The Power of Debate Friendships

Competitive speech and debate can feel like a whirlwind—late nights prepping, early mornings in rounds, and stressing about the next pairings or Tabroom blast.

Luckily, for many debaters, finding a solid community of friends provides a backbone of support in this high-pressure environment. The friendships that one can form in the activity of forensics are uniquely powerful in that they transcend state boundaries, time zones, and age. Instead, these connections are sustained by a shared love for and dedication to competitive debate, offering so much more than just another person to text “Happy birthday” to.

Drawing in part on personal experience, this blog post will cover the value of debate friendships before, during, and after a given tournament. In order to acquire such friendships in the first place, being a part of a wide-reaching community, like Eloquence Academy, is a good first step.

Prep Partners, Not Just Opponents

Debate is an activity where resources are integral to competitive success.

Unfortunately, access to strategy files and extensive evidence documents often lies behind a paywall. Alternatively, friendships provide other debaters to prepare with. Many debaters use the term “prep group” to refer to these collaborations. Not only does membership in a prep group significantly lessen the burden of creating or finding these resources, but it can be fun in and of itself — prep groups can often be found bonding with one another, listening to music, and coming up with inside jokes.

Many debate friendships are formed outside of one’s own school community, which makes it possible that two friends who have prepared together (and have a similar strategy) will be paired against one another for a round at a tournament. Still, prep groups are surprisingly common in the debate space, emphasizing the depth of these connections: a singular round versus years of support.

Support in An Intense Atmosphere

Competitive speech and debate, regardless of the circuit, is intense. Rounds are typically back-to-back, pairings are always looming, and the inevitable anxiety about whether or not the win was secured hangs above all competitors’ heads. With such high stakes, it is nearly impossible to relax.

Fortunately, debate friends provide a level of support that is rare from a family member or non-debate friend. Indeed, debate friends firsthand understand what it is like to unexpectedly lose a round or to be up against a nationally ranked debater in just thirty minutes. In other words, they get it. This intricate understanding allows members of the debate community to empathize with one another during anxious moments. Following from such empathy, friends can enact a number of tangible actions, whether that be bringing over food at an in-person tournament, sharing motivational words before a round, or simply sitting together in silence to calm nerves.

I personally find my friends to be a necessary part of my support system at a debate tournament. I am not sure what I would do without them.

Written by Ellie Kim from Harrington Park, New Jersey.