Welcome to
Ready Set Debate!

Ready Set Debate was founded in 2014 with the goal of making debate concepts simpler to understand and more efficient to teach. 

Since then, we have educated hundreds of students from all over the world through our in-person and virtual debate clubs, camps, and tournaments. In addition to personalized feedback from coaches and judges, our students receive access to our proprietary training videos, member handbook, and at-home exercises, helping them become proficient in the core skills of debate and demonstrate their skills through success at tournaments.

Our offerings are recommended for students aged 12-17; capable younger students may be admitted on a case-by-case basis. No prior debate experience is necessary, and our students range from beginners to experienced high school debaters. Older and more experienced students serve as peer mentors to younger and less experienced students.

This video features our students aged 11-14, who had started debating only three months earlier. (See more videos here.)

Ready Set Debate members debating the topic: “U.S. public schools should not reopen for in-person teaching until a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 is broadly available.”

Clubs

Our clubs simulate an academic debate team, with regular meetings at which club members debate assigned topics, receive feedback, and participate in speech exercises.

Learn more

Camps

During the summer, we host a series of five-day camps in which students get the chance to build their debate skills through a series of fun activities, including drills and practice debates.

Learn more

Tournaments

Throughout the year, we host a series of virtual debate tournaments, which are open to our club members and outside competitors who meet certain requirements.

Learn more

Why debate?

Debate is a fun, accessible, educational activity that makes a difference! Participating in debate teaches many relevant skills, such as persuasive writing, critical listening and thinking, reasoning logically, organizing thoughts, speaking clearly in prepared and extemporaneous contexts, taking notes efficiently, being creative and adapting, collaborating with others, evaluating and adapting to new information, and asking relevant questions. 

Hear what our students and families are saying!

“My Ready Set Debate club has changed the way I speak and how I think. With the information and experience that debate club has given, I have learned how to change the way people think so that lives can change for the better, and this will help me in the future with job opportunities and giving presentations."
Anuhya D.Age 13
“Debate really opened the world to my son this year. It challenged him to substantiate his claims, learn how to research a topic, see the advantages and disadvantages of both sides of an argument, and get up and debate.”
Ayala S.Parent
"Thank you so much for coaching my daughter for the past couple of years! She learned a lot from the club and took away so much from this experience.”
Usha Y.Parent
“I, too, was curious whether they enjoyed the Ready Set Debate meeting. The boys didn’t even let me finish asking the question before they answered me. They both really enjoyed themselves. I am just really glad you started Ready Set Debate. Resolved: Ready Set Debate is the best!”
Elaine S.Parent
“I love how Ready Set Debate is preparing me for the future, and I look forward to improving even more. I really appreciate the time and dedication of the coaches.”
Scarlet V.Age 15
“I feel like Ready Set Debate has really helped me think on my feet and it has helped me with research. It is also lots of fun!”
Rayaan S.Age 13
“Ready Set Debate has taught me a lot of skills, such as the ability to quickly think on the spot, a skill that will assist me in the future in not only school but also in the real world, through jobs.”
Dhruv P.Age 13
“I believe Ready Set Debate has given me multiple benefits, such as public speaking and quick thinking, all in an entertaining manner.”
Aditya P.Age 13
“I like my Ready Set Debate class and it was a good experience because it prepared me for writing speeches for middle school.”
Rahul S.Age 11
“My Ready Set Debate experience has significantly helped me in school and other work that requires lots of data and research. It also taught me how to exacerbate and impact my claims in an essay or a project that includes speaking.”
Rohan S.Age 13
“My Ready Set Debate class was very helpful to me to build up my speaking skills. This has made me much more confident in speaking, and has helped me do research more efficiently and effectively.”
Aahyan S.Age 13
“My mom signed me up for Ready Set Debate so I can clearly organize my thoughts and speak without filler words. Already my mother and I have seen a major change in my speech and also the way I talk to others.”
Elle M.Age 13
“My son thoroughly enjoyed his first debate session. He really liked his coach’s style of teaching. He was telling me, ‘I wish this class was every day!’”
Monika T.Parent
“My son had an absolute blast doing a Ready Set Debate tournament. He says he learned more doing the tournament than he could have possibly imagined and can’t wait to do the next one!”
Beth M.Parent
“Thank you for teaching me debate over the course of the past year or so. It was a wonderful experience and I am glad to now have better logical thinking, writing, and debating skills overall. I had a lot of fun in tournaments and I am glad to have won one for myself!”
Henry H.Age 13
“My daughter learned so much from her coach and peers in Ready Set Debate. Thank you for being such a great support for her.”
Sharon L.Parent
"Thanks so much for all you have poured into my daughter. She is interested in joining high school debate because of the seeds you planted.”
Jamal U.Parent
"My son has been immensely enjoying the debate classes and we already see a huge improvement in his communication. We are thankful for all your patience and support."
Srujana D.Parent
"Speech and debate has made me a better speaker, and I connect with people better because I'm able to communicate in a clearer way. I love speech and debate!"
Isaac K.Student
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Head Coach & CEO

