Coach Recognition
Donus D. Roberts Coaching Excellence Award
Coaches receive one point for every merit point earned by their students through competition, service, and leadership activities. Each point represents dedicated coaching and hours of practice, revision, and growth for students. Coaches earn Association membership and advanced standing at the same milestones as students, until they earn 10,000 points and the Donus D. Roberts Coaching Excellence Award.
Diamond Awards
Hall of Fame
The highest honor for any high school speech and debate coach is election to the National Speech & Debate Association Hall of Fame. Each year, nominations are sought from member coaches. In the month of April, current Hall of Fame members and coaches with at least three diamonds vote to determine which nominees will be elected members of this most distinguished body.
2024 Inductees
Nomination Process
Who Is Eligible?
Individuals with 25 years of NSDA coach membership, or who are retired from coaching and teaching, are eligible for this prestigious award.
How Do I Nominate Someone?
Keep in mind, your identity as nominator will remain confidential. Therefore, your coach biography (300 words or less) should be written in the third person and focus on the coaching history and qualifications of your candidate. Some topics to focus on could be awards, accolades, accomplishments, career highlights, character, and personal contributions. (Note: Only NSDA member coaches may submit a nomination form.)
Sample Biography
Competitively, Jane has qualified 11 students to the National Tournament. Her team has sent five students to the final rounds and has captured three national championships. During Jane’s coaching career, Blank High School has won the Largest Chapter Award and the District Sweepstakes Award several times.
Jane has had an outstanding career at the state level as well, directing her team to eight High School League State Championships in speech competition. In 2005, she won the Outstanding Speech, Debate, and Theater Award from ABCDE. In 2007, XYZ awarded her the Outstanding Individual in Speech and Theater. In 2009, the State High School League inducted Jane into their Hall of Fame.
Jane is generous with her time, evidenced by her extensive service to the Association and her state. For eight years, she has served as district chair. She is co-founder and co-director of her state’s debate camp. Jane has also hosted an invitational tournament for the past 10 years.
Her teams’ awards and achievements are only a snapshot of the important role that Jane plays in the lives of her students. Jane spends tireless hours not only to improve her students’ forensic skills, but also to be a mentor and role model teaching her students to be responsible citizens as well as worthy competitors. Jane exemplifies the true spirit of the Association’s mission to bring lifetime skills of language and communication to the youth of our country.
With three decades of exemplary coaching, teaching, and service to her students and colleagues, Jane Smith richly deserves induction in the National Speech & Debate Association Hall of Fame.
District Leader Commendations
Recipients are nominated annually by their peers for going above and beyond in the areas of leadership and service, which may include excellence in district communications or publicity, developing district programs and resources, and/or district membership and engagement support. Chairs may nominate up to two individuals for this commendation. The awards are presented at the National Tournament during the District Leadership Luncheon in June. In addition to District Committee members, other coaches, administrators, parents, or volunteers in the district may be considered for this award.
2024 District Leader Commendations
Laurents Bañuelos – Golden Desert (NV)
Brandon Batham – West Los Angeles (CA)
Danielle Johnson – Eastern Missouri
WK Kay – New York City
Jethro Smith – Idaho Mountain River
Marna Weston – Florida Panther
Don Crabtree Distinguished Service Awards
Coaches who perform service for the Association, such as hosting tournaments, writing or presenting about the Association, recruiting a new chapter school, or writing an article for Rostrum, earn service citations. Those who earn 20 citations are given a special gold key. Those who receive an additional 50 citations are presented with a bronze plaque. In 2018, the awards were named in honor of Don Crabtree, former NSDA Board of Directors president, nine-diamond coach, Hall of Fame member, and service citation record holder.
IN THEIR WORDS | “I think service is one of the single most important things we have to do—more than just coaching your own kids and worrying about your own team. When there are opportunities to present a workshop, or go to a conference, or help another coach who is starting a program, seize those chances. That service is how this organization grows stronger. And you gain so much from that as well.”
