Leadership Practices in Speech and Debate Coaches

Intercollegiate forensics is in the midst of an alarming decline in financial support and participation. The author argues that intercollegiate forensics coaches must employ leadership strategies based on the Full-Range Leadership Model (FRLM) to stabilize and grow intercollegiate forensics teams in the present and future.

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Intercollegiate forensics is an extracurricular activity venerated in American higher education for producing influential thought leaders, public servants, and highly trained professionals. In spite of its sterling reputation, financial support for and student participation on intercollegiate forensics teams is in an alarming state of decline. The author argues that intercollegiate forensics coaches, in the face of enormous challenges which threaten the continued vitality of competitive speech and debate at institutions across the United States, must chart a strategic pathway forward for current and existing intercollegiate forensics teams. This book advocates for the application of empirically validated leadership frameworks to the nuances of leading speech and debate programs. The author explores the use of innovative pedagogical methods and coaching strategies rooted in modern perspectives of competitive access and inclusion to boost team participation from individuals and groups historically excluded from the activity. Through the recommendations laid out in this book, the author offers a framework for intercollegiate forensics coaches to use in navigating an uncertain future.