Testimonials

"The coaching Ben provided me with over the past season was invaluable to my success in the limited preps and 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), 2025.

"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 (4th-year competitor from Texas), 2025.

"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 (1st-year Team Policy debater from Florida), 2024.

"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 National Mars Hill Speaking Champion), Keene Fukunaga (2025 National Mars Hill Finalist), and Chris Fukunaga (2nd-year Stoa parent from California), 2024. 

"Benjamin has helped me in various areas of speech and debate, from getting me NITOC-qualified my first year in Extemp to a tournament win in Parli thanks to his strategy coaching and prep help during finals. My favorite part of his coaching is the relevance and specificity of his content. I've never felt a second wasted in a coaching session with Ben. His coaching always teaches me something and has provided me with tangible results."
— Michaela Baker (4th-year competitor from Missouri), 2024.

"Ben's coaching in Parliamentary Debate has significantly sharpened my analytical thinking and case structuring skills. His guidance helped me establish efficient blueprints for Extemporaneous speeches. Thanks to his mentorship, I have developed more effective strategies and greater confidence in competition."
— Katherine Davis (3rd-year competitor from California), 2025.

"Ben is one of the most effective coaches I worked with during my time in Stoa, largely because of his incredibly in-depth understanding of the persuasive aspects of multiple speech and debate events and his ability to identify what needs to be changed in a speech to craft it into a winning one. If you are looking to improve your skills further for the remainder of this season, I definitely recommend his help. It will sharpen your abilities no matter what level you are at."
— Hudson Kubiak (Recently-graduated 5th-year competitor from Oklahoma), 2024.

"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), 2025.

"Ben has been a huge help to me this past year. As someone who has not had the benefit of much coaching in the past, Ben opened my eyes to how important focused and specific teaching is in developing your skills as a competitor. After in-depth work on my case and strategy with Ben, I was able to win my final preliminary LD tournament and then rank in the top 16 at NITOC. If you're wanting someone to not just take your skills to a whole other level, but to be a friend along the way, Ben is what you are looking for!"
— Zion Roose (4th-year competitor from North Carolina), 2025.

"Ben has been an excellent coach over the past season! His skill and expertise in speech and debate have helping me become a better debater. He helped me understand the inner workings of the art of debate, the perspective of the judge, and helped make my cases stronger. With the advice and help Ben gave me, I was blessed to finish as an LD silver medalist at NITOC, even though it's only my second year! Not only is he a professional teacher, but he is the kind of person you want to have teach you. Always encouraging and building me up, Ben really has been a friend to me. I highly recommend his coaching!"
— Israel Roose (2nd-year competitor from North Carolina), 2025.