CHOOSING PARTNERS FOR TEAM POLICY DEBATE
Choosing a partner for Team Policy Debate is a very important decision, one that should be based on similar commitments and goals for the families of both partners. Parents should be heavily involved in the process for choosing a debate partner. The responsibility for choosing a partner does not rest with the coach or the student. It is a joint responsibility between the students and the parents working together. The coach is available for input, if requested.

Note: Because a partnership is a serious season-long committment, where the partners and the parents agree to abide by STAR Forensic Club Policies & Procedures, inter-club partnerships will not be permitted.

Before seeking a partner, here are some important factors the parents should discuss with their own child:

1. What is our commitment level? How much time can we afford to put into speech and debate? How many tournaments do we plan on traveling to? Some students just beginning only want to do apologetics and the two required tournaments; others are seniors in high school and want to do every tournament, and five speech events as well as debate. Some students have other activities which require substantial commitments and aren’t available to go to all of the tournaments. Sometimes the family finances impact the number of tournaments a family is committed to go to. Some students take college courses and must miss certain tournaments.
2. How much time can the student afford to invest in debate? Researching evidence can take an enormous amount of time. If one has a serious partner who is willing to invest 10 hours per week in research for debate, for example, and the other partner only commits to two hours per week, conflicts will occur. Resentment can be avoided by realistically assessing schedules prior to picking partners.
3. Preferences for partners: Some parents prefer their daughters only to partner with girls and their sons only to partner with boys. Some don’t care at all. Some parents prefer their children to partner together. (This is one of the most successful combinations! There are no issues then regarding traveling to tournaments/commitments because it’s discussed on a family level.) It is wise to choose a partner where the students want to work together and will get along well. Often an outgoing person works well with a quieter type-it’s a great balance in debate.
4. Experience level: It is very wise to have partners of similar levels of experience. Typically, students want who they think is the best debater with the most experience that will help them learn and win. But less experienced debaters working together is great, because they’re on the same level and can learn together and have fun at it. Very experienced debaters paired with less experienced debaters are often frustrated with each other because the less experienced debater is often lost and overwhelmed while the experienced debater can end up doing too much of the work. Similar abilities tend to work well.
5. Geographical Distance: Where does the prospective partner live? Some parents are very willing and able to drive to the partner’s home or library so they can work together; while others are not. This should be taken into account.

After the parents and student discuss these issues with each other, then they should look around at the club, pray and see who they might choose for a partner. We heartily recommend the parents speak with the other parents regarding partners, since it is the parents who do the driving, oversee going to tournaments, oversee the students debate work etc. The more involved the parents are, the more successful the students are!

After the parents speak with one another and think a partnership might work out, it is recommended that the students just try a tournament together. Actual debating experience tells many families if this is the optimal experience for their students or not.

Please remember not to take it personally if a family decides to try another partner. It’s really not about how good or poorly a student debates; rather, it’s about how the Lord is leading a family for the year, their commitment level and how it matches another family’s commitment level at any given time.

In our experience, deep, lasting, life-long friendships are made which extend outside of the debate club and for years beyond the debate club, not just for the students, but joyfully for the parents as well. With prayer, Biblical love and wisdom, partnerships are a true blessing from the Lord!