Do you want to host a tournament or change divisions?

To all Coaches wishing to host a tournament or change divisions in 2015-2016:

The Arizona Interscholastic Association State Speech and Debate Advisory Committee (AIASSDAC) is asking for any coach who wishes to host a tournament in 2015-2016 to fill out the AIA Intrastate Sanctioning Form.  This form is attached here:  AIA Tournament Sanctioning Form.  It is no longer available online at the AIA website.  Without this completed form, we cannot consider you as an invitational tournament host.

Our final meeting of the year, where we create the 2015-2016 competition calendar, is scheduled for April 15^th at 9:30 in the morning.  To insure that all forms are received in a timely manner, we are asking that the forms be sent to Kevin Berlat by April 1, 2015.  They can be faxed to 602-271-2385, attn Kevin Berlat, or e-mailed to berlat@phoenixunion.org.  I will confirm with you when I receive the forms, so if I don’t get back to you, send it again until I do.

The tournament season typically runs between October and March.  We will host a Forensic League of Arizona “Welcome” Tournament in mid-to-late September as a way to hold workshops and provide some “pre-season” competition.

What we are asking from you is that you provide us with alternate dates when you submit your form.  There are a number of schools vying for precious real-estate, and we want to avoid double-booking and back-to-backs as much as possible.  Please make sure that all of your possible dates are times when you can host.  Also, please provide us with a cell-phone number or classroom number where we can reach you directly during our meeting.  We’d rather be able to get in touch with you immediately to work out a conflict then put out multiple versions of the calendar in the weeks after the meeting.

We are always looking for hosts for our Winter Trophy and State Tournaments.  If your school has never hosted a tournament before, these are great opportunities to make money from a concessions stand and learn about the finer points of tournament management.  If you want to host one of these tournaments, don’t fill out a sanctioning form, just let me know.  Hopefully, we can lock in hosts for them as well on April 16^th.

In addition, we will also approve those who wish to either move up or down in division.  Even if you changed your placement 2 years ago, you must reapply for the division change.

Division Alignments

• Our initial division alignment is set at 1900. Schools with a population above this are in Division 1, and schools under this population are in Division 2.
• Schools who join with no recent history of speech and debate activity will begin in Division 2.
• Schools can petition up or down by submitting a petition to the AIA SDAC. Decisions will be made at the April 17^th
• We will follow the AIA 2 year cycle, and will look at divisions again in 2017.

Criteria for Division Placement Petitions

• Participation in Speech and Debate over the previous 4 years.
• Student enrollment including previous four (4) school years
• Geography/loss of school time
• Makeup of student population
• Competitive history over last four (4) school years in all activities
• Effect of movement in equity of numbers between divisions
• Any other information considered significant by the appealing school

Submit your petition to me by April 1, and it will be considered at the meeting.  We will notify you after the meeting whether or not your petition has been approved.