I will be traveling to SC, TX and MN in the next couple of months on my most extensive nationals tournament tour in my nearly-20 years of coaching. Are you going? I’d love to meet you…and you could get free stuff.

Here are the three tournaments in order of appearance, with links to the tournament websites:

1. May 16-23: Stoa National Invitational Tournament of Champions (NITOC). I will arrive at Bob Jones University in Greenville, SC, on May 19, working the Monument Publishing table and judging rounds when I can.
2. June 14-19: The National Speech and Debate Association National Tournament in Dallas, TX. I will be there for the expo on Sunday, June 14, and will judge the following day before flying to Minnesota for…
3. June June 16-20: The National Christian Forensics and Communications Association national tournament in St. Paul, MN. I will be there for the entire tournament and will judge like a judging madman. I will also be serving as an exhibitor for the Institute for Excellence in Writing (more on that below).

You may already know that my family has taken the year off of speech and debate. I hate to admit it, but it has been rather nice. After 15 years of consistent traveling the country for various tournaments, it was relaxing taking the year off. But my kids are itching to get back into the ring, and you’ll see them hit the circuit strong next year.

And next year will be here before we know it! I posted preordering information on my MonumentPublishing.com website, specifically (1) our 20% off sale through June 20 and (2) our 30% off sale for club and bulk orders. The first link answers the question that my customers are probably wondering:

When is the best time to get the best deal on the new year’s resources?

I have an answer: at nationals. Any of the three, I’ll be there, and we can connect. I will be offering 20% off of everything — including sourcebooks — at my respective tables or meet-ups. But here’s the real deal: I will send you your product with free shipping PLUS I’ll give you a free item from our table. 

I probably am the only person the planet attending all three national speech and debate tournaments. So, how we’re going to meet will vary to the tournament you’ll be at. Here is a breakdown:

1. Stoa NITOC. I will be manning the Monument Publishing table from Tuesday through Saturday. Other coaches will be there at various times, so be sure to stop buy and say hi. If you preorder your materials at the table, I’ll ship for free and give you a free product at the table. While supplies last, so get there early.
2. NFL Nationals. I will be there for the Expo on Sunday all day, but not where you may expect me. I will be manning a different table: the Institute for Excellence in Writing. I have been working together with IEW for the past couple of years, and we’re mixing it up a bit with sponsoring the tournament as vendors. Any which way, we can connect.
3. NCFCA Nationals. I am on a waiting list for NCFCA, but I will be there anyway. Just like in Dallas, I will be in charge of the IEW table (who is sponsoring all three tournaments, by the way). I hope to have two tables there — like I will have at the Stoa tournament — but if I don’t, I will do a Meet Up like I did last year. More info on that by June.

If you are at any of these national tournaments, I would love to meet you.

Not going to nationals?

I still want to connect in a special way. The deals I’m offering at my respected vendor booths and meet ups are also offered to all! In fact, you can go to the website right now and preorder your materials for next year at the same 20% off that the nationals competitors enjoy:

www.monumentpublishing.com

I explain all of this on today’s Training Minds Podcast. See you at Nationals!