John Semple

Associate Coach

John Semple has been involved in the Stoa community since 2011. He is a two-time national champion who has a passion for instruction, mentorship, and growth.

What is John's competitive experience?

John competed in Stoa for six years. Beginning with Apologetics and Lincoln-Douglas only, he eventually added more events to his repertoire. Throughout his senior year, John consistently placed high in all 10 of his regular events, earning first-place titles in Apologetics, Impromptu, Extemporaneous, Original Oratory, Expository, and Open Interpretation, Parliamentary Debate, Parliamentary speaker points, Lincoln Douglas-Debate, Lincoln-Douglas speaker points, and Team Policy Debate.

What were the highlights of John's career?

Over the course of his career, John won the Tournament Champion award four times. His favorite speech was his Expository which won first-place at six tournaments. At NITOC in 2023, John captured two national titles—the Lincoln-Douglas Debate National Title and the Apologetics National Title. He broke the NITOC record for the most picket fences with seven and won second-place Tournament Champion. John ended his final season ranked 1st in the nation overall. He has continued his speaking journey by competing in collegiate speech and debate. Since starting, John has captured first-place titles in multiple events.

What makes John a good coach?

John desires to influence, instruct, and encourage the next generation of students. John is certified to coach all Stoa speech and debate events so regardless of your experience level or your personal goals, John is here to help.

Why Does John Coach?

From the very beginning, John recognized the value and importance of personal growth inspired by those who have walked before. John builds his coaching methods on the foundation of instruction and mentorship. He seeks to be an inspiration to the next generation of speakers and leaders because of the prior generations that effectively inspired him. John finds coaching rewarding. He enjoys equipping students with the tools they need to achieve their unique goals. He seeks to encourage those who pursue excellence and to inspire tomorrow's leaders. This is why John coaches.

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"Those that know, do. Those that understand, teach"

-Aristotle