From Conditioning to Competition: A Gameplan For Effective Online Debate
As online debate becomes more inevitable for this coming season, I want you to be prepared! Across the competitive spectrum, whether in military warooms, football locker rooms, corporate boardrooms, or even on the court of a tennis match, game plans are critical. An objective, like winning in a sport or eliminating a target in the military, requires a solid plan of action.
Many of us, myself included, have focused too much on who we are debating. That doesn’t only mean our fixation on the debaters we face, but also on our negative feelings about debating online altogether.
In this article, I want to give you some guideposts through which you can focus on what you should be doing to debate online. I want all of us to be able to enter this debate season focused on only one thing: WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING.
CONDITIONING
Conditioning is critical for online debate. In fact, this is even more important virtually than at an actual tournament! The following steps look at three different vectors of online preparedness and what you can do to be properly conditioned.
Determine Your Set Up.
Choose somewhere quiet, but with lots of light. Lighting is very important so you can accurately read your case and your audience can see you clearly.
Try to pick a location with a plain or non-cluttered background. Your background will be essential to establishing yourself as professional and credible. Make sure it’s tournament ready! Doing so will increase credibility and eliminate distractions.
Have a dedicated table. Imagine walking into an actual debate room and sitting down at a cluttered table. You place all of your debate work on top of the table and when the time comes you have to sort through mounds of church bulletins to find that evidence that somehow got mixed into all the clutter. Make sure to stay organized by using a table that is entirely clear and dedicated to your debate purposes.
Grab a podium. Grab an old podium or music stand and have it on hand. Remaining seated during online debate is one of the most common mistakes and it makes judges feel like you aren’t taking the debate seriously. Podiums also give you a place to set your webcam or laptop in order to get just the right angle for your judge to see you.
Make a podium. You heard me right. If you don’t have a music stand or podium, prepare a makeshift podium ahead of time. It’s easy! Simply place a box or tall and flat object of some sort on the table you are using, and utilize that as your podium. Here you can set not only your computer but also your flow and any papers you need. (Note: If you really want to geek out on a custom set up, get two boxes of approximately the same height and use one for your computer and one for your flow for maximum space.)
6. Secure a physical timer. In the past, my partner always had a timer that our team shared. Debating separately has taught me the importance of having a timer. It’s critical that you have a physical timer and not just use your phone. Physical timers are more reliable because the screen does not automatically dim. If you are in Team Policy, you may also be using your phone to talk with your partner during a round. Keep a physical timer on hand to always be certain of how much time you have remaining. (Believe me! I have experienced the adrenaline rush of realizing I only have one minute left to finish three points.
Prepare Your Equipment and Self.
Print out all of your debate documents. Whether they’re constructive speeches for LD, briefs for TP, 1 ACs for TP, Moot Court notes, or literally anything else you will access during a round, PRINT THEM OUT. This is one of the most common mistakes online debaters make. They figure that because their round is virtual, they can just read their material from their screens. It seems easy, right? I personally tried to do this my first ever online debate, and everything went topsy turvy. My evidence was spread across various pages of a doc, and I was extremely disorganized. Just like a real round, have all of your material at the ready. You will be able to locate and use your evidence effectively. In addition, it sends a subliminal message to your judge that you are prepared (which you are).
Select a phone. If you are competing in Team Policy Debate and your partner cannot be with you during your online tournament, make sure that communication is maintained. Choose either a free home phone, that no one will get on, or a cell phone that you can use for the entire debate round.
Have charging cords/cables at the ready. Make sure to have a charging capacity for both your computer and the phone you are using to talk to your partner (if you have one). Your devices dying in the middle of a round would be incapacitating.
Prepare your attire. A great benefit of an online tournament is that you likely have access to your entire wardrobe within the realm of your closet. However, don’t use this as an excuse to wait until the last minute to realize that your suit, pants, tie, shirt, etc. are dirty or wrinkled. Wrinkles definitely show up on a webcam, and I’m guessing you have access to an iron. Prepare your attire by the night before your tournament.
Get enough sleep. I’m sure you are rolling your eyes as you read this, but bear with me. When you are at home, you have an exceptional opportunity to utilize your time to its utmost efficiency. This means that while you could stay up and watch a movie during a tournament, you probably shouldn’t. This also means that you could stay up all night briefing a case that you are about to hit. Don’t. While the opportunity for research is a great benefit of online debate, only do so in moderation. Sleep and nourishment will do you far more good in the long run than a movie watched, an extra brief, etc.