How to Earn Service Citations
Revised October 2021
| Service Performed | Citations Issued |
|---|---|
| Recruiting a new member school | 2 |
| Sponsoring a new chapter | 2 |
| Year as a District Chair * | 5 |
| Year as a member of a District Committee (Not Chair) * | 3 |
| Year as a member of the NSDA Board of Directors * | 3 |
| District Tournament Tab Staff (Non-District Committee Member) | 1 |
| Holding a tournament for four or more schools | 1 |
| Tabbing a tournament for four or more schools | 1 |
| Volunteering at the NSDA National Tournament | 1 |
| Serving in Tab at the NSDA National Tournament | 3 |
| Chairing an Event at the NSDA National Tournament | 3 |
| Serving on the National Tournament Host Committee | 5 |
| Curriculum/Educational Support for National Office | 1 |
| Pre-Approved Speech and Debate Advocacy Events | 1 |
| Worked as a Belonging and Inclusion Advocate | 1 |
NOTE: Items marked with an asterisk will be automatically entered by NSDA national office staff at the end of each school year.
Award Procedure
As of April 2018, the process for submitting Service Citations is entirely digital!
All citations must be submitted through a coach’s NSDA account.
To submit citations:
- Log in to your NSDA account on www.speechanddebate.org
- Click on the blue rectangle that reads View that is next to your recorded service citations.
- Select the appropriate category of service and provide a short description.
- Click that your submission follows the NSDA Honor Code and then click Add.
Each citation is reviewed by Competition and Events Coordinator, Kirsten Ellermann.
If you have any questions or concerns about this process, please contact her via email at kirsten.ellermann@speechanddebate.org.
Coach Emeritus
A Coach Emeritus is a former coach, advisor, or assistant who is no longer active in a speech and debate program who would like to continue their service and involvement in NSDA activities to serve the local and/or national community. A Coach Emeritus must have at least five years of coaching experience along with an active teaching certificate, fingerprint clearance card, or other background check verification.
Frank Sferra Director’s Commendation
The 2024 Frank Sferra Director’s Commendation recipient is Carrie Spina from Tuscarawas Valley High School in Ohio.
James M. Copeland High School Coach of the Year Award
The National Speech & Debate Association’s James M. Copeland High School Coach of the Year award annually honors high school coaches who reflect outstanding leadership and commitment to speech and debate activities. The 2024 James M. Copeland High School Coach of the Year is Kerry Konda from Aberdeen Central High School in South Dakota.
About the Award
The National Speech & Debate Association’s James M. Copeland High School Coach of the Year award annually honors high school coaches who reflect outstanding leadership and commitment to speech and debate activities.
Selection Process
Each District Committee may award a District Coach of the Year to a deserving member coach in their district, and from those district-level award winners, a National Coach of the Year is selected.
To be eligible for nomination, a high school coach must:
- Currently work as a high school speech/debate coach in a National Speech & Debate Association member school.
- Have completed five consecutive years of experience as a high school speech/debate coach at an NSDA member school (experience need not be in the same school).
- Plan to continue working as a high school speech/debate coach next year at an NSDA member school.
- Agree to be nominated.
Nominees must be coaches who:
- Are known for their adherence to the National Speech & Debate Association’s Code of Honor.
- Encourage speech and debate education through active support of curricular and/or co-curricular programming.
- Foster cooperation between the speech and debate program and the rest of the school, showcasing students and their achievements with administrators, school board members, and the community at-large.
- Lead a continuing dialogue with students, parents, faculty, and staff members to sustain and grow speech and debate participation.
- Encourage team spirit and play an active role in the speech and debate program.
- Demonstrate leadership and exemplify committed support to the speech and debate program’s livelihood.
- Advocate for speech and debate activities within the school and the community at-large.
