For most regions, regionals is just around the corner. For some, it has come and gone. Either way, ’tis the season for lots of very very happy folks, and really super duper bummed out folks. In any case, I think it’s time for some perspective.

Debate isn’t fair. Some debaters who don’t work very hard are going to get far, and some of the hardest working teams are going to get stopped just short of nats. But such is the nature of debate. It is inherently subjective, beholden entirely to the whims of whatever judges you happen to get. When you get into that debate room, when you walk up to that lectern, the judge doesn’t care if you “deserve” to win, or if you’ve worked harder than the other team. They only (or should only care, but even that’s not always the case) about what comes out of your mouth during the round. If the speeches of the other team are better than yours, guess what? You didn’t deserve to win that round. You could have sunk 48 of the last 72 hours into your case, but if that doesn’t translate into arguments that you sell to the judge, it doesn’t matter. Is that fair? Probably not. Is it honest? Yeah. Should that be how debate works? Absolutely.

I’ve had my fair share of disappointments. I’ve gotten knocked out of pivotal rounds that everyone including the other team thought I had handily won. But the judges disagreed. I’ve had cases passed in the middle of the season, terrible luck in coin flips, and gotten matched against that one team that I hoped I wouldn’t have to hit. It happens. It sucks. So for those of us without the golden touch of debate, we have to keep our eyes on what’s important. So here’s a list.

Things that don’t matter:

1) That you won 0 rounds or 46.

2) That you lost a bunch of rounds you “deserved” to win.

3) That “everyone says I should have made it to nats.”

4) That you put 100+ hours into debate this season.

Things that do matter:

1) That you behave with dignity, and with a Christ-like attitude, as Regional Champion or bottom seed.

2) That you treat those who performed better than they “deserved” to with respect.

3) That you don’t assault those teams that you “should have” beaten.

4) That you tried your hardest, and worked as hard as you could.