Make sure software is up-to-date. This may seem like a no brainer, but I was locked out of a debate round for upwards of 15 minutes, simply because my Zoom account decided to update. Always ensure that you are running the most recent version of whichever video conferencing software is being used.
Practice makes perfect. While I can’t promise perfection, I do believe that it is highly important for debaters, whether single or two-person teams, to get acquainted with their debate set up through practice. Calling your debate partner or someone else while getting to know your debate set up is extremely useful. You can practice getting the lighting just right and figure out the proper placement of your laptop and debate papers. This also allows you to decipher whether you will have any issues both technologically or physically in the space.
Get Psyched.
Wear full debate attire. While it may seem to defeat the ‘purpose’ of virtual conferencing, put on full length slacks, tuck that shirt in, put on a belt, and at the very least wear some snazzy socks. Is that because your apparel is going to be intricately examined at the beginning of each round? No, absolutely not… I hope. It’s all about mindset. It’s important for you to “trick” your brain into believing that this tournament is just as “real” as any other. Wearing full debate attire certainly does that. It sends messages of preparedness and notifies your brain of the formality of the debate you are about to partake in.
Wake up early. Depending on when your first round takes place, you should make sure to rise as early as you generally would during a tournament. This stimulates your brain and can help you approach your debate in a far less groggy state.
Turn off notifications. The temptation is in plain sight. Your phone is right there. Opening your phone, scrolling through your notifications, email, Instagram, or anything else during the round is distracting and against the rules. Notifications lure you away from the debate, turn them off.
Tell yourself it's real. Continually reaffirm your self and brain with the fact that this tournament, while not as stimulating as a typical tournament, is just as real and the stakes are just as high. This self-affirmation is critical, and can be done quietly within the sanctity of your own mind.
COMPETITION
The big game day is here. You’re paired up against some great debaters. You’ve heard of the case. Your setup is ready. You’re feeling ready to debate. Here are some tips to carry you through competition day.
The Big Day.
Call your partner. Talking to your partner in-round is one of the single most important things in team debate. I recommend calling your partner, on a phone, at least 30 minutes before your round begins. This allows you time to work out any technological challenges, which definitely do occur! You can also prepare strategy and get into the groove of your set up. The reason we have chosen to call over a phone is because it has proven to be the most stable connection we can maintain during the round. We are able to mute and unmute ourselves during preptime in order to work together within the round.
Stand up! Though your league may leave this decision up to you, I cannot stress the importance of standing up every time you speak. It signals professionalism and dedication. In an environment where there is little “real” interaction with your judge, standing is an invaluable asset.
Never turn off your webcam. Maintaining a webcam feed the entire round sends a message of professionalism to your judge, while also sending the exclamation of “I am ready!” to all in your room.
Do not abandon etiquette. While you aren’t headed up to the judge’s table to sign their ballot, do not forget to ask the judge for their philosophy pre-round, introduce yourself, and thank them for judging. This continues to display professionalism and certainly helps your credibility.
Maintain a posture of professionalism. You are on candid camera! This is the reality of online debate. Every single gesture, facial expression, or smirk is caught on camera. These expressions, especially those of laughing or annoyance can be particularly damaging to teams, even if no harm was meant. Your professionalism or lack thereof will certainly be showcased during a virtual round. Minimize expressions such as laughter and the appearance of being annoyed.
Watch your mute button. Never talk to your partner or speak when it is not your allotted time without first checking your mute status. The worst mistake you could make would be to speak over another debater.
Speak to/watch your judge. Watch your judge closely and speak directly to them. This allows you to measure their reactions, adjust arguments, and tailor your delivery to your judge’s perceived liking. The judges are still watching you. If need be, you may even pin the judges webcam in the debate room, so as to maintain that view of their webcam for the duration of your speaking time.
Take advantage of virtual evidence. When evidence is virtually exchanged you gain the opportunity to scan through provided documents with extreme speed. In fact, you may even use “Control F” to find exactly what you are looking for. (Check your league’s rules before using “Crtl F”)
In summary, online debate is an incredibly fun way to sharpen your debate skills. A proper gameplan is critical in approaching a new forum such as this. I believe that each and every one of us can become prepared for the season ahead of us. You are an athlete beyond compare!
REFERENCES
Patrick Cohn, “The Importance of Having a Game Plan,” Peak Performance Sports, (2020), https://www.peaksports.com/sports-psychology-blog/the-importance-of-having-a-game-plan/#:~:text=Having%20a%20game%20plan%20is,win%20out%20over%20the%20competition.&text=The%20key%20to%20putting%20your,is%20focusing%20on%20your%20plan.