Young Speakers of Austin
Tournament Participation is required:
All senior students (age 12 and up) are required to compete in two tournaments with at least one event. A student can choose to participate in either speech or debate or both. We encourage students to participate in as many events as they can handle. Students will be expected to come to club prepared with completed assignments. There are 4-5 qualifying tournaments available throughout the competitive season leading up to the Regional Invitational in April/May and the National Invitational in June. Practice tournaments and/or Round Robins may also be available.
Eligibility to Compete:
Young Speakers of Austin is open to homeschooling families that home school 51% of the time. Senior club members are ages 11-18 (12 by January 1, 2013.) Please see the NCFCA website for Tournament Eligibility.
Junior members must be ages 8-11 by Sept. 2012. Juniors are younger siblings of participating senior members in the Club. Junior members are not required to compete at tournaments, but are encouraged to do so when the option is available.
Club Dues: Non refundable Family registration fee is $100/year.
NCFCA Affiliation: Senior club member families must affiliate with NCFCA. For more information on the NCFCA, see: www.ncfca.org.
What is required of members on Club days?
Code of Conduct
All club members are to exhibit a kind, polite and respectful attitude toward others at all times and to behave in a manner that brings glory and honor to God. All club members are required to stay within the geographical boundaries set by the administration of all facilities we use and are to strictly adhere to all established rules/regulations. If a student is disrespectful, uncooperative or disruptive, the student will be given one warning. If the behavior continues, leaders will consult with the parents. Habitual problems will result in dismissal from the club.
At tournaments, you are expected to be kind and helpful to everyone-adults and fellow competitors alike. Anything less reflects negatively on you, your family, and our club and will not be tolerated.
Homework Assignments:
Senior Speech Club per speech event:
(If you are doing multiple speech events, additional time may be needed.)
Fall 1-3 hours per week
Spring 1-2 hours per week
Debate Time commitment:
Fall & Spring 3-5 hours per week
Parents:
Mandatory Parental Involvement
Student success requires parental involvement. At least one parent from each family is required to attend club with his or her student(s). Come and learn alongside your student. The more parents are involved, the more your student and all the students in our club benefit. Coaches pour a great deal of time into preparation and teaching so please make sure your students arrive on time and have all their homework completed.
In addition to club responsibilities, parents must also serve as judges at tournaments. Dedicated parents make our tournaments happen.
Club Information:
All announcements including club meetings, assignments, tournament information and other events will be communicated through email. Families are responsible for checking their email daily.
Childcare:
Children 7 years and younger will need childcare. This may include parent rotations and/or outside hired babysitters. If sitters are needed an additional fee will be charged to parents with children in childcare.
Dress Code:
The Spirit of the dress code is modesty and professionalism with the intent to glorify Christ. The goal is to minimize the focus on the body or outward appearance and maximize the focus on the development of ideas and communication skills. Young ladies should wear modest clothing with pants, skirts or shorts (fingertip length) and must have no midriffs showing. No tank tops, low-cut blouses, short skirts or T-shirts with offensive slogans are allowed.
Professional business attire is required at tournament. Please see the NCFCA website for Tournament Dress Code.
Tournament Fees:
$25 to $60 – tournament fees per student
Hotel expenses for typically 3-4 nights
Food – $5-$7/meal
Transportation
Most tournaments are in Texas. You choose the tournaments in which you would like to participate. Expenses can be lowered depending on where you stay, taking your own food, carpooling options and possibly obtaining “host housing” from a family near the tournament location.
Cost Example: One tournament in Houston, for a family with one student competing in debate and two speech events:
* $50-$60- tournament fees per student
* $225 – hotel expenses for a room ($69 x 3 nights)
* $25 – food per person OR bring your own
* $50-$100- gas
Approximate Summary of Costs:
Club Registration – $100/family
NCFCA league affiliation – $45.00/family
Tournament attire costs- varies
Tournament costs – varies (see above example)
Debate materials costs – $60-$100
Speech materials – Varies based on speeches participating in. Resources are optional.
Statement of Faith – (to be signed by each family)
We believe the Bible to be the inspired word of God, the final authority of faith and life, without error in its original writing both in doctrine and historical detail, and that all true knowledge is consistent with its revelation.
We believe that there is one self-existent God who has always been and always will be, manifest in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and that knowing Him truly is the foundation of all knowledge, wisdom and understanding.
We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God manifest in the flesh, born of a virgin, that he is the Savior of mankind through his death on the cross, that he rose from the dead and ascended to God, and that he will return again and will raise those who have believed in him to reign with him in power and glory throughout all eternity.
We believe in the brotherhood of all believers who, through faith, have received the salvation provided by God’s grace through the death of Jesus Christ.
