Recommending Summer Speech and Debate Camp for Students

It’s that time of year: debate camps are advertising, students and parents are asking for recommendations, and coaches are planning for professional development opportunities for the summer.

Speech and debate camps can be wonderful supplemental activities for students and coaches who want to delve deeper into an event and “up their game.” But not all camp experiences are equal, and it is important to have meaningful conversations with students and parents when considering various camp options.

First, determine whether or not the student is ready for a debate camp experience. This can be a question of basic maturity as well as how committed the student is to the activity. Debate camp, unlike other types of summer camps, is not a week or two of leisure activity. While students should have some fun at debate camp, forge new friendships, and generally enjoy the experience, the purpose of debate camp is to have concentrated time to work solely on debate. It’s like summer-school for debaters. Parents and students need to understand that their child will be “in school” for the week or two (or three) of camp and their school hours are typically from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., with breaks for meals. It’s an intellectual boot camp, of sorts, and some students simply are not ready for that responsibility.

Once you have made the decision to recommend debate camp to your students, how do you decide where to send them? Some important considerations include quality of instruction, camp philosophy, cost, size and distance.

The quality of instruction at the camp, and the philosophy of the camp are the two most important factors. Sending students to a camp where the overall philosophy/purpose of the camp doesn’t align with your coaching philosophy or values can set coaches and students up for frustration. It is important to find out a couple of things about the camp:

1. Supervision of Students at Camp – It is important to know how much supervision is provided at camp and if it is “enough” for parents and coach to be comfortable that the students will be safe (both educators in the classroom, and dorm supervision outside of class).

2. Quality of Instruction – This one is a deal-breaker. The directors and lead instructors for each division should be degreed, certified educators. They must have experience both in classroom instruction AND also have experience/ training in working with students.

3. Type of Instruction – The camp should focus on the style(s) of debate/performance that your students will be exposed to during the competition season. You may compete on more than one circuit and choose to send your student to camp to focus on a particular style for a particular circuit. But be aware of what they are learning about the activity and competition and make sure that it aligns with your own competition and performance philosophy.

4. Student Safety/Security – The camp should have safety/ security measures in place for all activities, a policy for medications that students must take, and information for local medical professionals in case of emergencies. The camp should have staff assigned to supervise students sufficiently to ensure their safety, respect and equitable treatment.

In addition to the quality of the camp, there are logistical/ practical features that have to be considered, as well.

1. Cost – This is a big one, as camps can range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. The good news is that there are a variety of camps to fit every budget, and you don’t have to sacrifice quality for affordability! Look around and ask around to find which camps work best for your students and their family’s budget. In most cases, camps offer some sort of financial aid for students who might not be able to afford camp. Your team and/or booster club can also fundraise to help students afford camp.

2. Distance – This is a factor for a number of reasons. Anything can happen in that week or two away from home, so being able to get to a student in case of an emergency is an important consideration. In addition, mode of travel will factor into the overall cost of the camp. Finally, like anything else, some kids you trust to get on a plane and come back to you in one piece, and some kids… not so much.

3. Size – The size of the camp may or may not factor into your decision. It’s like any other educational setting, the smaller the student/teacher ratio is, the more individualized attention/instruction your students will get. If the camp is struggling to make numbers in an event, it will generally let those who’ve registered know in time to make other arrangements if they so desire. But the number of students participating isn’t the only consideration. The size of the campus the student will be staying on and the city he or she will be in are also things to consider. Students fly all over the country to participate in debate camps, and it is helpful to prepare them if they are going from a small town to a large, metropolitan area – especially somewhere they have never been.

The decision to send students to debate camp can be daunting. If you are new to coaching, have never been to or sent students to debate camps before and have concerns about recommending camps, consider these options:

1. Host Your Own – Offer a day-camp at your school during the summer for your students to come in and work on their events. It’s probably the cheapest option, and students get to go home at the end of the day. This will also give you a sense of which students are ready for a more intense summer camp experience.

2. Professional Development – Attend camps in your state/ area as a coach, instructor or dorm parent to earn professional development and see the camp in action.

3. Get Recommendations from Your Peers – Talk to people in your area and find out what camps they recommend and WHY they recommend them. Learn the essential features they like about the camps they send their students to.

Author’s Tip: Each spring, I put together a brochure of camp recommendations for my students and their parents. It includes dates, cost, location and events each camp offers. It provides cost variety as well as locations that are closer and some that are further away. This gives families a variety of options, but almost all are camps that I have personally attended in some form (either as a coach, dorm parent or instructor).