WSDA裁判說|春季賽Junior即興辯論3月備稿辯題解析！

三月春風至，思辨正當時！春季賽即將熱血開戰，小辯手們(men) 準備好迎接思維風暴了嗎？

無論是辯手小白還是沙場老將，你們(men) 或許都思考過這些問題：辯論的真正意義(yi) 是什麽(me) ？是拿下獎杯的榮耀，還是在過程中收獲的成長與(yu) 體(ti) 驗？而當這一命題出現在賽場上，作為(wei) 辯手的你又該如何精準回應？

本次，我們(men) 特別邀請到了多次擔任WSDA賽事各項裁判工作的Zaiqi教練現身說法，為(wei) 大家帶來精彩的辯題解析，幫助你理清思路、拆解論點！即刻下滑解鎖備賽指南，一起充實戰術包、升級你的賽場表現吧！

Zaiqi

辯題解析者

• 畢業於美國最頂尖文理學院之一Oberlin College，高中畢業於南京外國語學校，高中階段任南外辯論社社長；
• WSDA 2017年北京賽區冠軍、2016年山東賽區季軍、2017年江蘇賽區季軍、2017年上海賽區國際公開組8強;
• 2018-25年間多次擔任WSDA賽事各項裁判工作，多次在全國總決賽和冬季冠軍賽擔任決賽裁判長。

Topic:

Participation in a debate tournament is more valuable than winning.

參與(yu) 辯論賽的過程比獲勝更有價(jia) 值。

Topic Overview & Background Info

Debate tournaments serve as platforms for students and professionals to engage in structured discussions, develop critical thinking, and refine their public speaking skills. The debate over whether participation is more valuable than winning centers on the purpose of these tournaments. Some argue that the experience, learning, and personal growth gained through participation outweigh the benefits of victory. Others contend that winning reflects skill mastery and provides tangible rewards like recognition, scholarships, or career advantages. It's relativelyhard to measure the tangibleimpact for this topic and debaters on both sides need to focus more on values and define them in the way that helps your side.

Key Term Definitions

Participation: The act of engaging in a debate tournament, regardless of the outcome. It includes preparing arguments, delivering speeches, and responding to opponents.

Winning: Securing victory in a debate round or tournament, often determined by judges based on argumentation quality, delivery, and strategy.

More Valuable: Contributing greater long-term benefits, whether in skill development, personal growth, or professional opportunities.

Pro Arguments

01、Skill Development

Analysis: Participation promotes growth in communication, critical thinking, and research skills. These are more long-term benefits compared to a single victory. Also, participating in an actual tournament is more effective in skill improvement than only taking courses as everything learned would endure tests and debaters would have more incentive to improve.

Example:"Even though students mightlose a round or two, they learned how to structure arguments more clearly. And they could finally understand how they should use the strategies their coaches taught them."

02、Personal Growth

Analysis: Debate participation builds confidence and resilience, especially in handling challenges and learning from mistakes. These are all the qualities debaters couldn't possibly acquire in a non-competitive environment. The experience of dealing with the setbacks from losing a tournamentcan't be easily obtained otherwise.

Example:"Losing a debate was tough, but it helped debaters improve their public speaking for future opportunities. It also grants them a precise chance to experience setbacks and learn how to handle bad feelings."

03、Exposure to Diverse Perspectives

Analysis: Involvement in tournaments exposes debaters to multiple viewpoints, broadening understanding and fostering empathy, which is more valuable than a single win. No matter how vigorously debaters prepared for topics, some fresh perspectives can't be thought of alone. Two heads are better than one, let alone the smart brains of dozens of debaters.

Example:"No matter how thoroughly debaters believed they've prepared for any topic;they would always encounter brand new arguments and viewpoints they'd never come across before. As a result, tournament participation facilitates learning."

04、Building Teams and Forging Friendship

Analysis: Debaters could develop a strong spirit of team belonging when participating in a tournament. Competing in an actual tournament as a team allows them to bond with team members more closely. At the same time, getting acquainted with other debaters paves the way towards potential friendship. Putting too much emphasis on winning leaves debaters no room for friends-making.

Example:"In a debate tournament, debaters might share information about common opponents with their teammates. Their team spirits will becomestronger and friendship will grow deeper."

Con Arguments

01、Recognition of Excellence

Analysis: Winning a debate tournament provides visible and tangible recognition of a debater's skills and efforts. This acknowledgment from peers, judges, and the community offers external validation of hard work. This recognition increases self-esteem and encourages further commitment. For many, tangible rewards like trophies or certificates are proof of success.

Example:"Debaters all devoted their precious time and energy preparing for the tournaments and they need something to recognize their effort so that they don't feel like working hard for nothing."

02、Motivational Drive

Analysis: The pursuit of victory in a debate tournament is a powerful motivator. It pushes debaters to refine their arguments and enhance their presentation skills. The potential for success encourages them to set higher standards and work harder. It's only when one tries to winthat they push themselves hard and make actualprogress.

Example:"If debaters are not trying to win, they would have no incentive to improve their skills for the better. They would learn little from this experience and waste their time."

03、Competitive Spirit

Analysis: Only real competition couldfoster amindset that values effort, strategy, and ambition. It encourages debatersto work for the better, and remain persistent in the face of setbacks. The desire to win helps debatersdevelop not just debate techniques but also important life skills like time management, strategy development, and dealing with adversity.

Example:"To win tournaments, debaters are forced to step out of their comfort zone and read a variety of materials they would have no chance encountering otherwise."

04、Real-World Recognition

Analysis: Winning a debate tournament can open doors to real-world opportunities. For many, victory can lead to scholarships, internships, or even chances to enter top schools since the skills ofpublic speaking, critical thinking, and effective communication are widely valued. This type of recognition goes beyond the immediate satisfaction of winning and can have lasting, tangible benefits.

Example:"Great universities can't get to know all of the applicants deeply and have to rely on awards and trophiesto determine whom to enroll. As a result, winners of tournaments havehigher chances to succeed in life."

Strategies

The pro sideshould frame the debate around long-term benefits, arguing that participation fosters skill development, resilience, and learning for all, while winning only benefits a few.They should shift the burden onto the con side to prove that winning is necessary for value, use comparative weighing to show participation's broader impact,and turn the winning narrative by emphasizing that strong participation is the foundation for success.

The con sideshould redefine value in terms of tangible achievements, arguing that measurable success (awards, scholarships) outweighs intangible benefits. They should shift the burden back by claiming that participation without striving for excellence is meaningless, maximize impact by showing how winnersgain more opportunities, and counter pro's claims by arguing that real improvement comes from competitive pressure rather than mere involvement.

Both sidesmust strategically control the definition of "value" and structure arguments to align with their framing.