Westlake Speech & Debate 2019-2020 Schedule
This schedule is subject to change based on the level of student interest and the availability of sponsors to attend tournaments.
Mr. Uhler and Ms. Golson determine which students will be allowed to participate at each tournament. Participation is also subject to parent approval, and is limited to students in good standing both academically and in terms of citizenship. Remember, each student must attend three tournaments in the Fall semester and two tournaments in the Spring semester.
Fall 2019
August 30-August 31 – Hendrickson HS/Pflugerville Swing (Pflugerville) (TFA State Tournament Qualifier) Local Tournament – All students are encouraged to attend.
September 6-7 – Grapevine HS (Dallas/FW) (TFA State Tournament Qualifier/TOC Bid Tournament) – Participation at this tournament is granted through invitation only. Entries are limited. There will be travel fees associated with attendance at this tournament.
September 20-21 – Lake Travis HS (TFA State Tournament Qualifier) Local Tournament – All students are encouraged to attend.
September 27-28 – Anderson HS (NW Austin) (TFA State Tournament Qualifier) Local Tournament - All students are encouraged to attend.
October 12 – Hays HS (Buda) (TFA State Tournament Qualifier) Local Tournament - All students are encouraged to attend.
October 17-20 – St. Mark’s School of Texas (Dallas) (TFA State Tournament Qualifier/TOC Bid Tournament) – Participation at this tournament is granted through invitation only. Entries are limited. There will be travel fees associated with attendance at this tournament.
October 19 – Vista Ridge HS (Leander) (TFA State Tournament Qualifier) Local Tournament - All students encouraged to attend.
October 25-26 – Austin HS (Central Austin) (TFA State Tournament Qualifier) Local Tournament – This will be a "split-squad" tournament. Some students will go to Austin High, some to Plano West.
October 25-26 – Plano West Senior HS (Dallas) (TFA State Tournament Qualifier/TOC Bid Tournament) – Participation at this tournament is granted through invitation only. Entries are limited. There will be travel fees associated with attendance at this tournament.
October 31-November 3 – The Florida Blue Key Tournament (Gainesville, FL) (TOC Bid Tournament) National Tournament - Participation at this tournament is granted through invitation only. Entries are limited. There will be travel fees associated with attendance at this tournament.
November 8-9 – Bowie HS/St. Michael's Academy Swing (South Austin) (TFA State Tournament Qualifier) Local Tournament - All students are encouraged to attend.
November 21-26 – The Glenbrooks (Chicago, IL) (TOC Bid Tournament) National Tournament – Participation at this tournament is granted through invitation only. Entries are limited. There will be travel fees associated with attendance at this tournament.
December 6-7 – University of Texas at Austin (Austin) (TFA State Tournament Qualifier and TOC bid in Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Cross-Examination Debate, Public Forum Debate, Congressional Debate, Oral Interp., and Extemporaneous Speaking.) Entries per event are limited.) State Tournament – Students attending this tournament will be invited by Mr. Uhler. Entries are limited.
Westlake Speech & Debate 2019-2020 Schedule
Spring 2020
January 3-4 – Stony Point/Round Rock Swing (Round Rock) (TFA State Tournament Qualifier) Local Tournament – All students are encouraged to attend.
January 10-11 – Churchill HS (San Antonio) (TFA State Tournament Qualifier/TOC bid tournament) – Participation at this tournament is granted through invitation only. Entries are limited. There will be travel fees associated with attendance at this tournament.
January 16-19 – James Logan MLK Jr. Invitational (TOC Bid Tournament) National Tournament – Participation at this tournament is granted through invitation only. Entries are limited. There will be travel fees associated with attendance at this tournament.
January 17-18 – McNeil HS (North Austin) (TFA State Tournament Qualifier) Local Tournament – All students are encouraged to attend.
January 24 – UIL CX District Meet (Mr. Uhler will choose which students may participate.) UIL CX offers the district and state meets.
January 31-February 1 – Westlake HS/Chaparral Star Swing (TFA State Tournament Qualifier) – We host this tournament at Westlake HS! All students are required to attend. Our students run the Westlake side of the swing and the Chaparral Star side. This tournament DOES NOT count as one of the required three tournaments in the Spring semester.
February 8 – Claudia Taylor (TFA State Tournament Qualifier) – Participation at this tournament is granted through invitation only. Entries are limited. There will be travel fees associated with attendance at this tournament.
