Welcome, Pittsburgh coaches, to the fun and exciting world of forensics.
And get used to not having a social life on Saturdays...
Here are the documents that I typically give to new coaches. Feel free to call me at North Allegheny Senior High or email any questions that you may have. Be sure to leave both your school and home number. I will do whatever it takes to help you get your team started!
The New Coaches Handbook was originally put together to help the person who took over my position at Upper St. Clair.
The Handbook for Judges was put together by my sister (Stacey Cawley - coach at Pittsburgh Central Catholic), my friend Melanie Nable (A friend who I suckered into being an assistant coach at the time), and myself to try to help our new judges. For Congress, LD and Public Forum VERY BASIC judging guidelines, click to get information.
I've also attached three recruiting poster for you to download, change what you need to change, then hang all over your school. These posters are also in the handbook for new coaches - Poster 1 Poster 2 Poster 3
Good luck!!!
Sharon Volpe
High-School Debate Goes Hip-Hop Newsweek Nov. 13, 2006 issue - Forty Seattle teenagers gathered at the University of Washington this summer to practice for their high-school debate teams. Seminars included break-dancing and deejaying. Some counselors were local hip-hop artists. As camp wound down, the students showed off their progress, rhyming arguments and mixing in R&B tracks.
Hip-hop has come to high-school debate. Les Lynn, director of the National Association of Urban Debate Leagues, says a stylistic fusion came naturally as more inner-city schools got involved. Ten years ago, only three urban public high schools had competitive debate teams; now there are more than 300. Jen Johnson, who organized the Seattle camp, says hip-hop is definitely a draw.
She needed to double capacity this summer to accommodate increased demand. Precious Reese, 16, was one of the newcomers. "I had seen debate, but it didn't seem like something I would want to do," says Reese. "But hip-hop debate, it informs you in a way you can understand." Critics question, is this really debate? "In established debate circles, their main concern is to ensure that the rigor, the critical thinking, the analytical reasoning—that these are still there," says Lynn. Often they are, he adds. "This isn't an excuse simply to listen to music."
—Lee Hudson Teslik