BUILDING A NEW PROGRAM

Starting a new speech & debate program is exciting but we know it can be daunting. We’re here to help!

There is no exact way to start a speech & debate program - people take very different paths and the guidance on this page was put together by folks with a variety of different experiences from different schools. No matter who you talk to, the biggest piece of advice we can offer is don’t be afraid to just try! The sooner you can get to a speech & debate competition, the more things will start making sense.

OVERVIEW

STEP 1: Join leagues that provide you the best resources. Each school should begin by determining what leagues are best for their school and their team.

STEP 2: Determine the focus of your team and set boundaries. There are a lot of events and it can be overwhelming to do it all - most do not.

STEP 3: Figure out your competition schedule and create your path to starting. As always, try to start sooner than later - no one is ever ready for that first tournament - but EVERYONE learns so much at their first tournament!

CONNECT WITH US

The Director of Programs exists to help grow and sustain speech & debate programs around the state. Michael is a AP World History teacher and high school debate coach at North Atlanta High School who can help you with any questions you have. After reading this page, use the button above to email him any questions you may still have.

Hear From a Coach Who Just Did It!

"It may seem like a daunting task to start a new team from the ground up, but I can assure you it is well worth it. Many of the kids on our team came because they simply like to argue, but they stayed when they got a taste of just how powerful their words could be to bring about real change in the world. My advice to new teams would be this: Find Your Niche, especially if you are understaffed.

Our school has only one debate coach (me) and one speech coach. In order to not spread ourselves too thin, we chose to dedicate our attention to only one style of debate. Although I was a policy debater in high school, our students voted to exclusively debate Lincoln-Douglas.

I was skeptical, but I let the students make the call. I'm so glad I did. They have thrown themselves into this unique style and, with our whole team studying the same format, strong peer tutoring has organically formed. Grant your team members autonomy, and they will rise to the challenge. While we may be building the airplane while we are flying it, the kids are soaring to new heights - they won 2024 Novice LD State!"

Joanna Wire
Collins Hill High Schoolna Wire
Collins Hill High School

STEP ONE: JOINING A LEAGUE OR TWO

Each school should begin by determining what leagues are best for their school and their team. We recommend schools start with two primary memberships in your first season.

JOIN YOUR LOCAL ASSOCIATION

The local governing body for Georgia speech & debate is the Georgia Forensic Coaches Association. Membership for the GFCA is an annual school fee of $100. There are no student fees and students automatically become members and eligible to the benefits.

Joining the GFCA allows schools to enter students in the First & Second Year State Championships, Varsity State Championships and Supplemental Asynchronous Forensic Activities State Championships. Joining the GFCA automatically adds you to the state communication list, although you can email the Director of Communications to be added to that list manually.

STEP TWO: FIND YOUR NICHE

Speech & Debate is simply an overarching term that encompasses many events for your students to choose. Unlike other activities, it is not required that your school participate in every event to compete. As Joanna says, “find your niche.” Maybe you choose or maybe your students choose - but find something that feels right for your program.

Policy Debate

  • 2 person partnerships

  • 1 topic all year (announced in January of year prior)

  • Mandated Novice Packet for regular season

  • almost guaranteed Novice divisions at every tournament

Interp

  • Humorous, Dramatic, Program and Duo

  • Mostly solo events and all memorized (except Program Interp)

  • Student responsible for putting together own material - must be published and cannot be their original work.

  • No novice divisions at tournaments

Lincoln Douglas

  • 1 person debate

  • Topics change every other month

  • GFCA doesn’t participate in NSDA Novice Topic

  • No Argument Restrictions

  • most tournaments offer a novice division

Limited Prep

  • Extemporaneous Speaking and Impromptu Speaking

  • Students prepare speeches on spot at tournaments

  • Students can access internet in both divisions while preparing

  • No novice divisions at tournaments

JOIN A NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

The largest national association is the National Speech & Debate Association. While it is the most expensive membership for schools, it does carry the most amount of resources for schools. Membership for the NSDA is an annual school fee of $149 for high schools and $75 for middle schools.

Joining as a school can provide you access to many of hte foundational resources that can be used in classrooms and practices. The NSDA Start Here Series is absolutely fantastic for new and veteran teachers to help teams get off the ground!

The NSDA also does a great job with student, coach and school recognition - however to get access to their honor society, students and coaches will have to pay a one-time fee of $20 per individual.

Georgia is split into two different districts for the NSDA - the North (north of I-20) and the South (south of I-20). To learn more about the NSDA for your school, you should reach out to a member of your respective district committee.