End of TFA Qualifying Season
February 7-8 – Capital City Classic Round Robin (Westlake HS will be the official host for this tournament. We host the tournament at Westlake United Methodist Church). This tournament is attended by the best extemporaneous speakers and Public Forum Debaters in Texas. Helping out at this tournament will count as an attended tournament for the Spring semester.
February 14-18 – Harvard Invitational (Cambridge, MA) or Cal Invitational (Berkeley, CA) (TOC Bid Tournament) National Tournament – Participation at this tournament is granted through invitation only. Entries are limited. There will be travel fees associated with attendance at this tournament.
March 4-8 – TFA State Tournament (El Paso - Franklin HS) (All qualified students must plan to attend. To qualify, students must accumulate at least 12 TFA State Points in at least one TFA event. Travel expenses covered by Eanes ISD.)
March 31st – UIL District Speech and LD Debate Tournament (Johnson HS in Buda) (Mr. Uhler and Ms. Connell will choose which students may participate. Only events available for participation: Prose Interp., Poetry Interp., LD Debate, CX Debate, Persuasive Speaking, and Informative Speaking. Only three entries per category.)
April 10-11 – NSDA District Tournament (Hendrickson HS in Pflugerville) (Mr. Uhler will choose which students may participate. This tournament is the qualifying tournament for the NSDA National Tournament in Albuquerque, NM. Individual entries are limited.)
April 17-18 – UIL Regional Tournament, UTSA University (San Antonio) (For students who qualified at the UIL District tournament.)
April 17-21 – Tournament of Champions (Debate) in Lexington, KY (Students earn TOC bids throughout the year based on results at National Tournaments. Students need two TOC bids to earn an outright qualification for the tournament. Students with one qualification can apply for an at-large bid.)
May 8-10 - Tournament of Champions (Individual Events) in Houston, TX at J. Frank Dobie High School (Students earn TOC bids throughout the year based on results at National Tournaments. Students need two TOC bids to earn an outright qualification for the tournament. Students with one qualification can apply for an at-large bid.)
May 27-28 – UIL State Tournament, UT Austin (For students who qualified at the UIL Regional tournament.)
June 14-20 – NSDA National Tournament (Albuquerque, NM) (For students who qualified at the NSDA District tournament. Travel expenses covered by participating students.) As this is a tournament in which students and sponsor(s) will be traveling, please consider transportation days in addition to tournament dates.
This schedule is subject to change based on the level of student interest and the availability of sponsors to attend tournaments.
Mr. Uhler and Ms. Golson determine which students will be allowed to participate at each tournament. Participation is also subject to parent approval, and is limited to students in good standing both academically and in terms of citizenship. Remember, each student must attend three tournaments in the Fall semester and two tournaments in the Spring semester.
Fall 2019
August 30-August 31 – Hendrickson HS/Pflugerville Swing (Pflugerville) (TFA State Tournament Qualifier) Local Tournament – All students are encouraged to attend.
September 6-7 – Grapevine HS (Dallas/FW) (TFA State Tournament Qualifier/TOC Bid Tournament) – Participation at this tournament is granted through invitation only. Entries are limited. There will be travel fees associated with attendance at this tournament.
September 20-21 – Lake Travis HS (TFA State Tournament Qualifier) Local Tournament – All students are encouraged to attend.
September 27-28 – Anderson HS (NW Austin) (TFA State Tournament Qualifier) Local Tournament - All students are encouraged to attend.
October 12 – Hays HS (Buda) (TFA State Tournament Qualifier) Local Tournament - All students are encouraged to attend.
October 17-20 – St. Mark’s School of Texas (Dallas) (TFA State Tournament Qualifier/TOC Bid Tournament) – Participation at this tournament is granted through invitation only. Entries are limited. There will be travel fees associated with attendance at this tournament.
October 19 – Vista Ridge HS (Leander) (TFA State Tournament Qualifier) Local Tournament - All students encouraged to attend.
October 25-26 – Austin HS (Central Austin) (TFA State Tournament Qualifier) Local Tournament – This will be a "split-squad" tournament. Some students will go to Austin High, some to Plano West.
October 25-26 – Plano West Senior HS (Dallas) (TFA State Tournament Qualifier/TOC Bid Tournament) – Participation at this tournament is granted through invitation only. Entries are limited. There will be travel fees associated with attendance at this tournament.
October 31-November 3 – The Florida Blue Key Tournament (Gainesville, FL) (TOC Bid Tournament) National Tournament - Participation at this tournament is granted through invitation only. Entries are limited. There will be travel fees associated with attendance at this tournament.
