National Tournaments

National tournaments take an enormous amount of work by our parent volunteers, and many tournaments begin registration over the summer. National tournaments are competitions at the national debate circuit level. These tournaments allow you to get “bids” at various levels that are required as part of the qualifying process for the Tournament of Champions (TOC), held in Lexington, Kentucky every year in April. National tournaments are great, travel is fun, and this is why people participate. Here is some basic information about how they work.

PIF (preference indication form) process: Typically, a former Whitman team member (usually a recent graduate) organizes the team’s national tournament schedule for September, October, and November. Students need to review the tournament list with their parents and partners (for Public Forum) to determine which tournaments they wish to attend. It is important that students, especially sophomores and juniors, choose their tournaments wisely.

Tournament entries are limited in numbers, particularly in Public Forum. Students should indicate only tournaments they truly wish to attend, and parents should be involved in this process. Requesting to participate in every tournament signals that you are prepared to compete in every tournament slot you are offered and that you are completely flexible as to which ones you are assigned.

Early to mid-July: Tournament information is circulated, and team member identify preferences
Last two weeks of July: Coaches will allocate spots for each tournament based upon seniority and students’ preference.
First two weeks of August: The schedule and participant list for September to November tournaments will be circulated. If you know that you are not interested in attending, you should notify the team as soon as possible. Coordinators will begin registration and collecting deposits from those who received places at fall tournaments a few weeks before the tournament. For early September tournaments, this process begins before the school year starts.

Commitment: Signing up for any tournament is a commitment because we have limited entry spaces and because costs are allocated based on the number of team members attending. Students who drop out after registering for a tournament will be responsible for any non-refundable travel and hotel costs as well as drop fees assessed by the tournaments. Students who drop out of a tournament after registration impact the entire team. Teammates who would have wanted the spot are unable to take it at the last minute. Late drops make Whitman unpopular with the tournament directors, which means we are less likely to get preferences for extra spots or hired judges in the future. Parent volunteers also spend valuable time scrambling to make changes when students drop out late.

Costs: National tournament costs are not included in team dues. Online tournaments are approximately $250/student/tournament, but travel tournaments can be significantly more expensive ($500-$1000+). The travel and accommodations costs for the parent chaperone and coach traveling with the team are split among the students attending. We provide estimates of costs in the summer interest forms. There is limited financial aid available, so please contact the Board President if you would like more information.

Travel: Traveling to a tournament is a privilege, and team members who do not adhere to the expected standards may not be permitted to participate in other tournaments. Our expectations are similar to those that would be expected at a school-sponsored function and are described in the registration forms. Please read these forms!

Volunteers: Each national tournament requires a parent coordinator/ organizer (and a chaperone, if traveling). If no one volunteers to coordinate a tournament, the team can’t participate. Extensive guidance will be provided for parent coordinators -- in fact, it is the dedicated role of two members of the board -- so no prior coordination experience is needed.