Training Minds Ministry Events
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Success: 2010 | 2009 | 2008
How well did Training Minds alumni do at Nationals? |
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If our events aren't up to snuff, the results would tend to reflect that. Year after year, we have outstanding students take top awards. "Training the mind for action" is what we're about, and these students have definitely proven themselves. Check out the facts coming out of the 2009 NCFCA National Tournament:
And that's just debate! Our alumni are trained in several events, most notably our newest camp in Extemporaneous Speaking headed up by Keys to Extemp author Cody Herche. The 1st Place Extemp Champion of the Year goes to alumni Shane Baumgardner! Check out these fantastic results in detail:
We've expanded many of our programs and increased the number of our camps to make our training as available as possible. Apologetics and Extemp programs, free meals, expanded coaching, round robins, elective courses, and many more features are making our camps and conference the most attractive option for your student. Early-bird savings and even some of our registations end early this summer, so you'll want to make your plans for our events. Early training = success later. Register today! |
How Successful Are Our Alumni? This is the big question on your mind. Results show that Training Minds Ministry Events bring results. As the competitive season unfolds, results of how our alumni competitors do (both in competition and out) will be posted here...
The 1st NITC was a great success!
Posted 6/23/09
38 Team-Policy and 14 Lincoln-Douglas NITC Society Members
Training Minds Ministry students are taken good care of throughout the year. Those students who attended our camps in the past were invited to our first-ever Nationals Intensive Training Camp in Greenville, SC, the home of the 2009 NCFCA National Tournament (non-alumni were welcome, but with a $149 tuition). Several took us up on the invitation: 38 Team-Policy and 14 Lincoln-Douglas debaters. Coaches Trefethen, Matt, Maggie, Cody, Travis and Jeub spent the entire weekend with students who scrimmaged, learned and encouraged one another. Eight of the 10 NCFCA regions were represented, consisting of approximately 20% of the centenders at Nationals.
The million-dollar question: How successful were we? We set the ambitous goal of having 20% of our contestants in the quarter-final rounds. We figured if we were 20% of nats, we could realistically (with hard work) attain 25% of quarter-final slots. So, this goal was two in quarter-finals. We got THREE in each category of team-policy and Lincoln-Douglas. What an accomplishment, above and beyond!
Overall success was just as impressive. In team-policy, 1/3 of them broke to outrounds, and in Lincoln-Douglas, HALF made it to the first elimination round. The stars of the society were Nic & Esther Townes in Team-Policy and Jon Chi Lou in Lincoln-Douglas, both 3rd Place in the Nation. (See Nic/Esther's testimony below.) The extra amount of training really paid off.
We plan to have NITC in 2010, and we plan to invite this year's camp alumni with free tuition. So, those debaters who attend our early-season events (click here for information) will get special attention if they make it to Nationals.
This note was sent to the NITC Society of debaters from the Townes/Townes team, that last standing NITC team at the 2009 NCFCA National Tournament:
It has been fun and VERY productive working with ALL of the NITC debaters this year. Esther and I have been working hard, but we know that without the help of the Blue Book coaches and the NITC debaters who put in countless hours, blood, sweat, and tears helping us out, that we would not be where we are today. I have been to nationals three straight years in a row, but the level of chemistry and support I have received both in pre-nationals prep as well as the inter-tournament spirit of encouragement, prayers, and conversations were UNMATCHED this year with NITC! I can honestly say, at least on Esther's and my behalf, that any and all success we experience is a direct result of the investments Training Minds and NITC have made in us. Thank you ALL again and happy hunting for those still in the race.
Humbly,
Nicolas Townes & Esther Townes
Nationals Semi-Finalists, 3rd Place Team-Policy Debaters in the Nation
Regions 4 & 7: The Last Regional Tournaments of the Year!
Posted 5/3/09
There are only six weeks to Nationals, and the final qualifying tournaments have finished. Training Minds Ministry had a significant presence in the final rounds at Regions 4 and 7, both of which concluded on Saturday...
- Semi-finalist Team-Debate Ty Harding & Brent Pinero attended our complete program last summer in Colorado. Both debaters took Speaker Awards, and Ty took 5th Place in Extemp.