Price T. Morgan is a fifteen-year veteran of speech and debate programs. As a member of the Southern Methodist University IPDA debate team, he won several debate championships, including a 2018-2019 national championship title. Price graduated Phi Beta Kappa with dual degrees in economics and public policy in 2019. He served as Assistant Coach of the SMU debate team in 2021-2022, before leaving to focus on Ready Set Debate full time. He has coached several intercollegiate champion debaters, including an international champion debater. He has also worked as a public health research assistant, film producer, graphic designer, and actor. 

Our mission statement

The purpose of Ready Set Debate is to help students become proficient in the techniques of academic debate, and to learn to communicate in a persuasive, respectful way. We place an emphasis on teamwork and courteous, professional, respectful conduct that will enhance social and professional success.

 

The value of learning debate

“These skills, loosely categorized as elements of emotional intelligence, include the capacity to persevere through setbacks (grit), the facility to bring existing knowledge to a novel situation (creativity), comfort in working with others and knowing when to lead and when to follow (collaboration), the capability to confront the seemingly infinite volumes of information on any topic and select the relevant data (research), and sensitivity to what a target audience is thinking so that such data can be presented persuasively (empathy). The debate curriculum teaches young people much of what they’ll need to know in these areas by active, engaging, and highly direct means.”

– Paul Deards for Education Week

General FAQs

Our clubs and tournaments primarily use our own format, which is closest to IPDA and Lincoln-Douglas. 

All kinds! In recent semesters, our students have debated everything from the moral permissibility of pineapple on pizza to the most efficient way to address the Medicaid “coverage gap.” Topics are often suggested by students, and are always vetted by coaches to ensure age-appropriateness. See our video gallery for more examples of topics. 

Camp participants and club members receive a copy of our proprietary Ready Set Debate Member Handbook, along with companion educational resources including in-meeting and at-home activities and worksheets.

Our coaches are drawn from a pool of experienced current and former college debaters and college coaches. Most of our activities are coached by Price Morgan, the Head Coach and CEO of Ready Set Debate.

In some cases, we are able to offer partial scholarships (based solely on need, not merit) to families who cannot afford to participate in Ready Set Debate activities without financial assistance. For more information, visit our financial aid page.

No. Our instruction is limited to the art of debate, and we welcome students from any religious or political background.

Ready Set Debate members learn and communicate in a persuasive and respectful way. For more information, please see our Student Expectations and Code of Conduct.

Please contact us to discuss whether Ready Set Debate would be a good fit for your under-12 student. Students who are able to grasp the material and keep pace with the other students can generally fit in well, even if they are under 12. 

Not at this time. Currently, students may participate in Ready Set Debate activities only until they turn 18.

Interested in getting involved?

Contact us at info@readysetdebate.com or call/text +1 (310) 662-3255.