How to Coach a Debate Team

A debate team participates in interactive arguments against competing teams. Coaches prepare students for multiple tournaments throughout the year. Although students prepare for competitions as a group, each member must be taught how to win an individual debate. The coach is expected to have the team ready for their tournaments and, in some cases, must serve as a judge.



The coach's primary objective is to give students the confidence and skills they need to research their topics and defend their conclusions publicly.

• 1

  Designate the place where your team will meet. Your "team room" must have a large chalkboard and enough chairs for each member.

• 2

  Stock the team room with research supplies. Several computers and printers with paper are essential stock items for debate teams.

• 3

  Set up informational meetings for students to learn about the debate team. One of the most difficult aspects of student recruitment is the high attrition rate. According to the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues, these introductory meetings lose at least half of their members by the second meeting. They recommend recruiting 25 or more students to find a committed group of eight to 10 students for your debate team.

• 4

  Plan the logistics of debate tournaments. Students must move to different rooms throughout as they progress. Keep track of where your team members are supposed to be. Designate a meeting spot for both the beginning of the tournament day and the end. The beginning of the day should be used to tell the team where they must go and review any tournament rules and strategies. The ending meeting is a time to give the students results and helpful feedback about their efforts.

  Keep the students occupied even after they are eliminated. They can attend the debates of their team members to learn from them and support them.

• 5

  Teach logic and debate strategies. This is very important for public debates in which students debate experts in the field who have far more experience and knowledge. Add confidence to your team by holding public debates between team members. Some will win and others will lose, but the entire team can learn from the experience when the debate is finished.

• 6

  Tell inspiring stories to your students. This is a great way to impart confidence to them. Sam Nelson and Ken Johnson, two professors at the University of Rochester, came up with three story templates coaches can tell their students.

  The enabling story is one in which the coach recounts a time of adversity and tells his students how he was able to persevere and become a proficient debater. Then, the cautionary tale alarms them of common pitfalls and how to avoid them. And the instructional reports are stories that teach and reinforce various debating skills.