Special Awards

Coach of the Year Award

The "MAFA Coach of the Year" award honors a coach who has demonstrated superior coaching and program directing ability in Intercollegiate Missouri speech and debate related activities throughout the last year's competitive season. The recipient must be a member of the Missouri Association of Forensics Activities for that year. This award is open to all with school-recognized coaching positions, including Directors and Assistant Directors of Forensics, Graduate Assistants, etc. Criteria for the award includes:

• Displays a strong rapport with students, coaches, and judges of the MAFA community;

• Models for our students’ appropriate behaviors that prepare them for success both in and outside of forensics;

• Supports and attends regional tournaments. However, we fully recognize that some programs must travel a different circuit due to specific program foci, which makes it difficult to attend regional tournaments. In those cases, (particularly parliamentary and CEDA squads), this criterion will be waved;

• Is active in the support and advancement of speech related activities at various levels. Examples include, but are not limited to: Hosting tournaments, volunteering at tournaments, volunteering for other types of public speaking events (like FFA, 4-H, FBLA), publishing articles, presenting at conferences, holding regional/national offices in governing bodies, etc.;

• Exhibits knowledge of activity through understanding of rules and systems of play.

Candidates may be nominated by students or coaches by submitting a nomination letter to the President of MAFA, Eric Morris (ericmorris@missouristate.edu). Nominations are due by January 31. Schools are limited to one nomination in this category per year. A school is not required to nominate anyone. Schools may nominate individuals from other programs. The MAFA President will appoint a committee to consider all nominations and pair the nominees down to a slate of two or three names. The committee will submit the panel of potential honorees along with nomination packet information to the MAFA membership for a vote. Each coaching staff is afforded one vote and each team of students is afforded one vote, resulting in two votes. The votes do not need to be the same. Previous winners may be considered for awards. If no suitable nominee can be found, the award should not be presented.

Distinguished Service Award

The "MAFA Distinguished Service" award honors those who continuously support forensic activities. Recipients can be former or retired members of MAFA that demonstrated superior coaching and program directing while in their tenure, or administrators that value forensics and continuously strive to support forensics at their institution. This award is not bound to the previous competitive year. Criteria for the award includes:

• Exceptionally meritorious performance in coaching, directing or administration;

• Continued support of speech and debate related activities;

• Significant achievements and contributions to the forensics community;

• Represents important creative effort or accomplishment with educational value.

Candidates may be nominated by coaches by submitting a nomination letter to Eric Morris (ericmorris@missouristate.edu). Nominations are due by January 31. Schools are limited to one nomination in this category per year. A school is not required to nominate anyone. Schools may nominate individuals from other programs. The MAFA President will appoint a committee to consider all nominations and pair the nominees down to a slate of two or three names. The committee will submit the panel of potential honorees along with nomination packet information to the MAFA membership for a vote. Each coaching staff is afforded one vote and each team of students is afforded one vote, resulting in two votes. The votes do not need to be the same. Previous winners may be considered for awards. If no suitable nominee can be found, the award should not be presented.

For pentathlon, a student must be in five or more individual events. Students must compete in at least two genres (interpretation, limited preparation, public address), although greater breadth is certainly encouraged. The student’s best five events will count toward pentathlon. Points will be awarded according to the same formula used for individual event sweepstakes.

To reward exceptional competition efforts in both individual events and debate, two (2) awards will be offered in the Overall Forensicator competition. The top two students will be recognized who compete in five or more individual events and at least one format of debate. Points for this award shall include a maximum of five individual events and all forms of debate in which the student competes. Only preliminary round points will count for this award. No team sweepstakes points will be awarded for this event. Ties will be broken based on the following:

1. Total preliminary sweepstakes points earned in both individual events and debate. Team debate points earned will be divided in half.

2. Number of events in elimination rounds.

3. Highest placing of events in elimination rounds.

4. If still tied, awards shall be given to the tied speakers.