I have a child who will be entering BHS as a 9th grader this year. They are interested in checking out the Speech and Debate club. I am wondering if others have kids who are or have been in Speech and Debate at BHS and can share their experiences, thoughts, and advice. What is the size of the group? Strength of coaching? Camaraderie among the members? Time commitment? Do students have time for a sport (or other significant extracurricular) in addition to Speech and Debate or not? Through friends and neighbors, we have been able to learn about some of the other extracurriculars at BHS, but I haven't been able to find Speech and Debate families. Thanks in advance for the info!
My son took part in BHS Speech and Debate in the 10th-12th grade. He was never a superstar debater, but he really enjoyed the experience and the people he met. Coach Joel did a wonderful job leading/teaching the team and even offered reading groups over the winter and summer breaks -- I know they read John Rawls' A Theory of Justice for one of their books and that made a strong impression on my son. My son probably went to 4-5 tournaments/year and attended practice at least once a week. He also managed to play a sport in both the fall and spring in addition to debate, so that's definitely an option. Totally recommend debate as a great club to join.
My son is part of the BGS Speech and Debate club since he started at Berkeley High. He'll be a Senior in the Fall. He loves his team, and usually goes to practice on Wednesdays until 6pm or so. Most of the tournaments he's been part of have been online as he joined the team during the pandemic. He attended one in-person tournament that he absolutely loved.
My son loves to read and I know they read books together in the debate club. I think it's been a very positive experience for him. Coach Joel is outstanding, dedicated and thoughtful. He usually has two Cal undergraduate students who support him plus two team captains that are Berkeley High students. The Club requires parents support as is all volunteers led. I highly recommend the debate club.
This is a late reply but I also want to chime in with a strong recommendation for the BHS Speech and Debate club. The head coach, Joel, is excellent and extremely dedicated and committed to the team. He's also well known and respected in the state/national high school debate scene. The team usually has several assistant coaches who are local college students as well. Time commitment is pretty flexible -- weekly practices and tournaments, but it's really up to the student as to how much they want to participate. Some students are very serious while others are more casual. My child has been in the club for 3+ years now and loves it. It's a great group of kids, they are all very supportive of each other. And there are quite a few students on the team who are active in other activities besides speech and debate (robotics, sports, part-time job etc.). I think it's a great club where students can learn some really important skills (public speaking, analytical skills, how to persuade, etc.) and have fun doing it. If your child hasn't already checked it out, I'd encourage them to do so.