Speech and Debate Team Application

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All new and returning members of the team must complete this application in order to participate as a member of the Northview Speech and Debate Team. It is crucial that families complete this application together as there is important information about team policies and school rules. Students will NOT be allowed to compete at any tournament until they have completed this application.

Student Information

Each of the questions in this section should be answered with student information. There will be a separate section for parent contact information.

What is the name you prefer to go by? *

What is your legal name? (The one that would appear on your teacher's roster in Infinite Campus). *

What grade are you in? *

Senior (Class of 2024)

Junior (Class of 2025)

Sophomore (Class of 2026)

Freshman (Class of 2027)

What is your Fulton County ID number? *

If you have a cell phone that you will bring with you to tournaments, write down your cell number so that you can be contacted in case of emergencies. *

What is the best email to contact you at? (Preferably not a Fulton County email). *

Shirt size (for ordering team merchandise) *

XXL

XXXL

Other:

Please let us know of any dietary restrictions. Students will often have the option to purchase food at tournaments and it is important that we communicate that with tournaments so they can help meet the needs of our students. *

Parent/Guardian Contact Information

Each of the questions in this section should be answered with parent information.

Parent/Guardian 1: What is your name? *

What is an email that we can share weekly tournament updates and logistics with? *

Parent/Guardian 2: What is your name?

Cell phone number that can be contacted in the case of an emergency? (if different than above)

Parent/Guardian 3: What is your name?

Cell phone number that can be contacted in the case of an emergency? (if different than above)

What is an email that we can share weekly tournament updates and logistics with? (if different than above)

Parent Participation

The Northview Speech and Debate team cannot operate without parent involvement over the course of the season. With the large number of trips and tournaments attended by the team over the course of the year, it is crucial that open communication is established between coaches and parents. As a part of building a culture of parental involvement, we are asking that parents step up and participate regularly with the team.
Below, there is a list of opportunities for parent involvement. Please select which options your family might be able to assist with this season.
*

Carpools- Assistance with team travel to and from tournaments including coordinated carpools with multiple students to help ease travel burdens and costs for all team members.

Volunteering to judge speech and debate events- you are all more qualified to judge speech and debate events than you might think. We spend an extraordinary amount of money on judge payments every year and would like to be able to reduce those overall costs by having parents judge rounds. Judging is also a great opportunity to see competition in action which is a great way to grow your appreciation for the activity your student spends time with. Additionally, volunteering to judge reduces your student’s cost for attending the tournament. We waive tournament fees for any student who is able to provide a parent volunteer for a whole tournament.

Volunteering at the Clash of the Titans Tournament which we will be hosting at Northview on the weekend of December 8th, 2023. Volunteer opportunities will include set up, coordinating the concessions, directing participants around the building and additional needs as they arise during the tournament. It is our expectation that all team families help with the Clash of the Titans Tournament in some capacity.

Coordinating parent meetings

Planning the end of the season banquet

Helping students coordinate fundraising efforts

Other:

Required

Team Policies- Reviewing the Handbook

Below you will find a list of team policies that students and families must agree to in order for their students to participate on the Speech and Debate team. The full text of the Speech and Debate Handbook can be found here or linked on our team website.

Academic Requirements

Please read through the academic requirements for team participation. Then, answer the question below:

Academic requirements: Students are responsible for completing their school work. Some tournaments require the team to leave before school is out on a Friday. It is the student’s responsibility to notify their teachers of absences at least one week prior to that absence. Students generally have a minimum of two weeks’ notice of when they are going to a tournament. It is the student’s responsibility to do their work and study ahead of time so conflicts do not occur when the tournament arrives. Debate work SHOULD NEVER take precedence over school work. If a student’s average grade in a class drops to a 74% or below (ie: they are in danger of failing the class), they must notify their coach immediately. No students who are failing a class or do not meet the engagement expectations for the 2020-21 SY are eligible to compete, and any fees a student has paid for registration to a tournament might not be refundable, if the team is fined for their drop from the tournament.

I will abide by the academic requirements for team participation and notify coaches immediately if their grade falls below eligibility.

Tournament Attendance

Please read through the tournament attendance requirements below and acknowledge that you have read the information.

Tournament Attendance: Students must attend at least two tournaments a semester and attend a minimum of three practices a month to be considered a member in good standing. In the fall, students must attend at least one tournament in September or October. Students must also attend all State and National Championship tournaments for which they are qualified. This includes First and Second Year State, First and Second Year Nationals, the TOC, the NSDA Championship. Certain tournaments require specific eligibility.

I will abide by the attendance requirements for participating in the team.

Tournament Registration- Refunds

Please read through the registration and refund policies for team participation. Then, answer the question below:

Registration: Tournaments will be registered for online through an electronic form. The coach will enter students into the tournament on Tabroom. Payments for tournaments will be made online. Once a tournament payment has been submitted, there will be no refunds unless the tournament host or school officials cancel the tournament. No refunds will be issued for students that are removed from the team because of a rule violation, a personal schedule change, or for failing to meet the academic requirements. No late payments for tournaments will be allowed. If payment for tournament is not made and/or contact with coaches haven’t been made before the tournament payment deadline, you will be removed from the tournament. Late drops may incur additional penalties.

I understand that refunds are not available once a student has been registered for a tournament.

Tournament Partnerships

Please read through the partner requirements below and acknowledge that you have read the information.

Partners: For partner assignments in policy debate, student or duo performance preference will be considered when possible. Partnership dynamics are a crucial part of participating in a shared event. Coaches, however, make final partnership decisions based on each student's skill, how their approach may complement each other in round, overall commitment and competitive success. Those decisions are made for the benefit of both individuals and the team.

I understand that coaches make the final determinations in partnerships.

