The Flower Mound Speech & Debate Team is known for its rigorous competition and commitment to developing its members’ skills. In fact, the team ranks fourth in the nation based on their impressive performances in competitions across the country. Each year, a select group of students is chosen for the debate travel team to compete in national tournaments and represent the school.

This opportunity demands not only exceptional debating abilities but also a strong work ethic and a commitment to continuous improvement. Members of the travel team gain invaluable experience, refining their public speaking, critical thinking, and argumentation skills as they compete against some of the top debaters in the nation.

“Coaches look for confident speakers and critical thinkers,” Samin Subah, a sophomore on the travel team, explained.

Each member is expected to compete in several national events throughout the year, representing the school in various formats such as Congress, Lincoln-Douglas, and different forms of speech. The team travels to different cities, often staying for multiple days to participate in competitions. Being selected means more than just competing—it also involves a commitment to intensive preparation. 

“The work ethic often pays off,” Subah said, “because then you can show off your hard work.”

This season, the team attended tournaments at UT Austin, San Angelo, Big Cat Swing, Berkeley, and TFA State, facing off against some of the best debaters in the country. The competitions were intense, requiring students to adapt quickly and think critically. 

Despite the challenges, Flower Mound’s debaters demonstrated resilience and talent. At TFA State, the school had seven quarterfinalists, ten semi-finalists, two finalists, and one State Champion. The FMHS Speech and Debate Team earned 52 state qualifications during the season, finishing fourth out of nearly 200 teams in the state.

“Our students have accumulated the fourth most NSDA (National Speech and Debate Association) points in the United States,” Mr. Uhler, one of the debate coaches, said. He and Mr. Mears help the students show up well prepared to every competition.

Beyond the wins, the season is about growth as both debaters and as individuals. Debaters have the opportunity to practice their “flows”—writing and organizing arguments—while crafting masterful rebuttals. 

There is more to come for the debaters.

“We still have regional tournaments to qualify for nationals.” Sub added. 

The debate students hope to travel to Des Moines, Iowa this summer for the National Speech and Debate Tournament to utilize what they learned throughout the year.