1. How old does a student need to be to participate?

Students must be 12-18 years of age to join SHIELD and to compete in tournaments. Juniors are younger siblings (ages 7-11 years). They are welcome to attend and participate in club meetings with an older sibling. 

2. Do we have to participate in both Speech and Debate?

Not at the competition level, but the goal of our club is that all students would grow in each area. Our club sessions will allow students to learn and grow in both speech and debate.

3. Do parents have to stay?

Yes, this is not a drop off program as parental participation is essential to the success of our club. Our parents help in giving valuable feedback, and they grow in the vocabulary of speech and debate so that they can be helpful judges when our tournament season begins.

4. When do you meet?

Our club meets every first and third Tuesdays (August through December) from 10:00am to 1:00pm in Royal Palm Beach. During the spring semester, tournaments will be taking place.

5. What is NCFCA?

NCFCA stands for the National Christian Forensics and Communication Association. The families in our club affiliate with this league and participate in the Speech & Debate tournaments provided in our region, Region 15. 

6. Do we have to participate in Tournaments?

We encourage families to participate in at least two tournaments. Tournaments are not only about competition, but they allow for inspiration and exposure to students from the region. The first tournament will serve as learning experience; consecutive tournaments serve as opportunities for improvement.
Tournaments for Region 15 take place in Florida. There are options for National and Online Tournaments as well. Participating in a tournament is a commitment for the student and parent or guardian. A registered, supervising adult is expected to be available each day to help with judging.

7. What about younger siblings during Tournaments?

At Tournaments, Junior siblings can participate in supervised activities while their parents help with the tournament and older sibling(s) are competing.