I started my middle school coaching career in 1993 with a book and nothing else. The first year was a big disaster. I found out that the type of debate that I had done in college was nothing like Lincoln Douglas Debate. That summer, I made a decision that has made all the difference in the world to me. I enrolled myself as a student at the Cameron University Summer Speech Camp in Lawton, Oklahoma. I went as a beginning student. The next year something special happened, we started winning in debate.

Now, almost 2005, we are the team to beat in Oklahoma in LD Debate. I have been very fortunate to have coached the first two-time, back-to-back national champions in LD Debate. I have been asked to share a few ideas with you, even though I really believe that most of you are far more qualified.

I have been sold on Baylor Briefs from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Dr. William English has been most helpful to me. For a beginning 6th grade debater or any debater just starting out, I would recommend that you use briefs. The briefs are written in outline form, easy to teach.

• Writing an Affirmative Case
The first thing that I do NOT do is teach theory. I begin teaching students how to choose a case from the briefs. Explanation of the case is covered in the first eight or nine pages. We review the resolution. My students will tell you that we define every term in the resolution. I do this because it is the affirmative's position to define terms and I want the negative to have to argue our definitions and not the other way around. The kids also better understand what the resolution means after defining all of the terms.

I have the students choose their own cases by reading the short introduction to each case. I will not, as a coach, write their cases or let anyone else write the cases.

• Defining Value and Criteria
I then have students come up with a value and criteria that fit the case. I know that, with experienced debaters, you should first come up with a value and criteria, then fit the case to them. However, with new students, we use the briefs and choose the value that will fit and the criteria that will back up the value. I have the students use the introduction by changing it to read, "my case states" and literally have them cut and paste on a sheet of paper.

• Affirmative Case Outline
The resolution is written and on the next line they write, "I agree with this resolution." On the next line a definitions from either the Black’s Law Dictionary or a dictionary as their source define the resolutional terms. An observation is placed after the definitions to set the mood for the case.

Three contentions are next: First, students write the contentions and then place an evidence card under the contention. Second, the students must explain in their own words what the evidence card means that they have just written. And, finally, the last part of the contention needs to tie in with their value and criteria, which by the way, gives the students their rebuilds for their contentions and their arguments against the negative case.

• Negative Case Outline
The negative case is now ready to be written. It is much shorter than the affirmative case. The first thing that they do is to pick a negative case from the choices in the briefs and then change the first three words in the intro to read, "my case argues that..." The resolution is next and then one of the most important statements that the negative can make. The negative must disagree with the resolution.

Two contentions are then written and they must follow the same outline as above for a contention. This case is written to take out their affirmative case. After attending a few tournaments, the students will rewrite the affirmative case to take out the negative case. Earlier I told you that they are to have tie-ins for their value and criteria. The students use one of them to attack their opponent’s case and the other to rebuild their own case. This is much easier for the new debater.

• Utilizing Philosophers
After they have gone to a contest, we talk about what they learned and what areas they did well in as where they need improvement. One more tournament and it is time to start teaching them how to use men like Locke, Hobbs, and etc.

• Determining Value and Criteria
In the next case, they will use the briefs as a guide, as we will start teaching students how to come up with a value and criteria, and then place contentions with them. We use the internet a lot for research. This method seems to work well.

• Teaching Theory
After this, we start teaching them the theory behind what they are doing. By the time students reach high school, we hope that they will have attended at least one summer camp and encourage them to go to camp each and every year. This will help them in 3A debate in Oklahoma, which is the hardest class. This is how I start teaching new debaters. I hope this is helpful.

(Anson Shuman, Forensic Coach, Ardmore Middle School Ardmore, OK.)