The Brecksville-Broadview Heights School Debate & Speech Team is a competitive and challenging extracurricular activity open to all middle and high school students and advised by Head Coach Kaylyn Bass. The team is dedicated to developing students’ public speaking, critical thinking, and research skills through structured debate and speech events.
Every year, the team competes in regional debate tournaments in Ohio and has won the regional championship for several consecutive years. At the state level, the team has repeatedly placed within the top ten—and even the top five—over the past few seasons. Last year, they represented the school and earned the Best Team Award, with several members winning individual honors as well.
On November 8th, 2025, the team competed in a tournament hosted by Hawken Upper School, where several students again achieved excellent results.
“Our performance was exemplary; everybody put in their best effort. While performance could be better on any given day, [overall] it was sufficient. As one of the coaches for the middle school, I can confidently say that we have unbelievable potential. All but one of our middle school congress competitors placed in their chamber, and there lies a bright future ahead for all the middle schoolers,” said Atidya Mohan, who placed third in Congressional Debate. As she noted, the team’s achievements are inseparable from the hard work of every member.
By the end of February 2025, nine students from our school participated in the Cleveland District Tournament, a major statewide competition. They earned a combined score of 156.98 points and ranked within the top 20 out of approximately 89 participating schools.
“I definitely think that being part of the Speech and Debate team is helpful for students. It builds public speaking skills and it makes you more informed in the background world events. Also, I have been told that it looks really good on the college application,” said Jack Griffin, a member of the team, sharing his thoughts on the program.
Looking ahead, the team will continue striving to support students and help them fully realize their potential, providing valuable experiences and expanding opportunities for their future academic and college pursuits.
