Debate - Seattle Academy
Source: http://www.seattleacademy.org/academics/student-academic-teams/debate
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:13
Debate - Seattle Academy
The Hub
Debate
The Seattle Academy Debate Team provides high school students with a highly competitive and rigorous elective and extracurricular program. Students who want to participate on the Debate Team are required to take a Debate elective as a course during their regular academic day. This allows students sufficient time to prepare and practice for competition. Our team competes in various events including Lincoln Douglas Debate, Public Forum Debate, and Congress, which give students the opportunity to plan collaboratively but perform independently if they choose.
Our Speech Team and Debate Team share a simple philosophy: success is the growth of every member in an environment where each individual victory is enjoyed by all. Our team members are challenged to leave their comfort zones, express themselves, and model excellence for SAAS.
meet our Debate faculty
Washington State District 2 League and Competitions
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by SAAS Speech and Debate (@saasspeechanddebate)
Season Expectations
Speech tournaments occur at local high schools and colleges, as well as national settings, generally on Fridays and Saturdays. The season begins in mid-October and generally lasts until March. Two meets is the minimum requirement for participation, either in the class or extra-curricular. There is no fee for local competition. National competition may include airfare paid for by the competitor.
Print List Element
Calendar RSS Feeds
June
13
,
2026
National Speech and Debate Trip Departs
all day
Richmond, VA
Learn More
about National Speech and Debate Trip Departs
June
20
,
2026
National Speech and Debate Trip Returns
all day
Richmond, VA
Learn More
about National Speech and Debate Trip Returns
Do I have to be in the debate class to be on the team?
Does SAAS offer a Speech & Debate Program for Middle School students?
What form of debate does the debate team use?
Why do I get a grade for debate?
Can parents/guardians come watch?
Yes. Students are required to take the two-trimester Debate class to participate on the team. This allows them to get the majority of their research and writing time during class. Additionally, students in the class are required to compete in two tournaments during the season (Oct. - February). This means that they can be and often are also competitive athletes who practice their sports every day; employees and interns outside of school; volunteers in their communities; actors at SAAS and elsewhere; Robotics team leaders; etc. We want our students to know that being a national-level competitor in Debate at SAAS does not mean you have to choose only that. We do this by offering Debate as an elective, which allows for research, writing, and scrimmage to happen during class time. Students also have homework for this class and work hard to research, write, and revise cases at home. If a student has already completed the class, they can continue to participate on the Debate team in later seasons, with the expectation that they research and write independently. They will also need to attend all Speech & Debate club meetings and be in regular communication via email or in person with the Speech & Debate coach prior to each tournament.
No. However, all 7th-grade students at SAAS are required to take a Rhetoric course which introduces them to the fundamentals of public speaking and provides them with a foundational understanding that can support their future participation in Speech & Debate in the Upper School. View our
curriculum guides
for more information.
SAAS students are encouraged to participate in all the major forms of competitive debate, especially Public Forum and Lincoln Douglas Debate. In the Debate class, we focus on Public Forum, Lincoln Douglas, and Congress as our main events because these are the forms most commonly practiced in our competitive district.
Public Forum and Lincoln Douglas resolutions (topics) change from month to month during the season. This means that students will research a variety of topics chosen by the
National Speech and Debate Association
. Public Forum (PF) is a two-person debate, so PF debaters work with a partner. Lincoln Douglas is a one-on-one debate for students who prefer to research, write, and debate on their own. Congress is a group activity, with a slate of legislation that carries through the season.
Because of our unique set up where you take debate as a class to be on the team, you also get a grade in debate. In order to learn the basics of debate, students complete assignments related to textbook readings, video responses, research and writing, as well as in-class participation. These assignments are assessed with traditional grading methods. Each student is required to attend two two tournaments in the course of the year. Your competitive outcome, “break,” or placement in your event does not affect your grade. Wins and trophies do not translate to A's, nor do losses and lower ranks translate to lower grades.
Absolutely! Parents/guardians are welcomed and downright encouraged to come and visit tournaments and watch rounds! As long as you bring us snacks. Seriously, tournaments can get long and kids need to either bring food with them or have money for buying food at the concession areas provided as most tournaments do not allow students to leave the campus.
Additionally, we always need volunteer judges. We do not have much of a judging pool, and we generally have to provide one judge for every 5 or 6 kids who come to a tournament. You can learn everything you need to know to get started in about an hour, and we will teach you!
The Hub
Debate
The Seattle Academy Debate Team provides high school students with a highly competitive and rigorous elective and extracurricular program. Students who want to participate on the Debate Team are required to take a Debate elective as a course during their regular academic day. This allows students sufficient time to prepare and practice for competition. Our team competes in various events including Lincoln Douglas Debate, Public Forum Debate, and Congress, which give students the opportunity to plan collaboratively but perform independently if they choose.
Our Speech Team and Debate Team share a simple philosophy: success is the growth of every member in an environment where each individual victory is enjoyed by all. Our team members are challenged to leave their comfort zones, express themselves, and model excellence for SAAS.
meet our Debate faculty
Washington State District 2 League and Competitions
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by SAAS Speech and Debate (@saasspeechanddebate)
Season Expectations
Speech tournaments occur at local high schools and colleges, as well as national settings, generally on Fridays and Saturdays. The season begins in mid-October and generally lasts until March. Two meets is the minimum requirement for participation, either in the class or extra-curricular. There is no fee for local competition. National competition may include airfare paid for by the competitor.
Print List Element
Calendar RSS Feeds
June
13
,
2026
National Speech and Debate Trip Departs
all day
Richmond, VA
Learn More
about National Speech and Debate Trip Departs
June
20
,
2026
National Speech and Debate Trip Returns
all day
Richmond, VA
Learn More
about National Speech and Debate Trip Returns
Do I have to be in the debate class to be on the team?
Does SAAS offer a Speech & Debate Program for Middle School students?
What form of debate does the debate team use?
Why do I get a grade for debate?
Can parents/guardians come watch?
Yes. Students are required to take the two-trimester Debate class to participate on the team. This allows them to get the majority of their research and writing time during class. Additionally, students in the class are required to compete in two tournaments during the season (Oct. - February). This means that they can be and often are also competitive athletes who practice their sports every day; employees and interns outside of school; volunteers in their communities; actors at SAAS and elsewhere; Robotics team leaders; etc. We want our students to know that being a national-level competitor in Debate at SAAS does not mean you have to choose only that. We do this by offering Debate as an elective, which allows for research, writing, and scrimmage to happen during class time. Students also have homework for this class and work hard to research, write, and revise cases at home. If a student has already completed the class, they can continue to participate on the Debate team in later seasons, with the expectation that they research and write independently. They will also need to attend all Speech & Debate club meetings and be in regular communication via email or in person with the Speech & Debate coach prior to each tournament.
No. However, all 7th-grade students at SAAS are required to take a Rhetoric course which introduces them to the fundamentals of public speaking and provides them with a foundational understanding that can support their future participation in Speech & Debate in the Upper School. View our
curriculum guides
for more information.
SAAS students are encouraged to participate in all the major forms of competitive debate, especially Public Forum and Lincoln Douglas Debate. In the Debate class, we focus on Public Forum, Lincoln Douglas, and Congress as our main events because these are the forms most commonly practiced in our competitive district.
Public Forum and Lincoln Douglas resolutions (topics) change from month to month during the season. This means that students will research a variety of topics chosen by the
National Speech and Debate Association
. Public Forum (PF) is a two-person debate, so PF debaters work with a partner. Lincoln Douglas is a one-on-one debate for students who prefer to research, write, and debate on their own. Congress is a group activity, with a slate of legislation that carries through the season.
Because of our unique set up where you take debate as a class to be on the team, you also get a grade in debate. In order to learn the basics of debate, students complete assignments related to textbook readings, video responses, research and writing, as well as in-class participation. These assignments are assessed with traditional grading methods. Each student is required to attend two two tournaments in the course of the year. Your competitive outcome, “break,” or placement in your event does not affect your grade. Wins and trophies do not translate to A's, nor do losses and lower ranks translate to lower grades.
Absolutely! Parents/guardians are welcomed and downright encouraged to come and visit tournaments and watch rounds! As long as you bring us snacks. Seriously, tournaments can get long and kids need to either bring food with them or have money for buying food at the concession areas provided as most tournaments do not allow students to leave the campus.
Additionally, we always need volunteer judges. We do not have much of a judging pool, and we generally have to provide one judge for every 5 or 6 kids who come to a tournament. You can learn everything you need to know to get started in about an hour, and we will teach you!