Category: Calendar Updates

Arizona Interscholastic Association
State Speech and Debate Advisory Committee
2016-2017 Sanctioned Events Calendar

August 13 – AZ Thespians Convention
August 20 – Arizona Speech and Debate Coaches Association Coaches Convention – Brophy College Prep
August 27 – New Coaches Workshop – TBD
September 7 – AIASSDAC Meeting – AIA Office
September 17 – Southwest Speech and Debate Institute Practice Tournament – Horizon HS
September 24 – Prep School Congress – Scottsdale Prep Academy
October 7-8 – Lost Dutchman – Red Mountain HS
October 21-22 – Jim Fountain Classic – McClintock HS
November 11-12 – Toro Country Classic – Mountain View HS
November 18-19 – Dobson Invitational – Dobson HS
November 18-19 – Arizona Thespians State Festival – Phoenix Convention Center
December 2-3 – ASDCA Winter Trophy –                Division 1 –

Division 2 – Greenway

January 5-7 – ASU Southwest Championships – Arizona State University
January 13-14 – Prep School Tournament – Chandler Prep Academy
January 18 – AIASSDAC Meeting – AIA Office
January 21 – Grand Canyon University Speech Tournament – GCU
January 21 – Southern Arizona Acting Festival – University of Arizona
January 28 – Northern Arizona Acting Festival – TBD
January 28 – Central Arizona Acting Festival – TBA
February 10-11 – Bobcat Bonanza – Central HS
February 18 – State One-Act Play Festival – TBD
February 25 – National Speech and Debate Association Congress Qualifier Tournament – GCU
March 3-4 – SWSDI Tournament – Hamilton HS
March 17-18 – AIA State Tournament – Division 1 – ASU

Division 2 – Paradise Valley HS
March 24-25 – NSDA National Qualifier – Phoenix Country Day School
April 19 – AIASSDAC Meeting – AIA Office

Thank you to all of the coaches, trainers, students, and judges who attended yesterday’s convention.  The big news is that we are now official.  The Forensic League of Arizona has been retired, and we are now officially the Arizona Speech and Debate Coaches Association has taken its place.  I appreciate all of the support and understanding that the coaches showed as we maneuvered through this transition.  Our first AIA meeting of the year will take place on September 24.  More information and an updated officer list to come.

Our first tournament will be the SWSDI Practice Tournament at Brophy College Prep on September 20th.  The invitation is available on www.joyoftournaments.com/az. Check it out!

After the AIA State Speech and Debate Advisory Committee meeting yesterday, the first version of the 2012-2013 calendar is out.  The largest change from previous years is the separation of the NFL District Congress Qualifier from the rest of the tournament.  With the new constraints on Congressional Debate judging, as well as rules about the length of sessions, it was decided that holding the Congress separately would provide for a better Congressional Debate tournament, as well as allow for more flexibility in the rest of the Qualifying events.

The calendar can be found here:  12-13 Tournament Calendar v1.

If there are any questions, please let me know at berlat@phoenixunion.org.

After a wild February, we are in the home stretch.

Please carefully read the invitations for the appropriate State Tournament.   Many of them have deadlines for legislation that are either past due, or rapidly approaching.  Also, if your team needs to appeal to register for the state tournament, that time is coming soon.

The National Forensic League Qualifier tournament is coming soon.  It is critical that you carefully read the invitation.  There are procedures that we have to follow, and deadlines that are different from any other tournament.  If you don’t follow them, your students might not get to compete for the right to go to the National Tournament.  The deadline to submit Congressional Debate Legislation is next week.

Once we are past the State Tournaments, it will be time to start thinking about next year.  We will need sanctioning forms for the 2012-2013 season to be turned in by April 1 so that we can craft a calendar at the last AIA meeting of the year.  More details to come.

After a great ASU tournament, it is time to gear up for the rest of the Spring semester.  All of our tournament invitations are available on www.joyoftournaments.com/az.

In addition, the Southwest Speech and Debate Institute will host a day of free workshops on February 11, at the ASU Barrett Honors College.  These workshops are intended for people attending the Harvard and Berkeley tournaments, as well as to prepare people for the State and NFL Qualifier later in the semester.  The invitation and the registration instructions are available on Joy of Tournaments.  Come one, come all.  This is a great opportunity to get prepared for the rest of the season, and you can’t beat the price.