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How To Start An NSDA Chapter At Your School
Published by Keshav Arun on August 2nd, 2026
The First Steps
According to the National Speech and Debate Association, only 4,000 out of 25,000 high schools in the United States have speech and debate programs, yet many would definitely participate in at least one of the 23+ various events provided in NSDA sanctioned competitions.
However, many are willing to create their own speech and debate program at their school, and though it can be tricky, it is definitely worth it. The first step is to identify a speech or debate activity you are willing to compete in, and then find an adult in your school to serve as the school contact for your chapter. This can be a teacher, associate principal, counselor, etc. Once you have identified them, and have their support to help you through this process, you have completed the first step!
The Second Step
The next step is to send an email to your school contact using this format:
Hello [SCHOOL CONTACT],
Thank you for supporting me through this process, I really appreciate it!
To get started with registration, you will need to head to [https://speechanddebate.org/join/] and fill out the required information. Once you do that, you should login with your credentials at [https://www.speechanddebate.org/login]. You will be redirected to a site and there will be a button called, "Link to a School," once you click that you should click, "Advisor/Head Coach," and fill out the necessary information until our school appears and click, "Request Access,"
Thanks again, and if you need anything let me know!
The Third Step
The remaining things to do are much better guided through the NSDA themself, as their support can help out with crucial aspects of registration. Send an email to info@speechandebate.org and CC your school contact using this format:
Hello NSDA Team,
My name is [NAME] from [SCHOOL NAME] in [CITY, STATE]. Our school does not have an NSDA club, so I worked with [SCHOOL CONTACT], our [SCHOOL ROLE] to create an account for him as the school’s official person of contact. He did this to support my registration, because I wanted to join the NSDA community and pursue opportunities in Speech and Debate without an existing club.
What are the next steps for me to be able to compete?
Thank you for your guidance.
Advice for Beyond
There is still part of the process that needs to be completed before you can officially compete, including setting up and using the competition platform, Tabroom.com. Our recommendation is that every step of the way you seek assistance from the NSDA Support Team at info@speechanddebate.org by asking for help on the next step until you can compete. Throughout this process you will need to be tremendously persistent. We wish you the very best in your speech and debate journey, and we hope to see you succeed both in competition and beyond!