Written by Sherry Lin

Hi PDA Fam! It’s Student Coach Sherry again, and this week I wanted to talk about something that can feel tricky starting out, but is super important in your debate journey: choosing what in-person tournaments to attend. Once you start debating regularly, you’ll notice that there are often multiple tournament options all throughout the season, but not every tournament is the right fit for every debater. Below, I’ve organized a few key things to think about when debating which in-person tournament is right for you!

1. Your Experience Level

The first and most important factor is your experience level. If you’re newer to debate or just starting to compete outside of intramurals, it’s usually best to begin with tournaments that are known for being beginner-friendly. A general tip is to look over the types of judges in the judging pool and the teams in the entry list, to see if your peer competitors are at similar stages in their debate journeys and if the judges generally seem supportive for beginning debaters—oftentimes, these will be smaller, more local tournaments with less than 50 teams from a closer geographical range. That kind of environment allows you to focus on learning how in-person tournaments work, like navigating maps and schedules, adjusting to different judges, and staying focused throughout long, tiring competition days.

However, if you’ve already attended multiple in-person tournaments and feel confident in your debate fundamentals, you might consider attending a more competitive tournament. Higher-level tournaments often feature larger entry pools (often more than 100 teams), faster and more technical rounds as the norm, and a wider variety of judging styles (ranging from first-time parent judges to coaches with decades of debate experience!). While these can feel really challenging, they’re also incredible opportunities to grow quickly as a debater.

2. Travel, Logistics, and Costs

Another extremely important consideration is the overall logistics of attending the tournament. In-person tournaments often involve early mornings, long days, and more often than not, multiple overnight stays. Even though traveling for debate can be super exciting, it also requires a lot of planning and budgeting.

For example, a local tournament that’s a short drive away may only involve transportation and registration costs. However, tournaments that require longer travel, like large national tournaments far away from your place of residence, include additional large expenses like hotel stays, meals, and transportation. These costs can easily add up, so it’s important to discuss with your family to see what is financially feasible and makes sense for you. Starting with closer, one- or two-day tournaments can be a great way to ease into in-person competition without worrying about more complex logistics, and as you gain experience, traveling to larger tournaments can appear easier and more exciting.

3. Tournament Timing

When a tournament takes place during the season can also influence whether it’s a good fit. Early-season tournaments are great opportunities to test new cases and get feedback from judges in order to feel out a new topic. On the other hand, mid- and late-season tournaments can be opportunities for you to show off your learned strategy and demonstrate consistency. Thinking about where you are in the season—and where you are in your preparation—can help you decide whether a tournament is the right fit for you, whether you want to challenge yourself to test out new arguments or demonstrate the skills you’ve developed.

Additionally, it’s also important to think about how a tournament’s timing fits into your personal schedule. Balancing debate with schoolwork, extracurriculars, and prioritization of your own rest is tricky, and choosing the right tournaments, and number of tournaments, can help prevent burnout and keep you feeling refreshed.

4. Ask For Guidance!

Finally, remember that you don’t have to make this decision alone. Coaches and captains are always happy to help you figure out which in-person tournaments are the best fit for you, considering your experience level and schedule to help you make a thoughtful decision. Sometimes just talking through your options with others can make everything feel a lot clearer!

As you think through your tournament schedule for the season, it’s important to remember that in-person tournaments are first and foremost opportunities to learn and build connections with other debaters. If you keep the above tips in mind, considering your experience level, travel logistics, and timing in the season, choosing the right tournament becomes a lot less stressful and much easier!

In the end, there’s no in-person tournament that’s “perfect” for anyone, just the one that makes the most sense for you right now. Every tournament you attend will teach you something new, and help you grow as a debater. I can’t wait to see you all out there competing, and good luck with your upcoming rounds!