Last changed on
Sat January 18, 2020 at 5:25 AM EDT
I am a parent judge, only Public Forum to date, but don't judge me because of that. I truly care to judge as objectively as possible. To do so, presentations need to be well organized, e.g. It helps when you say, "Contention 1..., Sub-Point A... and so on." When attacking an opponent's contentions and rebuttals, be clear to associate your comments to the respective contention.
Most importantly, know your audience, and speak to your audience, i.e. your judge(s). Clarity of content is equally important to quantity. What does it matter if you think you successfully argued your contentions and defeated every point of your opponent if the judge cannot understand most of what you said, because of partially spoken thoughts and words, due to excessive speed? Don't forget to breath. Use inflection to emphasize points. Use pauses to let points sink in before starting the next point. I cannot judge fairly or objectively what I do not understand because of the speed of your speech.
I promise to give fair, constructive feedback at the conclusion of each debate, and follow up with comments that you can hopefully use to improve your positions.
That said, I'm already impressed with you before you even open your mouth to speak. Having the ambition, courage, and confidence to take on such a difficult endeavor as Speech and Debate, you've already WON my admiration regardless of debate outcomes.