November 8-9 – Bowie HS/St. Michael's Academy Swing (South Austin) (TFA State Tournament Qualifier) Local Tournament - All students are encouraged to attend.
November 21-26 – The Glenbrooks (Chicago, IL) (TOC Bid Tournament) National Tournament – Participation at this tournament is granted through invitation only. Entries are limited. There will be travel fees associated with attendance at this tournament.
December 6-7 – University of Texas at Austin (Austin) (TFA State Tournament Qualifier and TOC bid in Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Cross-Examination Debate, Public Forum Debate, Congressional Debate, Oral Interp., and Extemporaneous Speaking.) Entries per event are limited.) State Tournament – Students attending this tournament will be invited by Mr. Uhler. Entries are limited.
Westlake Speech & Debate 2019-2020 Schedule
Spring 2020
January 3-4 – Stony Point/Round Rock Swing (Round Rock) (TFA State Tournament Qualifier) Local Tournament – All students are encouraged to attend.
January 10-11 – Churchill HS (San Antonio) (TFA State Tournament Qualifier/TOC bid tournament) – Participation at this tournament is granted through invitation only. Entries are limited. There will be travel fees associated with attendance at this tournament.
January 16-19 – James Logan MLK Jr. Invitational (TOC Bid Tournament) National Tournament – Participation at this tournament is granted through invitation only. Entries are limited. There will be travel fees associated with attendance at this tournament.
January 17-18 – McNeil HS (North Austin) (TFA State Tournament Qualifier) Local Tournament – All students are encouraged to attend.
January 24 – UIL CX District Meet (Mr. Uhler will choose which students may participate.) UIL CX offers the district and state meets.
January 31-February 1 – Westlake HS/Chaparral Star Swing (TFA State Tournament Qualifier) – We host this tournament at Westlake HS! All students are required to attend. Our students run the Westlake side of the swing and the Chaparral Star side. This tournament DOES NOT count as one of the required three tournaments in the Spring semester.
February 8 – Claudia Taylor (TFA State Tournament Qualifier) – Participation at this tournament is granted through invitation only. Entries are limited. There will be travel fees associated with attendance at this tournament.
End of TFA Qualifying Season
February 7-8 – Capital City Classic Round Robin (Westlake HS will be the official host for this tournament. We host the tournament at Westlake United Methodist Church). This tournament is attended by the best extemporaneous speakers and Public Forum Debaters in Texas. Helping out at this tournament will count as an attended tournament for the Spring semester.
February 14-18 – Harvard Invitational (Cambridge, MA) or Cal Invitational (Berkeley, CA) (TOC Bid Tournament) National Tournament – Participation at this tournament is granted through invitation only. Entries are limited. There will be travel fees associated with attendance at this tournament.
March 4-8 – TFA State Tournament (El Paso - Franklin HS) (All qualified students must plan to attend. To qualify, students must accumulate at least 12 TFA State Points in at least one TFA event. Travel expenses covered by Eanes ISD.)
March 31st – UIL District Speech and LD Debate Tournament (Johnson HS in Buda) (Mr. Uhler and Ms. Connell will choose which students may participate. Only events available for participation: Prose Interp., Poetry Interp., LD Debate, CX Debate, Persuasive Speaking, and Informative Speaking. Only three entries per category.)
April 10-11 – NSDA District Tournament (Hendrickson HS in Pflugerville) (Mr. Uhler will choose which students may participate. This tournament is the qualifying tournament for the NSDA National Tournament in Albuquerque, NM. Individual entries are limited.)
April 17-18 – UIL Regional Tournament, UTSA University (San Antonio) (For students who qualified at the UIL District tournament.)
April 17-21 – Tournament of Champions (Debate) in Lexington, KY (Students earn TOC bids throughout the year based on results at National Tournaments. Students need two TOC bids to earn an outright qualification for the tournament. Students with one qualification can apply for an at-large bid.)
May 8-10 - Tournament of Champions (Individual Events) in Houston, TX at J. Frank Dobie High School (Students earn TOC bids throughout the year based on results at National Tournaments. Students need two TOC bids to earn an outright qualification for the tournament. Students with one qualification can apply for an at-large bid.)
May 27-28 – UIL State Tournament, UT Austin (For students who qualified at the UIL Regional tournament.)
June 14-20 – NSDA National Tournament (Albuquerque, NM) (For students who qualified at the NSDA District tournament. Travel expenses covered by participating students.) As this is a tournament in which students and sponsor(s) will be traveling, please consider transportation days in addition to tournament dates.
