How Parents Can Get Involved and Support Speech & Debate Teams (Without Needing to Know a Thing About Public Speaking!)

If your child is involved in speech and debate, you’ve probably already heard about how rewarding—and busy!—the season can be. From practices to tournaments, it’s a fast-paced world of researching, writing, performing, and growing. But here's the good news: there are SO many ways parents can jump in to help, even if you’ve never given a speech or debated a single topic in your life.

Whether you’ve got lots of free time or just a little, your support can make a big difference. Here’s a friendly guide to the many ways you can get involved with your child’s speech and debate journey.

🏆 1. Judge at Tournaments

No experience? No problem! Most local tournaments are thrilled to have “lay judges” (that’s just a fancy term for people who aren't speech experts). You’ll get a quick training session and be good to go. You might judge events like:

• Dramatic or humorous interpretations

• Debates on current events

• Original speeches written by students

Judging helps tournaments run smoothly and gives you a front-row seat to see students’ hard work in action.

🚗 2. Carpool Students to and from Practice and Tournaments

Speech and debate students often travel to events that start early and end late. If you’re comfortable driving, offering transportation can be a huge help to fellow families—especially for overnight or out-of-town trips, if possible.

Bonus: Car rides often come with hilarious stories, spontaneous speeches, and lots of snacks.

🥪 3. Donate or Organize Food for Practices

Hungry debaters are not their best selves! Practices are after school, many hours after they've had lunch. They love having a snack while they work - you can:

• Donate snacks, drinks, or meals

• Organize a parent food sign-up sheet

🎉 4. Help with Activities or Fundraisers

We try to have 1-2 non-S/D fun get togethers and a couple fund raisers:

• Assist with fundraisers to help with travel or entry fees. We often can use hands on deck or item donations for certain events/fundraisers. Any help is very appreciated!!

• Help decorate or plan for team activities

• Have an idea for a fundraiser? Awesome! Lets do it!

These special touches make students feel appreciated and bring the whole community closer.

🧠 5. Share Your Skills

Are you a Lawyer? A public speaker? A researcher? A snack-distributor extraordinaire? Whatever your talent is, there’s a good chance it can support the team.

Some parents help by:

• Providing Snacks

• Proofreading speeches

• Giving feedback during practice rounds

Just let the coach know what you’re comfortable with.

❤️7. Be a Cheerleader (Figuratively, of course!)

Sometimes, the best thing you can do is just show up. Listen to your child practice. Ask about their topic. Offer encouragement after a long tournament day. Your belief in them goes a long way.

Final Thoughts

Speech and debate isn’t just about talking—it’s about building confidence, critical thinking, empathy, and lifelong skills. And when parents pitch in, the whole team grows stronger.

Whether you’re judging rounds or just making PB&Js, your time and energy make a real difference. So go ahead—get involved. You don’t have to be a speech expert. You just have to care. 💬💖