GOVERNANCE
DISTRICT LEADERSHIP: A Call to Serve (and Vote!)
T
his April, the National Speech & Debate Association will hold its biennial election for district leadership. The election process and resulting committees are crucial to the function and mission of the NSDA. The participation of our member coaches and teachers is extremely important—both in the desire to serve on the District Committee and also to voice your opinion and vote for those who are best qualified and motivated to lead. This year, we hope voters also consider how well your committee reflects the student population your district serves. Certainly, serving is not without its burdens or obstacles. One of my favorite books and, in my opinion, a must read for all coaches, is Good to Great by Jim Collins. One of the primary tenets of the book is that great companies (or teams) must confront the brutal facts of a situation, yet never lose faith. In my first few months as District Support Manager, I received a plethora of feedback as to what it is like to serve
as a district leader. The brutal reality: it can feel lonely being a chair. Much is expected of a District Committee. The NSDA could provide better support for this valuable role. There are many changes in the works to make sure we are setting all districts up for success.
(and experienced) leaders through the various tasks a District Committee is charged with and potential roles that various members can fill, drawn from the best practices of our existing chairs. Ongoing professional development and mentoring will be a priority.
Reasons to Serve and Vote
High Tides Raise All Ships
Our activity naturally lends itself to civic action and participation. Thus, understanding that voting matters might seem redundant. However, it is still an important reminder to be aware of the election process and make it a priority among your speech and debate tasks.
As a coach, I often was reluctant to serve on any committees. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to voice my opinion, but I felt that serving would take away any time I could be spending with my team. What I failed to realize is that helping the district as a whole would help my students. District growth, providing judge training, working on media releases, helping to run an effective district tournament—all of these benefit the teams in your district, and it is certainly worth the sacrifice to have a voice on these issues and take on a portion of the weight.
Upcoming Changes In Support We are working on how we can better train and support leaders. Current projects include a District Leadership landing page on the website similar to our existing New Coach Quick Start Guide. If you are elected to serve the upcoming two-year term, you will receive online training that will walk new
No One Is Alone Facilitating speech and debate at the district
level is not a one-person job—it shouldn’t be! With such talented and motivated educators in all of our districts, each coach can play a small role to help carry the burden. At the NSDA, we are committed to helping members and leaders have lasting careers as educators and coaches, and we (often) face the brutal realities of what it means to serve. We hope our dedication to better equipping district leaders to serve and recognizing their immense role in our collective success can motivate you to accept a leadership role in empowering students in your district. Erik Dominguez serves as District Support Manager for the NSDA.
Get Involved! All active coaches are eligible to serve on their District Committee. Starting in early April, one advisor per school may log in to www.speechanddebate.org/ account and select “NSDA Voting” from the left side menu. Complete results of the bienniel election will be announced in early May.
Questions or feedback about the district election process? Contact erik.dominguez@speechanddebate.org. 14
ROSTRUM | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019