- Quarter-finalist Team-Debate Hannah Beckerdite & Renee Davis secured a Nationals slot at 7th Place. Renee has been a lead editor for Blue Book Report, an online community of team-policy debaters.
- Quarter-finalist in Lincoln-Douglas include alumni Holden Fox, who also took 9th Place Speaker Award out of 43 LD teams.
- In Region 7 has one of the largest contigencies of Lincoln-Douglas debaters (44 competing teams at this tournament), and we've never had a camp in this region. Nevertheless, the 1st Place Debater went to alumni Nathaniel Jennings (who was also Iron Man in his region with six speeches, half of which qualified to Nats). Congratulations Nathaniel!
Now that all the Regional tournaments are over, we turn our focus to two things...
- Didn't make it to Nationals? Have a good cry, then get smart: register for our camps/conference right away! Early training = success later. Our events fill up and early-bird registrations apply. Click here and choose your program.
- Made it to Nationals? Celebrate a little, then get back to work. Our Nationals Intensive Training Camp registration closes May 10 (only a week away!). NITC represents a broad contingency of qualifiers from around the country, and the best coaches in the nation will give you one last boost before the big week. Click here to get registered for NITC.
Region 1: We Have the Future to Look Forward To!
Posted 5/3/09
Someone emailed the Training Minds office asking about Region 1 (Hawaii). We didn't have any alumni compete in Region 1, so it is tough to highlight any success. We've spoken in the past with folks from Hawaii and would LOVE to do a camp out there (wink, wink), but the opportunity has yet to come to fruition.
Seriously, from now until the end of the year we talk on where our 2010-2011 camps will take place. Camps for 2009-2010 are already in place (registration is open), but by January 2010 we will have everything set for where we will be the following year. If Hawaii is willing, we can pull plans together. We would love to see speakers and debaters rise up in Region 1 and show the inland how it's done. Let's talk at Nationals!
Region 6: Blue Book Report Editors Do Well
Posted 5/3/09
Students in 2008 were asked to get involved in a new product from our sister organization, Monument Publishing, called Blue Book Report. Volunteer student editors are tasked with keeping up with the news on the Team-Policy topic, constantly posting news articles for students across the country to keep up on the news, this year concerning India. Naturally, these editors make great debaters as they are constantly on the up-and-up.
In Region 6, two editors did very well in their Invitational. Freshman camper Henry Hoffmann was semi-finalist in Apologetics and Impromptu, plus 12th Place Speaker in Team-Debate. Whitney Snowden, also a Blue Book Report editor, broke to the first outround. These are significant feats for a region of 44 debate teams. Congratulations!
Visit Blue Book Report and see for yourself the awesome opportunity it is for debaters. If you are interested in being involved as a debater/journalist, come to our Camps or Conference. We will train you in there for the 2009-2010 season!
Region 8: Impressive Southeast Results
Posted 5/1/09
Like New England, Florida will be hosting its first Training Minds Ministry Debate Camp this year (see details here). Also like New England, debaters who flew out to our camps in other states took several top awards at the Region 8 Invitation this week...
- 1st and 2nd Place LD Speaker Awards go to two Floridans who flew all the way to California last summer to attend our Lincoln-Douglas program: Christian Fernandez (1st) and Nick Acquart (2nd). Nick secured a slot to Nationals and took 1st Place Sweeps!
- 2nd Place LD Slot went to TP Alumni Ethan Green, alumni of our 2006 South Carolina Camp.
- Top TD Speaker Awards include Victoria Rentchler (2nd), Leanne Livingston (4th), Katherine McNair (tied 5th), Grace Taylor (tied 5th), Ryan Baisden (11th), Charli Mills (13th), and John David Woolington (15th).
- TD National Qualifying Slot goes to alumni Cameron & Victoria Rentchler (go sibling teams!), Leanne Livingston, Charli Mills, and Ryan Baisden.
- Two of the four National Slots in Extemp go to alumni Victoria Rentchler and Andrew Baisden.
Impressive! If you are from Region 8, be sure to consider attending our Team-Policy and Lincoln-Douglas Debate Camp in beautiful Florida in October. Register today!
