What To Expect
Our goal is to equip our students with forensic and communication skills in service to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We are dedicated to fostering excellence in speech and debate among students in the Fredericksburg and surrounding area. Our programs are designed to help participants build confidence, critical thinking, and effective communication skills.
In Club
Each weekly meeting begins with a student-led devotion, followed by large group discussion and small group practice. Each week is divided between speech practice and debate, with a short dinner break and fellowship time.
During speech club, students learn the art of writing an effective speech, practice delivery in small groups, and receive immediate feedback. During debate, students discuss a current policy topic in a group setting guided by our debate coach, and then break into small groups to practice debating both sides of a case.
Similar to a co-op, parent participation is crucial to the success of all the students. Therefore, a parent must attend club meetings with their student. We want to involve parents in club meetings to keep them engaged with their children’s training and progress, as well as to prepare them to serve as judges at tournaments.
At Home
Like every worthwhile activity, speech and debate requires a substantial investment of time and energy. To succeed in competition, students spend many hours preparing speeches and debate briefs. It may be helpful to allocate as much time as one would for any academic high school course.
Home is where students research, write, and prepare for club sessions and tournaments. Students who choose to partner with another student often meet outside of club time to coordinate their roles.
In addition to structured practice, students are encouraged to engage in regular reflection and self-assessment to track their progress and identify areas for improvement. This process often involves reviewing feedback from club meetings and tournaments.
At Tournament
All members compete in at least one NCFCA qualifying tournament. When a student competes, their level of excellence improves exponentially. Without the goal of competition, students may not achieve the skills they set out to develop.
There are both in-person and online tournament opportunities. Both formats are valuable, but we encourage each family to attend in-person tournaments whenever possible. Professional attire is required at all tournaments.
Tournaments take place from January through April across Virginia, North Carolina, and Maryland, and typically run for three full days. Each student must have a chaperone on campus at all times. For qualifying students, the Regional and National tournaments take place in May and June.
Showcase of Excellence
Watch the winners from the 2024 National Tournament.
Winning Speeches
The best speeches from all 10 categories.
Team Policy Debate Finals
The top 2 teams in their final round competing for 1st place.