My daughter has made tremendous improvement since she went to your camps. Both of you have played significant roles in her every step. Not only have you guided her with details in the camps, critiqued and prepared her for every tournament, but you have also been such wonderful role models. In my eyes, she is always a shy little girl. It's amazing that she could debate with peers, and even older students on stage and win! My daughter is very fortunate to have you as her mentors!
- Parent of VDA alumni
I was new to debate as a Freshman in High School, but after only one year of working with Virginia Debate Academy coaches, I am at the top of my varsity division, competing at the regional, super regional, and state level, and primed to become head debate captain of my debate team as a Junior.
- 2nd year Lincoln-Douglas Debater
We are a Northern Virginia High School team who has always worked super hard to advance to Metros, without much success. Last year we sent our debate team to Virginia Debate Academy for summer camp. The training was rigorous, thorough and very affordable. This debate season we saw the teams who had trained and competed this year have already qualified for the National Qualifying events. Thank you, Virginia Debate Academy!
- Head Coach, Freedom High School
VDA camps taught me strategic case-writing and rebuttal skills that helped me immensely on the regional and national circuit, and were crucial to my success in acquiring state and national accolades. As captain of my team for two years, I attempted to model my instruction based on my experience at VDA.
- Lincoln-Douglas State Finalist
VDA's faculty has a vast amount of experience debating and coaching, rivaling that of other national debate camps I attended in High School. My time spent with VDA and some of its instructors was key to my success at national invitational tournaments, and I am still drawing on my lessons learned from VDA at the collegiate level.
VDA private coaching and summer camps helped me elevate my debate skills to compete successfully in the Varsity division on my local circuit and train other students on my team.
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- Varsity Lincoln-Douglas Debater
- Policy Debater, Harvard University
VDA was a great camp where I was able to learn a lot of the fundamentals of debate, along with the nuances of argumentation and persuasion. With a mix of lessons on speech delivery and technical aspects of arguing in debate, I was able to find flaws in my current debating style and fix it. These well experienced and decorated coaches at VDA are super nice, yet still provide insight into debate without being too strict. Overall, VDA was a camp that I would recommend, not just for debate but for life skills in persuasion and public speaking
Over the last two years of attending VDA debate camps, my ability to debate has exponentially increased. The instructors at VDA provided clear, concise and precise training and incorporated both seriousness and fun into the instruction during the camps. Since VDA, I have gone on to place at WACFL’s and make finals at the WACFL Metrofinals tournament. VDA has truly changed the way I debate.