Mean Green Comet Debate Institute

Extemporaneous Speaking

What Should You Expect

At MGC Extemp, our mission is straightforward: to deliver a summer extemporaneous speaking program that caters to students new to the event and those aiming for national final rounds, all at a lower cost compared to larger camps. Our track record speaks for itself, with students consistently achieving success at TFA state finals and national circuit tournaments.

How do we achieve this?

  • Personalized Attention From Experienced Staff - Our small lab sizes are led by seasoned educators who have coached state champions and national finalists, bringing a wealth of experience in speech and debate leadership and coaching.
  • Practice and Feedback - Students engage in daily speech delivery and receive valuable feedback from experienced coaches, fostering growth and improvement through hands-on learning.
  • Varied Learning Experiences - From vocal exercises to theory lectures, labs, practice speeches, and communication drills, our program offers a wide array of activities to enhance students' understanding of extemporaneous speaking.
  • Real-World Application - A mock tournament at the camp's conclusion allows campers to apply their skills in realistic scenarios, preparing them for success in competitive environments.
  • Affordability - MGC Extemp is dedicated to providing top-notch extemporaneous speaking training at a fraction of the cost of larger camps, ensuring accessibility to students from diverse backgrounds passionate about excelling in speech and debate.

2024 Daily Schedule

Time Activity
9 AM Warm-Ups
9:15 AM Content Lecture and Activities
10:20 AM Content Lecture and Activities
11:30 AM Lunch Break
1:00 PM Extemp Theory Lecture
2:00 PM Camp-Wide Practice Round
4:00 PM Labs
6:00 PM Dinner Break
7:30 PM Drills, Office Hours, or Showcase Speeches
8:30 PM End of Daily Activities

Divisions, Date and Pricing

Session Dates In-Person Commuter Online

Extemp

July 6 – July 14

$1,600

$1,100

N/A

Division Director

Neal White

Neal White is returning to the Mean Green Comet Extemporaneous Speaking camp for a fifth time, and fourth as Extemp Division Director! Neal has been a full-time educator teaching Speech & Debate for eight years and has had a hand in Speech & Debate education for 13. In extemporaneous speaking, he has coached NSDA national finalists, TFA State champions, Capital City Round Robin exhibition round participants, MBA Round Robin invitees, and UIL State finalists. Neal likes rock climbing, vinyl records, and essential oils…can you tell that he grew up in Austin? He and his family live in Richardson a few minutes from the UTD campus.

Division Staff

Joseph Uhler

Joseph Uhler has been an educator for over twenty years in the Austin and Fort Worth areas. In 2003, Joseph built the Anderson speech and debate program into a team with over 75 members that consistently finished in the top 10 schools in Texas at the Texas Forensic Association’s State Tournament. While at Anderson, Joseph's students won TFA State in Congress (House) and Original Oratory. He also had students who advanced to the final round at the Tournament of Champions in extemporaneous speaking. Joseph moved from Anderson to Westlake High School in 2015 and built the Westlake team to over 70 members. As coach of the Westlake Speech and Debate Team, his students won TFA State in Public Forum Debate, reached the final round of the Tournament of Champions in Public Forum Debate, and competed in late elimination rounds at the NSDA National Tournament. On two separate occasions, Joseph served the state of Texas as the President of the Texas Forensic Association – the largest state speech and debate organization in the country. Joseph now lives in Fort Worth and is consulting for high schools.

Meghan Clark

A Texas native who grew up in the Wichita Falls area and competed in extemporaneous speaking and Lincoln-Douglas debate for UIL; she placed second in extemp at the state level in both 2006 and 2007. She has coached speech and debate for eight years, including seven years at Newcastle ISD and one year in Plano ISD at Vines High School. At Newcastle ISD, she coached multiple students to regional and state success in Lincoln-Douglas debate, policy debate, and extemporaneous speaking. At Vines High School, she coached students to an NSDA district championship and the semifinalist round at Nationals. She enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with family, and lives in the Frisco area.

Kelsey Vincent

I grew up and currently live in Amarillo, TX with my husband and two sons. I have been a teacher for 8 years and have coached speech & debate at Bushland High School for 4 years. In college, I competed on the WTAMU speech team and was an AFA qualifier in Duo. My team has been recognized as the UIL District champions multiple times in CX Debate and at the UIL speech meet. I have coached UIL state qualifiers in CX Debate, TFA state qualifiers in Extemp and LD, UIL state finalists in Extemp and Congressional Debate, and just recently had a national semifinalist at NSDA. I currently serve as the TFA Region 1 Representative.

Kate Lee

Kate has been involved in speech and debate for 6 years, competing in domestic, mixed, and international extemp. As former captain of Plano West, her notable achievements include 6th at NSDA Nationals, 4th at NIETOC, 1st at Emory / UT, 3rd at Yale, and 2x Runner-Up in DX at TFA State – she was also invited to this year's MBA Top 16 Round Robin. Other than debate, she enjoys reading memoirs, hip hop dance, and the Dallas Mavericks. As a 2020 alumni, she's very excited to return to MGC this summer!


Testimonials

"Mean Green Comet is hands-down the best extemp camp in America. Not only did it help me learn structure and delivery skills which I continue to use in every speech, but it also did so in a fun environment which let me develop my own style. Beyond providing an awesome experience, MGC is also much more affordable than most other camps. Attending is a no-brainer for anyone who wants to level up their extemp game."

-Waleed Haider, TFA State and Capital City Extemp Round Robin 2024 Champion

"To put it simply, before MGC, I was not interested in doing extemp as one of my full-time events that I invested time and energy into. However, after just a day of camp, I realized how fun and versatile doing extemp is. In my opinion, that's the greatest strength of MGC: aside from forging some season-long friends at this camp and being able to grow in a comfortable and exciting environment, it truly made me love extemp. I can't imagine where I would be now without MGC."

-Emily Zhang, TFA State Semifinals, 2024


Enroll Now!

Click Here to Enroll

The MGCDI deadline has been extended until June 16th! Follow the link above to reserve your spot in our 2024 summer program.