NORTHERN GEORGIA: Jamie Wills, Cherokee High School
SOUTHERN GEORGIA: Pam Childress, Valdosta High School

Public Forum

  • 2 person partnerships

  • Topics change every other month in 1st semester

  • Topics change monthly in 2nd semester

  • almost guaranteed Novice division at every tournament

Platform

  • Original Oratory and Informative Speaking

  • Students write their own speeches persuading or informing an audience

  • Must be memorized

  • Visual aids only allowed in Informative Speaking

  • No novice divisions at tournaments

Expand the lists below to see what schools in the state participated in the speech and debate divisions at at least one tournament during the 2024-2025 season.

    • Alpharetta High School

    • Decatur High School

    • Denmark High School

    • Dunwoody High School

    • Galloway School

    • Johns Creek High School

    • Marist School

    • North Atlanta High School

    • Northview high School

    • Pace Academy

    • Westminster Schools

    • Woodward Academy

    • Alliance Academy

    • Brookwood High School

    • Carrollton High School

    • Chattahoochee High School

    • Chapel Hill High School

    • Columbus High School

    • Dunwoody High School

    • Forsyth Central High School

    • Grovetown High School

    • Gwinnett School of Math, Science and Technology

    • Innovation Academy

    • Lambert High School

    • Landmark Christian School

    • Lassiter High School

    • Marist School

    • Mcintosh High School

    • Midtown High School

    • Milton High School

    • Mount Pisgah Christian School

    • North Atlanta High School

    • North Cobb High School

    • North Gwinnett High School

    • Sequoyah High School

    • South Forsyth High School

    • St. Pius X Catholic School

    • Starr’s Mill High School

    • The Lovett School

    • The Westfield School

    • Valdosta High School

    • Walton High School

    • West Forsyth High School

    • Wheeler High School

    • Woodstock High School

    • Atlanta Classical School

    • Calhoun High School

    • Cherokee High School

    • Collins Hill High School

    • Dunwoody High School

    • East Forsyth High School

    • Gainesville High School

    • Lambert High School

    • Lassiter High School

    • Mcintosh High School

    • Midtown High School

    • North Atlanta High School

    • North Cobb High School

    • North Paulding High School

    • Sequoyah High School

    • Starr’s Mill High School

    • The Lovett School

    • Valdosta High School

    • Buford High School

    • Carrollton High School

    • Cherokee High School

    • Columbus High School

    • Dunwoody High School

    • Lassiter High School

    • Marist School

    • Midtown High School

    • Rockdale Magnet School of Science & Technology

    • Sequoyah High School

    • The Lovett School

    • Valdosta High School

    • Carrollton High School

    • Cherokee High School

    • Columbus High School

    • Decatur High School

    • Denmark High School

    • Dunwoody High School

    • Greater Atlanta Christian School

    • Grovetown High School

    • Lambert High School

    • Landmark Christian School

    • Lassiter High School

    • Marist School

    • Midtown High School

    • North Atlanta High School

    • Northview High School

    • Rockdale Magnet School of Science & Technology

    • Savannah Country Day School

    • Sequoyah High School

    • Sonoraville High School

    • Starr’s Mill High School

    • The Lovett School

    • The Westfield School

    • Valdosta High School

    • Warner Robins High School

    • Wheeler High School

    • Woodstock High School

    • Woodward Academy

    • Carrollton High School

    • Chapel Hill High School

    • Cherokee High School

    • Collins Hill High School

    • Decatur High School

    • Denmark High School

    • Dunwoody High School

    • Lambert High School

    • Landmark Christian School

    • Lassiter High School

    • Marist School

    • Midtown High School

    • North Atlanta High School

    • Northview High School

    • Rockdale Magnet School of Science & Technology

    • Savannah Country Day School

    • Sequoyah High School

    • Sonoraville High School

    • Starr’s Mill High School

    • The Lovett School

    • Valdosta High School

    • Wheeler High School

    • Woodstock High School

STEP THREE: PLAN YOUR SEASON

Speech & Debate is the longest running season for a high school activity. We recommend planning your season backwards. Start by identifying what state championship(s) you would like your students to attend. For a first year program, the First & Second Year State Championship is an excellent first state championship to attend for you and your students as it is limited to only first and/or second year competitors.

After determining the state championship you’d like your students to attend, plan your calendar using the Tournament Calendar (keeping in mind different qualification rules for different State Championships). We recommend finding a balanced schedule that allows your students to compete in multiple months rather than just one singular month. As a new school, consider adding scrimmages to your schedule to provide your students free opportunities to practice before tournaments.