Benjamin Rutten
Founder, Owner, & Head Coach
Benjamin Rutten was a dedicated speech and debate student who became a national champion. So far, he has coached three national champions himself, with six national titles between them.
What is Benjamin's competitive experience?
Benjamin has competed for seven years across Stoa, NCFCA, and the collegiate circuit. Benjamin has competed in Team Policy Debate, Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Parliamentary Debate, Moot Court, Apologetics, Extemporaneous, Impromptu, Mars Hill, Original Oratory, and Persuasive Speaking. Whichever event you seek coaching for, Benjamin is here to help.
What were the highlights of Benjamin's career?
Benjamin has achieved 46 first-place finishes so far with at least one first place finish in each of the above. He has achieved 6-0 records in Team Policy, Lincoln-Douglas, Parliamentary Debate, and Moot Court, has gone deep in elimination rounds at Nationals in all four, and has won tournaments in all four. At Nationals in 2023, Benjamin argued his way to the final round of Parliamentary Debate and finished 2nd in Mars Hill Speaking. At Nationals in 2024, Benjamin picket-fenced six speech rooms (including an Extemporaneous quarterfinal room) and went on to place 1st in Extemporaneous Speaking. His favorite high school event was Mars Hill in which he won 12 tournaments. Benjamin capped off his high school career by receiving the Tournament Champion award four times and by being ranked 1st in the nation for the majority of his final season.
What makes Benjamin a good coach?
Benjamin strives to be an even better coach than he was a competitor by passing on his insights and by uniquely tailoring his approach to each student. Benjamin has over 300 hours of professional coaching experience and has coached national champions in Extemporaneous Speaking (2026), Team Policy Debate (2026), Team Policy Speaking (2025 & 2026), and Mars Hill (2025 & 2026). Whether a student is a novice seeking to learn the ropes or a fifth-year debater aiming to win Nationals, Benjamin is honored to help these students excel.
Why Does Benjamin Coach?
Benjamin coaches because he seeks to be an inspiration, mentor, and help to others. Benjamin spent seven years refining his rhetorical skills and he desires to pass on the fruits of his work. There are many students who are similar to Ben—students who have a fierce work ethic and desire to excel. The only question is: Do they have the right resources? Ben's goal is to use the ancient methods of dialogue, intellectual inquiry, and mentorship to help students pursue their aspirations. He seeks to build coach-student relationships that will encourage young minds in their pursuit of excellence. Benjamin would be honored to have an impact on the next generation of speakers and leaders. This is why Benjamin coaches.
Benjamin’s Services
Hourly Session
Book a 1-hour session to receive coaching on any limited preparation event, platform speech, or debate event. If you are booking a session to receive coaching for either Team Policy Debate or Parliamentary Debate, you may book as a team under the same hourly rate. Once you book a session, Benjamin will reach out to you to confirm, schedule, and send you his payment information. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Coach Benjamin.
Semester Package
The Semester Package is for students seeking to benefit from all aspects of Coach Benjamin Rutten's coaching. If you are looking for a semester-long coach who will work through all aspects of your speech and debate journey with you—from goal-setting to practice to coping with successes and disappointments—, then this package was made for you.
The Semester Package gives students 10 hour-length sessions with Coach Benjamin to be used over the course of a semester. The Package also gives students on-demand access to quick calls and advice at no extra charge.
Did you just break to Parliamentary Debate semifinals and would like help prepping? As a package student, you can call Coach Benjamin for a quick 20 minutes of prep at no extra cost. Is it the day before a tournament and you are struggling to word your case's conclusion? Call Benjamin for some quick out-of-session help. The Package is just that—a package deal.
Online Courses
Explore Coach Benjamin’s 12 pre-recorded courses. Each course includes a lecture video (roughly 20-25 minutes in length) and course notes that allow you to follow along with Coach Benjamin's tips. These courses are designed for all skill levels; both beginners and advanced students will walk away from these courses with a renewed understanding of persuasion. Watch them at your own convenience and return to them whenever you need a refresher! At the link below, you will have the option to order either individual courses or the full set.
Benjamin’s Reviews
“Ben’s coaching has provided an invaluable framework for my success. He has quite literally been the key in directing and forming my approach to Extemporaneous speaking, not to mention his pivotal role across my other events.”
