Stoa just announced that its National tournament has been canceled. Read the full announcement here.

The day following, NCFCA announced that the rest of the season, including the National Championship, has been canceled as well. Read the full announcement here.

This is Very Disappointing.

Stoa and NCFCA debaters have been preparing all season for these tournaments. They are the climax of hundreds of hours of work and competition. For many, Nationals was going to be the final send-off, concluding years of high school competition.

Losing Nationals is a bitter pill to swallow. It is an irreplaceable opportunity to compete at the highest level and make precious memories with friends. It's like turning off a great movie 20 minutes before the end.

This is really disappointing, and nothing anyone says or does is going to make it less so. Your sadness and frustration are completely legitimate.

This Was the Right Choice.

COVID-19 has spread across America almost uncontrollably. Due to the limited availability of testing, we have no way to know just how far it's gotten. But we do know that there are thousands of confirmed cases spread across all 50 states.

While most people experience only mild symptoms, COVID-19 is dangerous and potentially fatal. As the number of infections climbs, medical resources are being overwhelmed. We need to take drastic measures to avert a disastrous outcome. The lives of countless Americans are at stake.

Canceling Nationals was as painful for the boards of these leagues as it was for the students. They did it as a last resort to protect families in the face of a massive global pandemic. So while we are all right to be disappointed, we should be careful to direct nothing but respect and appreciation to the officials who made this difficult decision.

What about Base Camp?

As promised, Base Camp is canceled. Refunds have already been issued for all registrants.

What about my Sessions?

We believe that it is more important than ever to offer great coaching that doesn’t break quarantines. Ace Peak will continue to offer online sessions.

• If you are not a senior, take advantage of this time without any high-pressure tournaments around the corner to go deep with your coach on theory, case construction, and strategy exercises. There's a lot of great stuff you can do with us that we often skip because we need to prioritize things that will create results within 2 weeks.

• If you are a senior, switch the focus of your sessions to the next phase of your life. We are happy to help with academics and test prep. Coach Joseph also offers life coaching. When the session begins, just let us know what you'd like to work on.

• Sessions can also be used to prepare for our online tournaments, as we discuss below.

We know that this is a difficult and uncertain time for families. We want to do everything we can to help. Contact us to discuss extending deadlines, refunds, and credits. We will work with you.

What about the Ace Peak Society?

The APS is still alive and well. Now that in-person tournaments are gone, online communities are even more important. We have lots of exciting stuff planned for the Society; stay tuned.

If you’re a student and haven’t joined the APS, join here. The APS is the fastest way to get updates from us and stay connected with our student community.

Online Tournaments are Coming.

We are excited to announce that we will begin hosting online tournaments. We're using the unique forum of the internet to explore innovative new ways for students to participate. That means not only connecting students with opponents but also developing a whole new rule set specific to online debates.

We strongly encourage all of our students to take advantage of any opportunity to compete in an online tournament, regardless of league or host. Practicing public speaking is as important as ever.

This Too Shall Pass.

This is a sad day, and normalcy seems to be a long way off. COVID-19 is one of the defining events of the 21st Century. You’ll tell stories about the pandemic to your children and grandchildren.

But COVID-19 is also temporary. The spread will slow down and eventually stop. Treatments will emerge. A cure will follow. Someday soon, this will all be behind us. And we’ll never again take for granted the simple joy of sitting in a student lounge surrounded by dear friends.

More updates are coming. Check back soon, and as always, contact us with questions.