Camp Library

Camp audios and videos from some of our most valuable speech and debate camp sessions. Check out our current library selection of resources to learn from.

Camp Sessions

1. Advanced Analysis and Refutation - Analytical thinking is a necessary skill when engaging in argumentation and debate. However, debaters often fail to dig in deeper to truly challenge the claim. In this camp session, “Coach Vance” Trefethen explains how to truly think analytically and refute claims in debate.
2. Advanced Values - Lincoln-Douglas debaters should learn to advance to a higher-level understanding values in a debate round. Matthew Erickson, the 2012 Stoa National Champion in LD, gives his understanding of how to run advanced values in this camp session.
3. Alternative Policy Case Structures - Not all policy cases follow the traditional "harms-solvency" structure. In this camp session, "Coach Vance" Trefethen explains other case formats that help make stronger winning cases.
4. Apologetics Foundations - This camp session is a great start to understanding apologetics in Christian speech and debate leagues. Undefeated national champion Luis Garcia explains this popular and unique speech event.
5. Case Construction - The traditional "harms-solvency" case is the most basic and arguably most successful debate case format in policy debate. "Coach Vance" Trefethen explains how this case format is structured and how it is used to win debates.
6. Caution and Craziness Part 1 - Debaters assembled in Colorado in 2014 to cast a greater vision for academic speakers and debaters at our only "For Action" camp. Keynote speaker Andrew Pudewa encourages students to ask, "Who am I? Why am I here? What am I supposed to do in this life?"
7. Caution and Craziness Part 2 - Keynote speaker Andrew Pudewa continues his charge to For Action Conference attendees.
8. Caution and Craziness Part 3 - Keynote speaker Andrew Pudewa continues his charge to For Action Conference attendees in Part 3 of this presentation.
9. Clashing Worldviews - Just as Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas debated "worldviews" in the 19th century, so do value debaters today in Lincoln-Douglas debate. Cheyenne Ossen explains the different motivations to supporting and negating value resolutions.
10. Cross-examination for Lincoln-Douglas Debate - Perhaps the most common problem for new debaters is coming up with helpful and effective cross-examination questions. Matthew Erickson shares his champion-level strategies to asking strong CX questions, particularly in Lincoln-Douglas debate.
11. Cross-examination for Policy Debate - Cross-examination is a favorite skill for debaters, but the hardest for debaters to master. Vance Trefethen explains how to ask good questions and avoid bad ones, particularly for policy debate.
12. Economic Concepts in Extemp Part 1 - Economics carries a lot of weight when presenting winning extemporaneous speeches. In this camp session, economist Greg Rehmke of Economic Thinking teaches basic principles of economics specifically for extemp competitors.
13. Economic Concepts in Extemp Part 2 - Economics sounds difficult, but basic concepts of economics are less difficult to understand than extempers think. Economist and author Greg Rehmke continues is explanation in this camp session.
14. Ethical Evidence (by Matthew Baker) - What creates unethical evidence? Two-time NCFCA national finalist Matthew Baker gives his rundown of reasons as well as solutions to combat unethical evidence use in academic debate.
15. Ethical Evidence (by Vance Trefethen) - Unethical evidence is a huge problem across all leagues. Vance Trefethen educates debaters to understand what fraudulent evidence is as well as teach debaters how to identify and beat debaters who use unethical evidence.
16. Evidence - Evidence is the best way to provide support to policy debaters' claims they make in a debate round. "Coach Vance" Trefethen explains the purpose and applicability of evidence in debate rounds.
17. Extemp Basics and Champion Analysis - Champion extempers know that the key to successful extemp speaking is giving champion-level analysis of the headlines. Extemp champion Shane Baumgardner explains in this Extemp Camp session.
18. Extemp Ethics - Extemp (as well as other limited-prep events like Apologetics) often allows for unethical use of evidence and research. Listen in to the discussion made at Extemp Camp about ethics in extemporaneous speaking.
19. Flowing Lincoln-Douglas Debate - "Flowing" is the process debaters use to take notes in a debate round. Much strategy is involved in the technique. Brook Wade, NCFCA national champion in Lincoln-Douglas debate, explains best practices in flowing LD rounds.
20. Focus on Nationals - If you made it to your national tournament, you're about to enter the most academically challenging tournament of your year. Multi-winning champion Shane Baumgardner explains the focus to have to make the most of your experience.
21. Generic Negative Briefing - Generic arguments are strategic pivots that negative debaters can bring into the debate round to turn the narrative against their affirmative opponents. Matthew Baker gives his list of how to write solid generic briefs for competition.
22. Government Documents for Research Part 1 - The government has excellent sources to study and use when researching the league's policy debate topic. Matthew Baker covers everything from the US Constitution to modern repositories that debaters can use in their research.
23. Government Documents for Research Part 2 - Matthew Baker continues his discussion with Research Camp participants on using government documents (starting with Supreme Court decisions) in their Policy Debate research.
