At Speech and Debate Award Ceremonies across the nation, the One Clap Rule was established to expedite the process of awards.  It is a way to show appreciation to students who earned a trip to the finals stage, but avoid long blocks of applause for dozens of students. The One Clap is both efficient AND infectious. It unifies. It celebrates student success. It is also a moment of in-sync Speech and Debate community.

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Greetings, friends. My name is Lyle Wiley. I am the host of One Clap: A Speech and Debate Blog and Podcast for Coaches and Competitors. I’m a high school educator at Thermopolis, Wyoming who teaches English, College Intro to Composition, College Public Speaking, Intro to Technology,  Journalism, and Yearbook. I'm also a Speech and Debate Coach who believes in the power of Speech and Debate to give students skills, community, confidence, connections, and voice. I also believe in the hearts and minds of Speech and Debate Coaches everywhere who are working to bring opportunity, success, and community to students.

Here at One Clap Speech and Debate we talk to some of the best coaches and competitors out there about all things Speech and Debate and look for best practices to help coaches grow their students and their programs. So, many coaches and competitors have offered their experiences and ideas on the blog and podcast to help others learn and grow. I started coaching Speech and Debate with no knowledge of the activity, and eight years later I am still learning.  I want to share what I’ve learned and learn more from others through conversations,  contributions, and explorations of best practices from other amazing coaches. 

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I also want to give students the opportunity to use this platform to share their voice and learning.  You can expect more shows and columns like The Half Hour by Spencer Travis and YuYu Yuan or New Coach 411 by Rick Dorn that are driven by students or coaches to help the Speech and Debate community to share space here at One Clap. 

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On a personal note, I've been blessed and humbled to be recognized by my generous and kind coaching community as Wyoming Coach of the Season four times (once in 3A and three times in 1A/2A).  I have had the honor to coach Wyoming State Championship Teams, individual State Champions, and a number of NSDA National Qualifiers.  Recently, I received my first Diamond Merit Award and first Distinguished Service Key Award.  It is my great privilege to coach incredibly talented students alongside my wonderful coaching colleagues here in Wyoming.