About Us
Message from our Co-Founder, Mike Bietz
We founded Debate Matters because we believe every student should have the opportunity to participate in competitive debate. We are also a strong advocates for debate as a school-based activity that receives dedicated support from educational institutions.
However, many schools face resource constraints that make it challenging to provide the level of hands-on coaching that students and parents expect. Without this attention, debaters often find other, less demanding activities. Balancing the needs of debaters and their families with the demands of school administration can be both difficult and time-consuming. Unfortunately, we’ve seen many talented debate coaches step away from the activity due to burnout.
Debate Matters is designed to bridge this gap. As a tutoring company that aligns with school programs, we provide the additional support students, parents, and coaches need to thrive in debate.
Whether you’re a parent (or group of parents) seeking extra coaching for your kids, or a coach looking for supplementary support, we’d love to connect and explore how we can help strengthen your debate program. Let’s work together to ensure every student has access to the debate opportunities they deserve!
If you don’t see something that matches your needs, please reach out.
A Sample of What We Offer
Private Coaching & Team Training
One-on-One – Focused training for your strengths and goals.
Team Workshops – Custom sessions for schools, teams, or clubs.
Tournament Preparation
Research & Evidence Development – Strengthen your cases with well-supported, high-impact arguments.
Argument Development – Build compelling, well-structured cases tailored for competitive success.
Big-Picture Strategies – Learn round vision, judge adaptation, and high-level strategic decision-making.
Practice Debate Rounds – Get expert feedback through live rounds, drills, and rebuttal exercises.
Offseason / Summer
Debaters who take months or weeks off of debate will begin seeing a deterioration of skills built through the season. Whether it is online classes, tutoring sessions, or immersive summer camps, make sure you have a plan this off-season. Contact us for a free consultation. Check the website for offerings.
* If your team/school would like to host a summer program, please get in touch.
* We can design muli-part online sessions for individuals or groups of debaters who may be busy or traveling through the summer.
Our Co-Founders
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Chris Theis
Director, Victory Briefs Institute, 2014-present · Lincoln-Douglas Debate Coach, Marlborough School (CA), 2022-present · Lincoln-Douglas Debate Coach, Lexington High School (MA), 2018-2021 · Lincoln-Douglas Debate Coach, Apple Valley High School (MN), 2009-2016 · Lincoln-Douglas Debate Coach, Peninsula High School (CA), 2011-2015
Chris Theis, a founder of Debate Matters, is one of the most accomplished and sought-after coaches in the history of Lincoln-Douglas debate. With 15 years of experience teaching debate, Chris has a proven track record of guiding students to success at the highest levels of competition.
Currently coaching at The Marlborough School in California, Chris's students earned more bids to the Tournament of Champions last year than any other school in the nation. He is also the Executive Director of the Victory Briefs Institute, one of the largest and most successful summer debate programs in the country. Chris has previously coached at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School (CA), Lexington High School (MA), Apple Valley High School (MN), and Trinity Preparatory School (FL).
As a coach, Chris’s students have consistently advanced to the elimination rounds at the Tournament of Champions, the National Debate Coaches Association National Tournament, and the National Speech and Debate Association National Tournament. His students are also regularly in contention for the Dukes & Bailey Cup, awarded to the year’s top Lincoln-Douglas debater, including past winners.
His students have won nearly every major invitational tournament—many of them multiple times—including the Tournament of Champions, Harvard, Berkeley, Greenhill, St. Mark’s, Apple Valley, Emory, Blake, Stanford, CPS, Lexington, Loyola, Damus, Golden Desert, Alta, the Greenhill Round Robin, the MBA Round Robin, and more.
As a competitor, Chris is one of only three juniors to ever win the Tournament of Champions and remains the only person to have won it twice. He was the champion of tournaments including Blake, Emory, the Iowa Round Robin (twice), the Greenhill Round Robin (twice), and St. Marks (twice). Additionally, Chris was a semifinalist at Greenhill and the Glenbrooks, as well as a finalist at Berkeley. He was a four-time qualifier to the NSDA National Tournament in Lincoln-Douglas, U.S. Extemp Speaking, and Congressional Debate.
Chris currently serves on the Tournament of Champions Lincoln-Douglas Committee and the National Speech Association Lincoln-Douglas Wording Committee. He has also been a member of the National Debate Coaches Association’s Executive Committee.
Mike Bietz
Head Debate Coach, Harvard-Westlake School, 2007-2024 · Summer Debate Program Director, Harvard-Westlake School, 2014-2024 · Director, Victory Briefs, 2001-2014 · Head Lincoln-Douglas Debate Coach, Edina High School, 1999-2005 · Head Policy Debate Coach, Apple Valley High School, 1998-1999
Biography
With over two decades of experience at the highest levels of competitive debate, Mike Bietz is one of the most decorated and respected coaches in the nation. A Tournament of Champions (TOC) Coach Hall of Fame inductee Bietz has shaped the landscape of debate through exceptional leadership, student success, and contributions to the national debate community.
Awards & Recognition
• Coach Hall of Fame, Tournament of Champions (2024) – Recognized as one of the most consistently successful coaches at the very highest level of debate competition, Bietz is the first and only coach from Southern California, and the first and only Asian-American coach, to receive this prestigious honor.
• Coaches Gold Key Society, Barkley Forum for High Schools, Emory University (2022) – A testament to lifelong dedication to excellence in debate education.
• Chuck Ballingal Community Service Award, USC Trojan HS Invitational (2018) – Acknowledging outstanding service and commitment to the Los Angeles debate community.
• Coach of the Year, Minnesota Debate Teachers Association (2004) – Honoring excellence in coaching and student mentorship.
• Assistant Coach of the Year, Minneapple Debate Tournament, Apple Valley HS (1996) – Recognizing early contributions to national debate success.
Leadership & Community Contributions
A respected leader in the debate world, Bietz has been a Tournament of Champions Advisory Committee Member since 1996, helping shape the most prestigious debate competition in the country. As a board member of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Debate League, they have been instrumental in expanding access to debate for urban students. Their previous leadership roles include serving as President of the National Debate Coaches Association (NDCA) and as a board member for the NDCA, further influencing the strategic direction of competitive debate.
Additionally, Bietz has played a pivotal role in tournament management, serving as the Lincoln-Douglas Tabroom Director for the UC Berkeley High School Invitational, as well as Tabroom Event Director for premier tournaments such as the Stanford National HS Invitational, Jack Howe Invitational at CSULB, USC Trojan Invitational, and Peninsula Invitational. Their expertise in tournament operations has ensured fairness and efficiency in some of the nation’s most competitive events.
Coaching & Program Development
Throughout their coaching career, Mike has developed multiple national champions, setting a new benchmark for excellence:
• 14 National Championships (including TOC, NSDA, NDCA, MSPDP, and Novice Nationals)
• 11 National Runners-Up
• 14 National Semi-Finalists
• 99 Total National Elimination Round Participants
• 98 TOC Qualifiers as a Program Director
With an unparalleled record of success, groundbreaking leadership, and a deep dedication to growing the debate community, Bietz remains one of the most influential figures in competitive debate today.