Students Driving to Tournaments

Please read through the student driving requirements below and acknowledge that you have read the information.

Some tournaments will require that students arrange their own transportation to and from an event. These are usually tournaments occurring in the local area or tournaments only occurring on Saturdays. No student under the age of 18 is allowed to drive themselves to or from a tournament, under any circumstances.

I acknowledge and will follow the student driving policy.

Independent Entries

Please read the information regarding independent entries acknowledge the policy in the space below.

Independent Entries- The Northview Speech and Debate team attends a large number of tournaments each school year, often providing multiple opportunities to compete both locally and nationally. Given the number of tournaments already attended and to ensure that students are only attending tournaments where they have school-approved supervision, students are not allowed to enter ANY tournaments as an independent entry, even if they are registered with a different school name. This rule also applies to student-run tournaments on Tabroom. During the season, students are not allowed to attend student-run tournaments. Students must also forfeit access to any “Northview Independent” or other titled “school” registration accounts on Tabroom. Students found to either register as an independent entry or maintain an independent Tabroom account outside of the school’s knowledge will be immediately removed from the team.

I acknowledge and will follow the independent entry policy.

Private Coaching

Please read the information regarding private coaching and acknowledge the policy in the space below.

Private Coaching- In order to help ensure that students engage with only school-approved personnel at a tournament and to comply with entourage rules for judging, the team will be monitoring the use of private coaching. While the team cannot prohibit families from choosing to hire private assistance for their students outside of practices, families who choose to hire a private coach or debate tutor should know that Northview prohibits private coaches from coaching students on competition weekends. This limitation includes private coaches watching students in competition rounds or helping students with pre-round preparation. If parents and students still desire to hire outside coaching, parents must email both coaches to let them know before the start of the season OR within a week of the hiring. Any arguments/cards/evidence obtained as part of any private coaching or debate agreements must intentionally be made available and shared to all members of the Northview Debate Team. Failure to comply with this rule will lead to removal from the team. Separately, students who choose to compete with private debate “clubs”, including but not limited to Ivy Bridge Academy, will not be allowed to compete with the Northview Speech and Debate team.

I acknowledge and will follow the private coaching policy.

Zero Tolerance

Please read the information regarding the zero tolerance policy.

Zero-Tolerance: All school, GHSA and GFCA rules will be enforced. In particular, please note the NHS Debate Team has a zero-tolerance policy toward drug, alcohol, and tobacco use. You will be considered in violation of these rules if you are using one of these substances or with someone who is using them.

I acknowledge and will follow the zero tolerance policy.

Student Pick Up/Drop Off

Students and teachers should be on time to depart and return from tournaments. While we can tentatively establish return times, these times change on a moment to moment basis. Tournaments run notoriously behind schedule and our departure is often dependent on how successful students are at the tournament. If a Northview debater has made it to the finals, we cannot leave before the tournament is over; whereas we could leave early if all Northview debaters are eliminated in the quarterfinals. While coaches make every effort to inform parents in advance, it is ultimately the child’s responsibility to relay changes back to parents. Phones are always available on campus and a number of students carry cell-phones.

Also, if a student is not picked up or dropped off in a timely fashion, that student may be temporarily suspended from future competition. Coaches are required, by state law, to wait with students until a parent or guardian arrives. Excessive tardiness to be picked up is unfair to coaches, who give their time to this activity. All students should be picked up within 15 minutes of the pre-designated time.

I acknowledge and will follow the pick up/drop off policy.

Overnight Travel Policy

1. Room Checks: When staying in a hotel, students may not leave their room after they have been checked in for the night. The penalty for violating this rule will be a SUSPENSION OF AT LEAST TWO TOURNAMENTS. If the coaching staff is unable to determine which student left a particular room, all people in the room will be held responsible.

2. Pairs: It is impossible for Northview High School debate coaches and chaperones to visually supervise all students at all times. For example, when students are at tournaments, they are often scheduled in up to 30 different rooms of the host school. It is therefore imperative that at all times when we are away from Northview and not in competitive rounds, a student must always be in the presence of another Northview debater. This includes at tournaments, in a hotel, at the airport, etc.

3. Room Assignments: No student from Northview is allowed to be in the hotel room of someone of the opposite sex.

4. Other Schools: Northview students are not allowed to go into rooms of debaters from other schools and students from other schools are not allowed into Northview rooms. Socializing must take place in public areas.

5. Behavior: While students are at debate tournaments, they must behave as if they are at Northview. All rules that cover a student’s behavior while at Northview, such as rules regarding drinking, smoking, etc. will be strictly enforced. If a student is found violating these rules, they will be sent home. It will be the parents’ responsibility to make and pay for said arrangements. Students will also face discipline from the school in addition to severe consequences from the team. A second offense involving alcohol or tobacco by a student will result in immediate expulsion from the team. Any offense involving illicit drugs will result in immediate expulsion from the team

6. Eligibility: Any debater in good standing (see general team rules and policies for definition of “good standing”) is eligible to travel at the local and state level. National travel is available to members in good standing after students competing in four local/state tournaments. Exceptions in the case of partner debate may be made at the discretion of the coach..

I acknowledge and will follow all rules if I travel to an overnight tournament.

Consequences

Failure to perform tasks or meet responsibilities is a serious concern. When a student fails to complete an arranged research task or drops from a tournament at the last minute, their behavior affects everyone else on the team, and in some cases, other schools and debate teams. Due to the severity of an infraction or its repeated nature, consequences may be assigned to students. The consequence should be commensurate to the infraction. Consequences may include but are not limited to:

· Loss of non-refundable fees

· Compulsory judging obligations

· Suspension from 1 or more tournaments

· Suspension from the team for one semester

· Permanent expulsion from the team

· Coach discretion

I understand that any violation of a team rule or policy may result in the listed consequences.

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