Debate Team

FAQs About the Debate Team

• What is College Debate and How is it Different From High School Debate?

  The main form of debate that Missouri Valley College participates in is called NFA-LD. This is a 1-on-1, policy oriented type of debate that uses one topic all year. If you did debate in high school, it would be more similar to policy debates in the midwest but using Lincoln-Douglas times. The judges are mostly coaches or trained judges from other schools. All tournaments are overnight and the school covers your costs for the tournament.

• Are There Scholarships Available / Does it Cost Anything to Join the Team?

  We are fortunate enough to be supported by Missouri Valley College so there is no cost for you to join the team. We are able to provide scholarships to students. Most of the scholarships are geared for students in their first year at MVC (though they are renewable throughout your time at Valley as long as academic and debate expectations continue to be met). While you are on the team, the school covers your costs for tournaments including hotels, entry fees, and some food.

• Who is the Coach?

  Chris Roberds has been brought in to coach here at MVC. He has been involved in coaching or debating since 1994 and has coached students who have reached late outrounds at many major national tournaments. For questions or more information about the debate team, you can email Chris at roberdsc@moval.edu.

• What are the Expectations for Being on the Debate Team?

  Each student who competes with Valley will be able to travel to tournaments and compete. Our plan is to attend 3-4 tournaments per semester. For most tournaments we will leave Valley on Friday and return on Sunday evening. In addition, we will have a scheduled practice twice per week during the season where students will get assignments, do practice rounds/ speeches, and learn new details to compete. The tournament season runs September through April with a fairly long break from the end of November until January.

• What is the Scholarship Process?

  When applying for a debate scholarship, it is helpful if you can include examples of your debate work. These can include videos of speeches/ rounds, files you have cut, etc. You can email those to roberdsc@moval.edu. To request more detailed information about our scholarships, click here.