A League of Your Own

If you want to arrange to have competitions with other local schools, you should consider forming a league. A league is composed of a group of schools that share resources to have tournaments during the school year. The primary function of the league is to organize tournaments. To accomplish this, the league collects modest dues from its members. Most leagues have new schools pay $75 for their first year, and $200 for every year after that. The league treasurer sends out dues invoices and collects dues to deposit in the league's bank account. These dues are used to pay for trophies awarded at league competitions.

The league elects officers. These officers are normally teachers who also serve as debate coaches. The league president is in charge of the organization of the league, and is in charge of recruiting and helping new schools to participate in the league. The league president is also in charge of soliciting and setting topics for upcoming tournaments. A month before a tournament, she or he may send out a "call for topics" to league coaches. Coaches and students can then send in their topic suggestions. The president works to assemble a balanced and interesting set of topics for the upcoming tournament, and sends them out to league schools a month to two weeks before the tournament.

The league's secretary is in charge of talking notes during coaches' meetings, which normally occur during tournament competitions. She or he submits these minutes to all members, creating an official record for the league.

The league treasurer is in charge of collecting dues and paying trophy bills for the league. The league may decide whose job it is to order the trophies for competitions, or this responsibility may fall to the treasurer.

Once a league has formed for the purpose of having debate competitions, it should set a dues structure and a tournament schedule. Normally, league schools bid to host tournaments during the year. Since tournaments can be lucrative for the host school due to concession sales, leagues may choose to rotate host schools on a yearly basis to make sure all interested schools have an opportunity to host a tournament.

MSPDP leagues normally start their competitive season in November and end in April. Some leagues may start later or earlier, and others may go until May. Leagues have monthly (or at least regular) events. Tournaments normally have 4 or 5 debates, ending with an awards ceremony. A typical tournament lasts from 9 until 4. The host school will often serve lunch or other concessions for sale. The purchase of these concessions can benefit the host school's debate team.

Once you have formed a league, be sure to register your new league with the MSPDP. This will allow you to have a home page on the MSPDP site as well as space in the MSPDP newsletter, Points of Information . For more information, or for help forming your own league, contact MSPDP Director Kate Shuster at kate.shuster@claremontmckenna.edu.