and the audience situation?
    • Does the debater introduce variety and humor effectively?
    • Does the debater use good diction and pronounce words correctly? 
    • Does the debater seem at home on the platform, in posture and gesture?
    • Does the debater maintain eye contact with the audience?

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