About ND Speech & Debate
The Notre Dame Speech and Debate Team (formerly known as Forensics) has a long-standing tradition of excellence in competitive public speaking and debate. Students have the opportunity to develop their communication skills as well as representing our school at several tournaments throughout the school year.
Meetings will be Tuesday nights at 6:30pm-8:30pm in Rooms 101-102 starting September 3. Contact Mr. Rizzo for Details.
Coach & Staff:
- Mr. Sal Rizzo, Head Coach
- Mr. Stuart Kramer, Assistant Coach
- Mr. Matias Demichelis, Assistant Coach
- Mr. Nick Sears, Crusader Time Assistant Coach
- Mrs. Marian Senior, Crusader Time Assistant Coach
About Coach Sal Rizzo
Coach Rizzo has been involved with the Notre Dame Speech and Debate program (fka Forensics) for 45 years. Under the tutelage of the late Mrs. Eleanor Wise, he competed as a junior and a senior. He volunteered for the program for 14 years and has been the coach for the better part of 29 years. He has coached several state and national award winners including the 2005 National Right to Life Oratory Contest National Champion, the 2014 National Speech and Debate Association Congressional Debate House National Champion and eleven state champions. Also one of his students was selected to be part of Team USA in World Schools Debate. Our team has won several sweepstakes awards including a Debate Schools of Honor award from the National Speech and Debate Association and three Diocesan Cumulative Sweepstakes awards. He currently serves as a member of the Pennsylvania High School Speech League District 8 Tournament Committee and has promoted speech and debate in several public appearances including two appearances on the Dare to Care radio program out of Marion, Illinois. He also had the privilege to serve on the Pennsylvania High School Speech League State Tournament Committee. He had the opportunity to introduce two new members of the Pennsylvania High School Speech League Hall of Fame in 2023. He served as the PA Mideast Regional Coordinator for the National Right to Life Oratory Contest, from 1993-2014 through the support of Pennsylvanians for Human Life, Bethlehem/Easton Chapter of which he has been president since 2004.
Student Officers
President: Joanna Pouoban
Vice-President: Alivia Rieland
Parent Board
Mrs. Elizabeth Rieland, Chairperson
2005 National Champion
Fr. Stephan Isaac’s Career Highlights
- 2005 National Right to Life Jane B. Thompson Oratory Contest National Winner (see Fr. Stephan’s Championship Speech in Resources section)
- NSDA Degree of Outstanding Distinction
- Four-time NCFL National Qualifier: 2003: Original Oratory; 2004: Student Congress Semifinalist; 2005: Student Congress Semifinalist; 2006: Student Congress Finalist
- Two-time PHSSL State Award winner: 2004: Student Congress, 3rd Place; 2006: Student Congress 3rd Place
2014 National Champion
Abby Marone’s Career Highlights
- 2014 NSDA Congressional Debate House National Champion
- Member of 2014-2015 Team USA World Schools Debate
- Earned NSDA Degree of Premier Distinction
- Nine total National Tournament appearances (all in Congressional Debate/Student Congress):
2012: NCFL, Semifinalist
2013: Tournament of Champions, Semifinalist; NCFL, Semifinalist; NSDA, Semifinalist
2013: PHSSL State Champion Student Congress Senate
2014: Tournament of Champions, 5th place; NCFL, 4th place; NSDA, 1st place
2015: Tournament of Champions, 5th place; NSDA, 4th place
2024-2025 Tournament Schedule
(Individual tournaments are national events that the team does not attend, but students can. Also note that tournament dates and locations may be subject to change.)
10/26 Phillipsburg Invitational
11/2 ADFL at Southern Lehigh HS*
11/23-11/24 Villiger Tournament at St. Joseph’s University
12/6-12/8: George Mason – individual participation
12/14: LaSalle College HS
12/21: ADFL TBA*
1/11: ADFL at Hunterdon Central HS*
1/18: Blue, Maroon, and White NIETOC Qualifier at Shikellamy HS
1/25: Ridge HS
1/31-2/1: Pennsbury HS (debate can go to 2/2)
2/8: ADFL TBA*
2/22: PHSSL District 8 State Qualifier at TBA*
2/23: NSDA Congress Qualifier at William Tennent HS*
3/1: ADFL National Qualifier at Northampton Community College Fowler Center*
3/15-16: NSDA Speech and Debate Qualifier at Pennsbury High School East*
3/21-22: PHSSL State Tournament at Bloomsburg University*
4/5: NSDA Big Questions Qualifier at Council Rock North HS*
April 15: Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation Video Oratory Contest Deadline (see Mr. Rizzo for details)
April TBA: Tournament Of Champions at University of Kentucky – speech and debate invitational individual participation
4/26: Southern Lehigh HS
TBA: National Individual Events Tournament Of Champions at TBA– speech invitational individual participation
5/23-26: NCFL Grand Nationals in Chicago
6/15-20: NSDA Nationals in West Des Moines, Iowa (Centennial Year)
TBA: National Finals Pro-Life Oratory Contest at the National Right to Life Convention in TBA.
*denotes league tournament
ADFL = Allentown Diocesan Forensics League, NCFL = National Catholic Forensic League, NSDA = National Speech & Debate Assn., PHSSL = PA High School Speech League, SCFL = Scranton Catholic Forensics League
Want to read more about Speech and Debate? Check out Rostrum Magazine from the National Speech and Debate Association.