As part of the district-level nomination process, nominators will be asked to provide a nomination letter and basic contact information using the online form. Coaches may be nominated by their students, their fellow coaches, team parents, and/or community members. Coaches may not nominate themselves. Submitted nominations will be provided to district chairs for review by their committees.
From the submitted coaches, each District Committee will select their District Coach of the Year. The district-level award winners will be reviewed by an esteemed panel.
Nominations open in the fall. District-level award winners must be submitted by April 16, 2022. The National Speech & Debate Association’s James M. Copeland High School Coach of the Year award recipient will be announced in May.
The High School Coach of the Year will be recognized in Rostrum and online. Nominees and finalists may be recognized in Rostrum or through other publications. All nominees and nominators must consent to the use of any nomination materials including photos in NSDA publications.
To learn more about our past winners, visit our Nationals History page.
New Coach of the Year Award
The National Speech & Debate Association’s New Coach of the Year award recognizes an exemplary high school coach who is in their first year of NSDA membership. The 2024 High School New Coach of the Year is Jerenisha Thomas from Sophie B. Wright Institute Of Academic Excellence in Louisiana.
About the Award
The National Speech & Debate Association’s New Coach of the Year award recognizes an exemplary high school coach who is in their first year of NSDA membership.
Selection Process
Each District Committee may award a District New Coach of the Year to a deserving member coach in their district, and from those district-level award winners, a National New Coach of the Year is selected.
To be eligible for nomination, a high school coach must:
- Currently work as a high school speech/debate coach in a National Speech & Debate Association member school.
- Be in their first year of coaching speech and debate.
- Plan to continue working as a high school speech/debate coach next year at an NSDA member school.
- Agree to be nominated.
Nominees must be coaches who:
- Are known for their adherence to the National Speech & Debate Association’s Code of Honor.
- Encourage speech and debate education through active support of curricular and/or co-curricular programming.
- Foster cooperation between the speech and debate program and the rest of the school, showcasing students and their achievements with administrators, school board members, and the community at-large.
- Lead a continuing dialogue with students, parents, faculty, and staff members to sustain and grow speech and debate participation.
- Encourage team spirit and play an active role in the speech and debate program.
- Demonstrate leadership and exemplify committed support to the speech and debate program’s livelihood.
- Advocate for speech and debate activities within the school and the community at-large.
As part of the district-level nomination process, nominators will be asked to provide a nomination letter and basic contact information using the online form. Coaches may be nominated by their students, their fellow coaches, team parents, and/or community members. Coaches may not nominate themselves. Submitted nominations will be provided to district chairs for review by their committees.
From the submitted coaches, each District Committee will select their District New Coach of the Year. The district-level award winners will be reviewed by an esteemed panel.
Nominations open in the fall. District-level award winners must be submitted by April 16, 2022. The National Speech & Debate Association’s New Coach of the Year award recipient will be announced in May.
The National New Coach of the Year will be recognized in Rostrum and online. Nominees and finalists may be recognized in Rostrum or through other publications. All nominees and nominators must consent to the use of any nomination materials including photos in NSDA publications.
To learn more about our past winners, visit our Nationals History page.
Assistant Coach of the Year Award
The National Speech & Debate Association’s Assistant Coach of the Year award recognizes an exemplary high school assistant coach serving at an NSDA member school. The 2024 High School Assistant Coach of the Year is Ashley Schulz from Cheyenne East High School in Wyoming.
About the Award
The National Speech & Debate Association’s Assistant Coach of the Year award recognizes an exemplary high school coach serving at an NSDA member school.
Selection Process
Each District Committee may award a District Assistant Coach of the Year to a deserving member coach in their district, and from those district-level award winners, a National Assistant Coach of the Year is selected.
To be eligible for nomination, a high school coach must:
- Currently work as an assistant high school speech/debate coach in a National Speech & Debate Association member school (each school may determine its own definition of assistant coach).
- Plan to continue working as a high school speech/debate coach (as either an assistant or an advisor) next year at an NSDA member school.