— Zion Roose (2026 National Extemporaneous Champion & 2026 National Team Policy Speaking Champion).
"Ben is the absolute best! His detailed coaching insights into Apologetics, Mars Hill, and Lincoln Douglas Debate have helped us immensely. He is very clear and logical in his thinking. He relates in a personable, patient, kind, and encouraging way. We wanted a coach whose commitment to his faith was as strong as his work ethic as a competitor. Ben is both. We could not recommend him more highly for Stoa coaching."
— Darcy Fukunaga (2025 & 2026 National Mars Hill Speaking Champion), Keene Fukunaga (2025 & 2026 National Mars Hill Finalist), and Chris Fukunaga (4th-year Stoa parent).
"Benjamin was a huge blessing to our club this past year in LD and speech. He was able to both distill information for our new competitors and provide our advanced competitors with the perspectives they needed to break through their glass ceilings. In addition to weekly coaching, he even volunteered to judge at our tournaments, run JO, and prep our teams in Parli. Throughout the year, Benjamin consistently demonstrated a servant’s heart and true care for our students. Ben is a great pick for any club looking for a dedicated and invested coach.”
— Elizabeth Bell (6th-year Stoa parent)
“I’ve worked with a lot of coaches over the years, but Ben’s methods are specific and unique. His coaching is structured, easily applied in competition, and based on his own high-level success. His approach was instrumental in leveling up my skills.”
— Constance Flynn (2026 National Team Policy Debate Semifinalist).
"You know that moment in a movie when the hero gets inspired and it's as if a fire was ignited within them? That's what happened the first time I watched Ben speak back when he competed. That is not an exaggeration, it was the moment that made me start taking speech and debate seriously. Now, years later, that spark of inspiration still happens after every coaching session with Ben. Ben coaches in a way that makes me excited to unlock my potential by matching my competitive energy, and explaining things in a way that makes sense to me. If you are looking for a coach who keeps your competitive fire burning and brings championship-level expertise to the table, Ben is your guy."
— Michael Hu (2025 National Persuasive Finalist, turned coach).
"The coaching Ben provided me with over the past season was invaluable to my success in Team Policy Debate. Ben is a patient teacher and a great friend who gives you the insight you need to be that same patient teacher in your rounds. For anyone looking to fix their weaknesses or bolster their strengths, get his coaching hands down."
— Malachi Smith (2025 National Team Policy Speaking Champion & 2026 National Team Policy Debate Champion).
"If you are looking for clear answers to your questions, important yet unique tips for a variety of speeches and debates, more tools into your toolkit to improve your speaking ability, then look no further! Through Benjamin's guidance, I have more knowledge about a solid, judge-appealing delivery in speaking, confidence and clarity in editing limited prep speeches, and a roadmap on how to be successful in each speech event and TP debate, which are the events that I have been coached in. The hard work, talent, advice, and encouragement from Ben has made an impact on me, and so many others!"
—Enoch Kim
"Ben is an amazing coach! He has great insight, great feedback, and is also a great person. Due to his amazing feedback and tips for Mars Hill (and also the Lord's mercy), I was able to break my first year doing Mars Hill at nationals. I can't recommend his coaching highly enough."
— Timothy Kim
"Ben is the most versatile coach you could ask for! He helped my partner and I craft a compelling narrative for our case, leading us to qualify for NITOC at our first two tournaments of the season, which were also my first tournaments ever doing TP. His tips aren't general advice; they are specifically tailored to whatever you need to understand and improve. So whether you need help with preempting arguments, shifting your mindset to connect with judges, ballot review, or looking over your 1AC, Ben is the perfect coach for instruction and encouragement."
— Nilah Rios
"Ben has been an excellent coach in multiple ways, and I am grateful for all the help he's provided over the past couple months. Through his years of experience, he has not only blessed me with knowledge, winsome tactics, speech outlines, and debate theory, but he has also been able to relate to my journey as he was once a competitor. Whenever there has been a topic I didn't understand right away, I never felt frustration from him; instead, I witnessed a patience that has allowed me to grow in understanding. I attribute so much of my success in Lincoln-Douglas—a form of debate I'd never done before—to his invaluable advice and coaching. With all that said, I would wholeheartedly recommend Ben as a coach for anyone who aspires to grow in their abilities and reach their potential!"
— Aleyah Jimenez
