I host camps in the summer to help homeschoolers get ready for a year of competition (see our Texas camp here). That’s at the beginning of the year. The end of the year, however, is where all my students expect results.
The picture above is from last summer’s NITC (Nationals Intensive Training Camp). Coach Vance Trefethen — co-author of the most popular team-policy sourcebook in the homeschool circuit — Skyped in all the way from France to coach these girls through a scrimmage round.
Earlier this week, the team on the left finished the largest debate tournament this year, the Concordia Challenge in Irvine, CA. The Murphy sisters (Ryan Kelly and Taryn) took first place out of 106 team-policy debate teams.
And that’s just team-policy. Josiah Tey, Training Minds Alumni and attendee at last year’s NITC, took the 1st place Lincoln-Douglas trophy out of 122 competitors. He beat Grant Garcia in the finals round (Grant is also a Training Minds alumni).
Both titles of the largest tournament of the year. That is validation of a good thing going!
If you’re into academic debate and are on track to getting to your national tournament, you will definitely want to sign up for this unique and highly-effective preparatory camp. First thing’s first: get qualified to nationals. Next step: sign up for NITC. Here are three reasons why.
1. NITC provides debaters the best opportunities for success
I’ll make no bones about it: NITC alumni end up in the final rounds of the national tournament. The coaches and I are committed to making sure competitors are taken care of, so it should make sense that we have a success record of which to be proud. (Check out our article summarizing our 2013 alumni success.)
But here’s how it effects individual debaters: They SHOULD want to make their nationals experience the best it can be. Some real sharp debaters commit to NITC, but so do debaters who barely made it to nationals.
The best comes out of the students who take their opportunity seriously. The training we put into them is second-to-none, and I believe the next national champions will come out of this camp.
2. NITC connects teams with others outside their state or region
Most debaters are products of their home communities. Few travel far outside their states or regions. Come nationals, students will be meeting new teams, most for the very first time, and who knows how well they’ll do.
All the more reason to come to NITC. We gather students from all over the country every single year. It’s quite a diverse group of students!
And they’ll be bringing their flows and comparing notes with fellow campers. Honestly, NITC is a hotbed of intelligence all geared to making your competition absolutely awesome.
3. NITC campers will be coached by the best
We have an absolutely awesome coaching staff. Several of them are national contenders themselves, and we’re even Skyping in one of our coaches from France. Is that cool or what?
This year I’m partnering with one of my best competitors in the homeschool speech and debate community: Isaiah McPeak. He and I have enjoyed working on some collaborative projects to better serve the homeschool speech and debate community, and we’re doing the same with NITC. I expect twice as good an event.
The point being is that we’re pulling out all our guns for NITC. If you’re an NCFCA or Stoa competitor, you’ll want to get registered.