Join the NSDA!

Joining the NSDA is easy!  Head coaches/program directors simply need to follow the steps below:

(Note that this is the same process for annual school membership renewal.)
Make sure that you've filled out the contact information for the local community known as "Eastern Missouri Speech & Debate."  This gets you on our local contact list so your school can then get invited to local invitationals.
After you're on the local contact list, you'll need to go to the NSDA's main website and affiliate your school with them.  That site will walk you through the process -- go slow, it looks complicated, but the instructions are pretty clear once you get going!
A couple of important things to know:
  • If you are RENEWING your school, you'll need to log in to your account and use the advisor portal. Step-by-step instructions can be found HERE.
  • If you are affiliating your school for the first time (or the first time that you know of), it'll look at first like you're signing up for an individual account.  Go with this -- once you finish that process, the NSDA will be in touch about setting up your school profile.
  • Once you complete the process, your school will be invoiced for your annual school membership dues.  These can be paid by credit card or check and is handled by the NSDA's coach/advisor platform (see the instructions).  You may also want to read the note about invoicing below.

THIRD STEP
Just wait!  It can take a few days before NSDA will get your school up and running.  Don't worry -- your students can still compete at tournaments.  You can also peruse the various RESOURCES that are available for an NSDA member school.

​Once NSDA finishes processing your school's membership, you'll appear on the Eastern Missouri NSDA District Chair's membership list.  Our District Chair, Justin Seiwell, will reach out shortly afterwards.  

Invoicing & Membership

Membership in the NSDA isn't free, but it is a good value!  Membership fees are both SCHOOL and INDIVIDUAL.

SCHOOL FEES (ANNUAL)
  • Annually, your school will need to pay a "school membership fee" which pays for a number of resources that you, as a coach, can use!
  • Optionally, you can also purchase a "resource packet subscription."  This opens up THOUSANDS of resources to you AND your students.  Additional resources are published every month throughout the school year. (Someone once did the math -- the ~$199.00 package provides more resources than thousands of dollars worth of textbooks and videos!)
INDIVIDUAL FEES (LIFETIME)
  • After a school is affiliated, individual students will need to establish their memberships.  Instructions to do this can be found on the RESOURCES page.  
  • Each individual membership costs $20 -- invoiced the same way as the school membership fee.  You, as the head coach, dictate if/when your students become members and, thus, when this fee is assessed.  Most coaches wait until a student has completed a tournament or two.  This fee covers the cost of the membership certificate and the degree seals your students will earn as they continue to accumulate honor society points.  The $20 fee is lifetime, not annual.

Questions?

If you have questions at any time, contact our District Chair at justinseiwell@claytonschools.net!