Embedded Files
One afternoon way back in September of 2001, an awkward ninth-grade version of me walked into a speech and debate informational meeting in my hometown of Yarmouth, Maine -- and I was never the same. I competed almost exclusively in Congressional Debate all four years of high school and was transformed by it.
P-Russ (peeking out at back left) as a competitor with the YHS team in the fall of 2003.
The activity's greatest impact would lie dormant in me for thirteen more years, though, until I was hired by that same high school in 2018. On another fateful September day, 12th-grader Ben Cox-Faxon and 11th-grader Samson O'Donnell approached me and asked if I might help them start a new team (the iteration I'd been part of had gone defunct several years earlier). Though I was a young father and a tired teacher, that latent passion reemerged and wouldn't let me say no. I've never once regretted it.
The first delegation P-Russ ever brought to an s-and-d tournament (Deering High School in Portland, Maine, fall of 2018)! O'Donnell and Cox-Faxon are the two farthest to the right.
After coaching the Yarmouth High School Speech and Debate Team for four years, I took a job at Navajo Prep and eagerly set about rebooting their team too. Watching the Gavelin' Eagles strengthen these crucial skills and find passion in sharing their voices has been one of the greatest joys of my life, full stop.
NPS and YHS teams meet at Nationals in Phoenix in the summer of 2023!
In addition to coaching the team, I teach language and literature to our 9th and 10th graders. I also serve as the Congressional Moderator for the New Mexico Speech and Debate Association and as a Congressional Resource Contractor for the National Speech and Debate Association, composing their monthly dockets. I have a BA in comparative literature and creative writing from Oberlin College and an MA in teaching from Marian University. I am currently pursuing an MA in English via Eastern New Mexico University.
After completing my undergraduate studies, I served for two years with the Peace Corps, teaching English in Mongolia. There, I met my wife Kaede. I live with her, our two kids Ronan and Maggie, and our two cats Leila and Hades not so far from the NPS campus.
P-Russ with family (including the 2022 Maine State Judge of the Year, aka P-Russ's mom!) after the 1st annual Atsá Invitational at Navajo Prep.
Recognitions:
Donus D. Roberts Coaching Excellence Award - January 2024
Don Crabtree Distinguished Service Award - November 2023
New Mexico District Speech and Debate Coach of the Year - March 2023
Maine District Speech and Debate Coach of the Year - March 2022
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse