Fast-Talk Debate in an Accelerated World

From the Chronicle of Higher Education

I liked the article, but I really enjoyed Caitlin Bruce's response, and the thought it generated from me was: we need more women coaching debate. I don't think it's coincidental that when I started coaching, the USNA squad went from 90% guys with a woman here and there, to approximately 50% women, within 5 years. (And that's at a school where women make up less than 25% of the student body...so women are actually statistically overrepresented on our team!) The numbers particularly jumped when Favorite Intern/ALW/La Capitaine (ok ok already, it's Kelsey) took a leadership role on the team. Having strong female role models in debate encourages women to stay in the activity because they believe they can be successful.

The other strong feeling I had reading the article, was when she mentioned Scott Deatherage's close relationship with his debaters. I remember feeling so sad for his former debaters when he died, as I did when Ross Smith from Wake died, but maybe terribly, I also felt a little bit of jealousy. My relationship with our coaches was not nearly as close as that, and I think a lot of the things I do with my debaters stems from a desire to maintain close relationships with them after they graduate (and not just in the hopes that they will give the team a bunch of money when they become admirals). The closest thing I felt to that was when Frank Harrison died--there is still a hole in my heart every time our tournament starts up because it just feels SO HARD to run it without him--not because of his help necessarily, but because I knew he was there and he had my back, particularly in those early years when I had no idea what I was doing.

So those are my thoughts...anybody else care to jump in?