Activities: Co-curricular and Extracurricular

American Christian School is a member of the OSSAA (Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association).  All of the activities for grades 6-12 fall under the governance of the OSSAA.

Speech and Debate

Some of the fruit of the Christ-centered, classical approach to education is seen in the success of our speech and debate team.  The program showcases, reinforces and enhances the education students receive at ACS.  The team has a rich history of success.  Since its beginning in 2000, ACS students have been breaking into the state quarter finals or better every year.  The team won the state championship in 2008, 2009 and 2010.  It placed second in the state in 2011.  Brad Swygard, who was named the Outstanding Forensics Coach of 2009 for the state of Oklahoma, has been coaching the ACS team since its inception. 
 

Debate Team History

Tournament Results

How a Tournament is Run

 

Benefits of Speech & Debate

At ACS, speech and debate is offered as an optional elective for students in 6th-12th grades.  It is a co-curricular activity, and school credit is given for participating.  All students can profit, not just the ones who win state championships.  Forensics not only offers an advantage to individual students, it also benefits society as a whole.

 

I think debating in high school and college a most valuable training whether for politics, the law, business, or for service on community committees such as the PTA and the League of Women Voters. A good debater must not only study material in support of his own case, but he must also, of course, thoroughly analyze the expected arguments of his opponent…The give and take of debating, the testing of ideas, is essential to democracy.  I wish we had a good deal more debating in our institutions than we do now.

--President John F. Kennedy