The NFL Video Project - 42 Instructional Tapes to train teachers and students in debate and speech - has been completed.
All tapes are now available for free loan or purchase at cost.
Four years ago the National Forensic League became alarmed at the number of high schools which were dropping extracurricular programs in speech and debate, because of the lack of trained personnel to teach and coach.
At other schools untrained new teachers from other academic disciplines, parents, or college students were often asked to coach the debate team or speech club.
This use of untrained coaches is pervasive. As Dr. Karen King wrote in the Forensic Educator (1991)
"The realities of the situation require a large number of untrained teachers to keep the debate and speech activity healthy.... Few high schools are willing to make commitments to bring in new faculty members just to coach forensics....
Yet Greg Rehmke formerly of the Reason Foundation wrote: "In high school speech and debate, coaching is the center of the learning process".
Since this is true, how then could new coaches be trained? How could students who have no trained coaches be taught?
Three years ago NFL Secretary James Copeland envisioned that "the humblest student in the land should be taught by the greatest teachers in the land" and "new, untrained coaches should be trained by experienced coaches".
The development of videotape and widespread use of VCR's in schools and homes suggested a way to accomplish mass teaching on a very cost effective basis.
Copeland made a grant application to the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation of Milwaukee, Wisconsin for $45,000 to prepare and produce 40 videotaped lessons teaching the important debate and speech competencies.
The project had three stages. First, a planning conference of twenty five selected educators headed by Donovan Cummings and Natalie Weber took place in Milwaukee to write the tape curriculum and select the video teachers.
Second, over a period of two years, Executive Producer Mark Ferguson produced 42 tapes using educational talent from colleges and schools. Mark Ferguson proved to be an outstanding Executive Producer. A former NFL National DI Champion and College Prose Champion, Mark is director of television production at Glenbrook South High School. He has a reputation for producing innovative video projects like The Glenbrook Nationals Video Yearbook and video coverage of The Glenbrook Nationals.
Third, the tapes were dubbed and distributed. The first 21 were released in February of 1993 and the second twenty one tapes are available now. Schools and students may obtain the tapes in two ways: loan from the NFL (free, with permission to copy) or at cost ($14.99 each). See pages 18 - 19 for order information.
In the year since the first 21 tapes were released, 246 schools have purchased 2,181 tapes. Forty-four schools have taken advantage of the free loan and copy program. Several State Activities Associations and NFL Districts have obtained tape sets to release to their members, thus increasing tape distribution and use. Universities have also added the tapes to their libraries.
The innovative NFL video education project provides a way for students and teachers to learn from the experts. New tapes are listed on pages 6 - 7. Larry Smith reviews the orginal tapes on pages 9 - 13.