Region 5: Alumni Team Takes Top TP Award
Posted 5/1/09
Congratulations goes to a brother/sister team from the Great North of Minnesota: Josh and Sarah Mathews, 1st Place Team-Policy Champions. The Mathews family have been attending TMM camps for the past three years, traveling across the country to receive training. It paid off big dividends, as Josh also managed to secure 2nd Sweeps, 1st Persuasive and 1st Original Oratory. See you at Nationals, Mathews!
Region 10: Making Way in New England
Posted 4/23/09
The ministry has not had a camp presence in New England. This summer will be the first time Training Minds Ministry coaches will be coming into Region 10 to help coach students to success.
This barrier didn't stop two Region 10 competitors from flying out to Colorado and getting the training needed to excel. Congratulations to Region 10's 1st Place Team-Policy Speaker, alumni Laurel Hopkins, and 1st Place Lincoln-Douglas Speaker Haley Hutchins! Haley, likewise, secured a slot to Nationals as semi-finalist at the Region 10 Invitational.
I hope this helps show you that Training Minds Ministry training works. You can see more about August's New England Camp here. Be sure to register soon!
Region 9 Show Strong Results
Posted 4/20/09
Virginia hosted a Team-Policy debate camp last summer, and debaters from the camp did well at the Region 9 Invitational last weekend. Three of the eight quarter finalist teams were our alumni: Kintzing/Nichols (3rd), Leetun/Wingard (4th) and Clark/Hughey (8th).
Training Minds Ministry didn't host a Lincoln-Douglas debate camp in Virginia in 2008, and this led Matthew Silver to fly out to Colorado for our LD camp. Matthew took 1st Place at the Invitational! He also took 2nd in LD Speaks, 4th Sweepstakes, 1st Impromptu, 1st Humorous, and 1st Duo. Congratulations Matthew!
A facility wasn't able to host us in Virginia this coming fall for Camp. Several Region 9 debaters are opting for either of our East Coast events: New England Camp in August or Florida Camp in October. Get a head start for 2009-2010 and get registered. See here for camp information.
Region 3 Sweeping Success
Posted 4/19/09
We're not making this stuff up, folks. The picture above shows all 16 debaters who broke to outrounds at the Region 3 Invitational in Lincoln-Douglas debate. All but one are camp alumni. Other highlights of the tournament include...
- 1st Place Lincoln-Douglas award goes to Jason Kosloski. Other alumni LDers who qualified to nationals include Tait Deems, Kelsey Mort, Cynthia Jeub, John Elliot Chaffee, and David Diaso.
- Both Team-Policy Finalist teams consist of alumni (only one of the four was not): Sam Paul, Josh Craddock and Zach Carabelos.
- 5/8 of the Team-Policy quarterfinalists were alumni.
- 1/2 of Extemp finalists were alumni of our first extemp program last summer, with Shane Baumgardner taking 1st Place.
- Impromptu was fantastic: every single qualifier to Nationals (8 total) were our alumni. Alumni Kaitlin Nelson took this 1st Place award.
Keep in mind that our Colorado program (Colorado is in Region 3) is our most comprehensive program with over two weeks of teaching material. Our coaches are flying in from all over the country. The Colorado Conference attracts a diverse representation of students, especially because of the incredible deal in price. Space is limited, so register soon!
Region 2: Top Contenders Are Alumni!
Posted 4/18/09
Region 2 hosted their Regional Invitational in Modesto last weekend and reported outstanding results. Congratulations to...
- 1st Place Lincoln-Douglas: Kate Nagatani
- 4th Place Lincoln-Douglas: Matthew Boles
- 1st and 3rd Lincoln-Douglas Speaks: Kate Nagatani and Holly Trujillo
- 1st Sweepstakes: Nicolas Townes
- 3rd Sweepstakes: Andrew Schalin
- 5th Place Team-Policy: Mae Bartholow & Trevor Ward
- 7th Place Team-Policy: Aaron Krive & Andrew Schalin
- 1st Place Team-Policy Speaker Award: Trevor Ward
- Other Team-Policy Speaks: Mae Bartholow, Aaron Krive, William Manson, Esther Townes, and Nicolas Townes.
Impressed? Be sure to register for Debate Camp here. Space is limited.
Heading into the Nation's Qualifiers: How're We Doing?