- Agree to be nominated.
Nominees must be coaches who:
- Are known for their adherence to the National Speech & Debate Association’s Code of Honor.
- Encourage speech and debate education through active support of curricular and/or co-curricular programming.
- Foster cooperation between the speech and debate program and the rest of the school, showcasing students and their achievements with administrators, school board members, and the community at-large.
- Lead a continuing dialogue with students, parents, faculty, and staff members to sustain and grow speech and debate participation.
- Encourage team spirit and play an active role in the speech and debate program.
- Demonstrate leadership and exemplify committed support to the speech and debate program’s livelihood.
- Advocate for speech and debate activities within the school and the community at-large.
As part of the district-level nomination process, nominators will be asked to provide a nomination letter and basic contact information using the online form. Coaches may be nominated by their students, their fellow coaches, team parents, and/or community members. Coaches may not nominate themselves. Submitted nominations will be provided to district chairs for review by their committees.
From the submitted coaches, each District Committee will select their District Assistant Coach of the Year. The district-level award winners will be reviewed by an esteemed panel.
Nominations open in the fall. District-level award winners must be submitted by April 16, 2022. The National Speech & Debate Association’s Assistant Coach of the Year award recipient will be announced in May.
The National Assistant Coach of the Year will be recognized in Rostrum and online. Nominees and finalists may be recognized in Rostrum or through other publications. All nominees and nominators must consent to the use of any nomination materials including photos in NSDA publications.
To learn more about our past winners, visit our Nationals History page.
Middle School Coach of the Year Award
The National Speech & Debate Association’s Middle School Coach of the Year award recognizes an outstanding middle school speech and debate coach serving at an NSDA member school. The 2024 Middle School Coach of the Year is Adriena Young Toghia from Parks Junior High School in California.
About the Award
The National Speech & Debate Association’s Middle School Coach of the Year award annually honors middle school coaches who reflect outstanding leadership and commitment to speech and debate activities.
Selection Process
A selection committee comprised of members of the National Speech & Debate Association Board of Directors and the Executive Director reviews nominations submitted by member schools.
To be eligible for nomination, a middle school coach must:
- Currently work as a middle school speech/debate coach in a National Speech & Debate Association member school.
- Have completed five consecutive years of experience as a middle school speech/debate coach at an NDSA member school (experience need not be in the same school).
- Plan to continue working as a middle school speech/debate coach next year at an NSDA member school.
- Agree to be nominated.
Nominees must be coaches who:
- Encourage speech and debate education through active support of curricular and/or co-curricular programming.
- Foster cooperation between the speech and debate program and the rest of the school, showcasing students and their achievements with administrators, school board members, and the community at-large.
- Lead a continuing dialogue with students, parents, faculty, and staff members to sustain and grow speech and debate participation.
- Encourage team spirit and play an active role in the speech and debate program.
- Demonstrate leadership and exemplify committed support to the speech and debate program’s livelihood.
- Advocate for speech and debate activities within the school and the community at-large.
As part of the nomination process, nominators will be asked to provide a nomination letter and basic contact information using the online form. Coaches may be nominated by their students, their fellow coaches, team parents, and/or community members. Coaches may not nominate themselves.
The district-level award winners will be reviewed by an esteemed panel.
Nominations open in the fall. District-level award winners must be submitted by May 1, 2022. The National Speech & Debate Association’s Middle School Coach of the Year award recipient will be announced in May.
The Middle School Coach of the Year will be recognized in Rostrum and online. Nominees and finalists may be recognized in Rostrum or through other publications. All nominees and nominators must consent to the use of any nomination materials including photos in NSDA publications.
To learn more about our past winners, visit our Nationals History page.
About the Award
The National Speech & Debate Association’s National Educator of the Year award annually honors an individual who has enhanced the quality of education in the field of speech and debate. This award is distinct from our Coach of the Year award as it is focused on the impact that is created in classrooms. For more information, visit our FAQs.