24. Habit of Debate - The activity of debate is much like music: When you start learning to play music, you need to master the basics by habit before improvising into greatness. Isaac McPeak explains how to building habits in debate make you a better debater.
25. Harms-Solvency Case Structure - The "Harms-Solvency" case is the traditional policy debate case where the problems are defined and a plan is proposed to solve them. "Coach Vance" Trefethen explains how to build the strongest harms-solvency case.
26. Improving Delivery - "Delivery" is the use of verbal and non-verbal communication to persuade your judge in a debate round. National Lincoln-Douglas debate champions Jon Bateman and Matthew Baker present campers with five delivery techniques to improving delivery.
27. Interview with Scott Wunn of NSDA - The National Speech and Debate Association (formerly the National Forensic League) is the largest speech and debate league in the nation. Chris Jeub interviewed the Executive Director, Scott Wunn, to list the events the league has to offer students, particularly homeschool students.
28. Introduction to the SCORRE Method - "SCORRE" is an acronym for a detailed formula for developing consistent and impactful professional speeches. Chris Jeub gives a summary of the method as well as how to apply them to impromptu and platform speeches.
29. Judge Expectations in Apologetics - Apologetics judges enter a room with a job to do: fill out ballots of everyone they judge. Undefeated Apologetics champion Luis Garcia gives the roadmap of how to structure your speech to deliver an award-winning speech.
30. Making Yourself a Credible Speaker - Building credibility is one of the best strategies for extemporaneous speakers in competition. Champion extemper and debater Isaac Harris gives his steps to building credibility in extemp.
31. Nonverbal Communication - Nonverbal communication is what you communication when you're NOT speaking. Cody Herche explains why this is so important, the queues of nonverbal communication, and how to improve yours in competition.
32. Organization and Time Management - Lincoln-Douglas debate has a very tight timeframe for its speeches. Organization and time management are very important. LD champion Jon "De" Bateman gives his ideas on how to best organize your speeches and manage your time in an LD round.
33. Organizing Your Platform Speech - Organizing a platform speech takes building a strong thesis and extracting errors of analysis. Cody Herche, a national champion back in his high school days, gives "Cody's Rules" on organizing platform speeches.
34. Pre-scripting Arguments - Debaters make a claim, support it, and give impact in why it matters. National debate champion Matthew Erickson shows how to pre-script popular arguments to prepare for your next tournament.
35. Primary Research - Where are debate rounds won and lost? Larry Sparks believes it is in the research that debaters put together. Mr. Sparks explains the processes he follows to train his debaters for success.
36. Principles of Great Refutation - Understanding the format of an argument is the basis for preparing a strong refutation. Lincoln-Douglas debater Lydia Williams explains to novice debaters how to attack basic arguments and build the rebuttal that will win rounds.
37. Revising Your Speech - There are principles to great editing. Chris Jeub is a professional editor with extensive experience in editing. He explains how to best edit speech and debate pieces and goes through an example for you to follow.
38. Speaking Drills for Debate - Several strategies are applied to make you a better debater, but drills help you prepare for difficult competition. Lincoln-Douglas title winner Matthew Erickson explains his favorite speaking drills that he used to prepare to win.
39. Strategic Negative Debating Part 1 - All debaters will take the negative side of policy debate rounds at least half of the time. Rob Parks gives you techniques, strategies and tools that will help yo be a strong negative debater.
40. Strategic Negative Debating Part 2 - How do you beat pirates? By thinking like a pirate. This is much the same mindset that expert debaters utilize in bringing affirmative cases down. Rob Parks continues his advice on how to be strong negative debaters.
41. Strategies for Negative Policy Debating - Affirmatives have a definite starting and ending point, a predetermined course to follow. Negatives, however, have to adapt to every possible affirmative case out there. Vance Trefethen explains how to think like Affirmatives to best attack them for the win.
42. Stripes of the Champion Apologist - The "Red Zebra Theory" is an idea introduced by Apologetics champion Luis Garcia that differentiates winning apologetics speeches from the rest of the pack.
43. Supply and Demand - Supply and demand is the basic principle to all economics. "Coach Vance" Trefethen explains how this basic principle can (and should!) be used to win policy debate rounds.
44. Tactical Negative Debating - After establishing how a negative debater should be thinking (like a pirate!), "Coach Vance" Trefethen explains how negative debaters can strategically and tactically blow up the affirmative case.
45. Topicality - In policy debate, "topicality" helps keep the debate within the boundaries of the resolution. In this camp session, "Coach Vance" Trefethen explains what topicality is, how it is used, and how to impact it in a debate round.
46. Using Logic in Debate - Logic is used to build arguments as well as attack your opponent's arguments. Brooke Wade, national NCFCA champion in Lincoln-Douglas debate, gives her ideas on how to apply logic in the round.
47. Value of Library Research - In the world of online debating, it is tempting to write off traditional libraries. They are actually the best place to start your research. Matthew Baker explains.

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