Posted 4/17/09
The rest of the month of April are big weeks in the NCFCA. Most of the 10 regions will be hosting their Regional Invitational Tournaments where the remaining qualifying slots will be awarded to worthy competitors. The handful of existing qualified students (many listed in previous posts) are competing in their home regions, but their qualifying slots will defer down the list of finalists. Here's how TMM alumni have faired thus far:
- Lincoln-Douglas: Six National Qualifiers so far, four of whom are TMM alumni: Jon Chi Lou, Landon Webber, Marie Jeffries, and Holly Trujillo.
- Team-Debate: A dozen National Qualifiers with the following TMM alumni: Zachary Carabelos, Josh Craddock, Nicolas & Esther Townes, and Ann Marie Craig.
- Extemp: Of the six National Qualifiers, half are alumni of our TMM camps: Kaitlin Nelson, Susanna Griffith and Trevor Ward.
We're very pleased with these results so far, and we're looking forward with anticipation at how well everyone does in the next few weeks. Be sure to register for our events soon. The year ends for most debaters and speakers at their invitational tournaments, so get a head start for next year. Besides, space is limited and early-bird registrations apply.
First Place in BOTH Tracks Trained Last Summer
Posted 4/10/09
Event training starts at our summer and fall events, and attending in 2008 from Region 4 was Ty Harding (pictured here at our Extemp Camp last August). Ty has done particularly well in both Team-Debate and Extemporaneous Speaking, the two tracks he attended. The biggest news thus far was taking first place in both tracks of Team-Debate and Extemp in Region 4's last qualifier. Ty writes:
"Camp was helpful because it taught me how to structure DA's and I learned how to defeat a counterplan. That really came in handy this year at the Open. [Ty took 6th place at the Houston Open Tournament.] I also use Blue Book Report faithfully to keep me up-to-date in Indian affairs. Thanks for your ministry and commitment to all of us Speech and Debate competitors!"
Marathon Man
Posted 4/6/09
The Sonoma County Speech Classic is California's National Qualifier for all NCFCA speech events. One of our alumni, Trevor Ward, broke to outrounds in all five of his competing catagories: Apologetics, Extemp, Impromptu, Original Oratory and Duo (with Holly Trujillo, another alumni). He took 1st place in 4 of the 5. Congratulations Trevor!
Trevor is pictured here with Coach Rob Parks, one of the head coaches of our Team-Policy program. Trevor gave Coach Parks a run for his money, helping make an outstanding debate round that turned over a DVD product (click here for info). Trevor and his camp partner, William Manson, lost on a 2-1 decision. Good news was that Coach Jeub voted for the student team!
Other alumni sweepstakes holders include Nicolas Townes (3rd), Aaron Krive (5th), Andrew Schalin (6th), Holly Trujillo (9th), Ashlyn Olson (10th), and Alexandria Nogy (13th). Alumni who took Nationals Qualifying Slots include John Beach and Talia Vlaovich (Duo), Miriam Townes (Original Oratory), and Jon Chi Lou (Persuasive).
Rocky Mountain Classic
Posted 3/29/09
We couldn't be prouder! ALL of the top-10 finalists in L-D and 14/16 T-P quarterfinalists were all camp alumni. Both 1st place teams were camp alumni: Khazoyin/Watson for Team-Policy and Nathan Favero for Lincoln-Douglas. Other successful events included Apologetics (7/8 finalists were alumni), Persuasive (5/8 finalists), and Extemp (7/8 finalists).
Coach Jeub spoke at the awards ceremony on how important it is for novices to not get discouraged. We post tournament results to show how hard work and determination bring results. Here is a testimony from Cheryl Jones, mother of a 2-year camp alumni, reflecting just that:
Catherine, who went to Training Minds two years ago for policy and last year for LD, broke into octas and took 2nd place speaker at RMC. She has qualified at every Regional qualifier she has gone to this year--and that was quite a few! Switching over this year to LD, with this particular resolution, was quite a challenge. She does not think she could have done well without her training at your camp in Colorado. Thanks for all you do!
Are Camps Only for Champs?
Posted 3/25/09
We're often asked whether novice students could be candidates of our programs. Scrolling through our "success" page here--seeing the list of champion alumni--can be intimidating. "I don't have the foggiest idea how to debate," you may think. "I wouldn't fit in with this crowd."
Three years ago a young lady from Texas attended Debate Camp in California. Her father reminded me how intimidated she was, having no idea how to debate or even what to say. He recalled, "Coach Vance pretty much had her repeating after him [to get her through her first debate round]."
This same young lady took 1st Place Team-Policy at the Alabama National Open, one of the toughest competitions of the year. Congratulations Ann Marie Craig! The Training Minds Coaches look forward to seeing you again at Nationals.
If you are feeling intimidated about debate, or if you're thinking you don't have what it takes, brush that feeling aside and register for our events. Ann Marie's story is one of many of our alumni who overcome their fears, seek training, work hard, and end up champions.
Beyond Competition, on Capitol Hill
Posted 3/24/09
Training goes beyond competition, as camp alumni Danny Morales showed earlier this month. He attended a Palmetto Family Council event and had this to say about it:
On March 11, I traveled to Washington DC with a group of middle and high school students to represent South Carolina for Abstinence Day on the Hill....We met with the staff of three South Carolina representatives, including Democrat Jim Clyburn, who is the Majority Whip in Congress, to voice how important Community Based Abstinence Education is to us.
The critical thinking and debate skills I learned at Blue Book Camp were a key part in helping facilitate a healthy discussion, even with those who opposed our point of view. Training Minds, you are already making an important impact! Thank you for all that you do!
You're very welcome, Danny, and you are an example of a trained mind in action. We're proud of you!
Alumni Take Both 1st Place Trophies at NCFCA's 2nd National Open
Posted 3/21/09
Camp alumni took both 1st place trophies at the Trussville, AL, National Open Tournament, NCFCA's 2nd and last open tournament offered this season. Marie Jeffries of Colorado took the Lincoln-Douglas top award, securing her qualifying spot. She competed against TP alumni Landon Webber in the final round (Landon also secured a Nationals Slot, and Marie took 1st in OO as well). Ann Marie Craig was one of the two on the 1st place winning team in Team-Policy. We are bubbling proud of how well our alumni have been doing at these most important qualifiers!
San Diego Classic
Posted 3/17/09
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Alyssa Mundy, pictured here at Calif. Camp., took 1st place in Impromptu at the San Diego Classic. |
California is one of the two regions in the NCFCA with one sole state (Hawaii the other) whose numbers allow several of their tournaments qualify students straight to Nationals. Camp alumni did very well at this huge tournament last weekend. The sole LD qualifier, Jon Chi Lou, attended our California Camp last summer, and the top two LD speakers (Kate Nagatani and Holly Trujillo) are both Red Book Camp alumni. Three of the top four Sweepstakes winners were camp alumni. Of all the Apologetics, Impromptu and Extemporaneous speaking finalists, nearly half were alumni. Qualifiers to Nationals in other individual events include Alexandria Nogy in OI, Trevor Ward in OO, Trujillo/Ward in DUO, and Alyssa Mundy in Impromptu. Congratulations campers!
Impromptu has been impressive in Region 2. Camp alumni have gone 2/2 for each national qualifier in Impromptu, awarding the only two qualifying slots to-date to Alyssa Mundy and Nicolas Townes.
Centennial: Colorado's First Qualifier
Posted 3/8/09
Colorado has hosted a debate camp for the past four years and is home to our new Training Minds Conference. Results show overwhelmingly that those who start their year with Training Minds camps end up succeeding at tournament time. All but one team in both Lincoln-Douglas and Team-Policy debate semi-finals (7/8) were camp alumni. Title winners in both were previous campers (Marie Jeffries in LD and Griffith/Byrnes in TP).
Extemp Camp debuted last summer. The nation's only Extemp Camp brought in about 30 competitors for a day of training. The results have been astounding. One half of the finalists at this tournament were alumni. First place was taken by alumni Kaitlin Nelson (pictured here giving her final speech).
With the expanded program this summer (three days versus one), serious extempers will want to register.
NCFCA's 1st National Open Tournament: Houston, TX
Posted 2/28/09
Congratulations to everyone who put up a strong tournament in Houston over the weekend, NCFCA's largest open tournament to date. We're very proud of the debaters and speakers. Third-year campers of our program Josh Craddock and Zachary Carabelos secured qualification to Nationals taking 2nd place in the tournament. Tait Deems took 3rd place in LD, missing a qualifying slot by a hair. In Lincoln-Douglas, 1/2 of the quarter-finalists were camp alumni. Camp alumni swept extemp, too, taking the top three slots: Suzanna Griffith, Kaitlin Nelson (4th Sweeps) and Joshua Craddock. Congratulations competitors!
Virginia's First Qualifier
Posted 2/10/09
Finalist team in one of the league's more competitive regions were camp alumni Josh Clark and Andrew Hughey. Though relieved in a 4-3 judges decision, the Clark/Hughey team was one of many at the tournament to come out strong. Four of the 16 teams in speaker points were alumni as well as the top 16 TP teams. Congratulations!
Blue Book Report Editors doing well
Posted 1/21/09
Camp alumni are involved in one of Monument Publishing's new online resources, Blue Book Report, where news items and discussions are posted all having to do with the year's policy topic, India. Region 6 has reported some of the editors did quite well in the first qualifier. Details:
- Henry and Eddie Hoffmann - 4th Place
- Henry Hoffmann - 1st place speaker
- Whitney Snowden and partner (who didn't go to camp) - 7th place team
- Kevin and Montana Krueger - 11th place
Good job, editors. It is likely that keeping up-to-date with the topic helped. Great debating!
California Qualifier, Irvine, CA
Posted 1/19/09
The NCFCA's largest tournament to date, 116 teams in the league's largest region competed for two national qualifying slots at the Concordia Challenge. Several of the top teams were camp alumni. The news that has rolled in:
- Esther Townes/Nicolas Townes: one of two qualifiers to Nationals on a 4-1 decision.
- Holly Trujillo: 1st Place Lincoln-Douglas qualifier to nationals.
- LD Speaker Awards: Matthew Boles (1st), Ashlyn Olson (5th), Holly Trujillo (6th), Kate Nagatani (7th), Jon Chi Lou (9th), Alexndria Nogy (11th).
- TP Speaker Awards: Nicolas Townes (8th), William Manson (15th), Trevor Ward (29th), Mae Barthelow (30th) out of 232 policy debaters.
- Sweepstakes: 1st Place to Trevor Ward, a final showdown contestant at our California Camp. Other Sweeps from Alumni: Nicolas Townes (4th), Andrew Schalin (5th), Aaron Krive (6th), Ashlyn Olsen (9th), Alexandria Nogy (10th), and John Beach (15th).
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Josh Clark received scholarships in his Liberty University participation. He is pictured here being coached by Chris Jeub in Virginia last summer. |
Liberty University Scholarship Title
Posted 1/18/09
Andrew Hughey and Josh Clark, both alumni from Training Minds Ministry Virginia Camp in 2008, won the annual Liberty University practice tournament hosted by the Liberty University debate team on 9-10 January; and Andrew also won 1st place speaker. Liberty University debaters serve as judges and scholarships are awarded to the top teams.
Camp Alumni and TMM Coaches in Collegiate Debate
Posted 1/18/09
Several of Training Minds Ministry coaches are taking the collegiate world by storm with fantastic results. For the third year in the row, Patrick Henry College--home to several of our alumni--took first place at the American Collegiate Moot Court Association (ACMA) National Championship. Brianna Edelblut (coach for Colorado and New England events) was runner-up at the 2009 Moot Court National Championship in California, and Fifth Place went to Rachel Blum (author of FlowPro) and Noah Oberlander (2006 camper). Fantastic job to these young-adult debaters!
Region 3 First Qualifier, Salt Lake City
Posted 1/15/09
Region 3's most widely represented qualifier welcomed six states in Salt Lake City. Of all the semi-finalists in both Lincoln-Douglas and Team-Policy, all teams were camp alumni. The final round in both TP and LD were Camp Alumni (TP pictured here). First and Second Place TP speakers were both Colorado Camp Alumni (Josh Craddock and Zachary Carbelos), and both featured in the final-showdown round at Camp. Of the eight sweepstakes winners, six (75%) were Camp Alumni.
On the speech side of things, nearly all the events' 1st Place awards went to alumni: Apologetics, Dramatic Interp, Duo Interp, Expository, Extemporaneous, Impromptu, and Persuasive. Congratulations competitors!
Click here to view results from 2008.