#SAMETEAM

Every new chapter comes with growing pains. Mine arrived six weeks into my new role as Communications and Debate Coach at The Dorris-Eaton School — and it arrived all at once.

My First Tournament — Orinda Intermediate School (December 13)

We didn’t rank. We didn’t win any awards. We went home empty-handed — and for the first time in school history, Dorris-Eaton left a tournament without a single recognition to show for it.

That stung.

My fellow coaches were gracious — telling me I wasn’t to blame, that it was early, that the kids were still finding their footing. I appreciated that. But deep down, I knew the pressure was on. February 7 (the next tournament date) couldn’t come soon enough.

Building #SAMETEAM

But before the results could change, the culture had to change first.

When I arrived, our debaters were hesitant — even resistant — to share research, strategies, or support with other Dorris-Eaton teams. They kept their arguments close to the chest, protective of what they’d built. They didn’t want spectators in their mock debates, whether out of shyness or a fear of giving away their strongest material. Every team was an island.

I understood it. But I knew it had to change.

I gathered the entire team together for some straight talk. I arranged the tables in the room in a U-shaped formation — every debater seated around me, no one on the periphery, everyone present. As I spoke, I slowly paced in front of each of them, making sure every single student felt the weight of what I was saying. This wasn’t a general announcement. This was a message for each of them, individually.

I drew an analogy they could relate to: every great sports team has an offense and a defense. They scrimmage against each other. They sharpen each other. They push each other hard — because they all know who the real opponent is. It’s not the teammate across the practice field. It’s the opposing team on game day. For us, that meant one thing: it’s not the Dorris-Eaton team in the next room preparing their arguments. It’s the debaters from every other school walking into that tournament ready to win.

We are one team. And it was time to start acting like it.

Then I asked every single one of them to hold up both hands — two fingers extended on each — and tap them together, crossing to form the hashtag symbol. And together, three times, they said it out loud:

#SAMETEAM. #SAMETEAM. #SAMETEAM.

It was corny. It was intentional. And it worked.

I also did something that made them visibly uncomfortable at first — I busted out my Lumix GH5 camera and started recording every mock debate. Not to put anyone on the spot, but to give them something invaluable: the ability to study themselves, reflect on their performance, and learn from each other. Teammates could constructively critique, find inspiration in each other’s arguments, and sharpen their own public speaking in the process.

It took time. But something shifted.

Today, our mock debates are open — welcomed, even. The more people in the room, the more comfortable and confident our debaters become speaking in front of strangers. And many of our students, when they’re not debating themselves, voluntarily show up to other teams’ mock debates — often scheduled during study hall and lunch — sacrificing their academic and social time to observe, co-judge, and offer feedback. They time rounds with me. They give constructive insights. They cheer each other on.

That’s #SAMETEAM. And it didn’t happen overnight.

February Feud Tournament – Fallon Middle School (February 7)

We came back swinging. Competing among 184 debaters and 64 teams from nine schools, we earned 2nd place overall.

🏆 6th Place Top Speaker: Zelin

🏆 4th Place Team: Nathan, Katelyn, and Adela (4 wins and 0 losses!)

Three other teams — each finishing 3 wins and 1 loss — also earned their debate pins:

• Anya, Quan, and Avi
• Veer, Oliver, and Samir
• Elise, Zelin, and Effie

But what I’ll remember most from that day wasn’t the trophies — it was the way our debaters showed up for each other. Teams were sharing insights and strategies across the room, rallying behind one another between rounds, and keeping spirits high through the wins and the losses alike. At one point, Nathan was pulling up live data on his phone mid-tournament to support other teams. That’s the culture we’d been building — and seeing it in action for the first time on a tournament floor was something special.

March Mayhem Tournament – Head-Royce School (March 14)

This one hit differently. Competing among 110 debaters and 38 teams, we earned 3rd place overall — with some standout individual achievements:

Top Speaker Awards

🏆 1st Place : Zelin

🏆 5th Place: Elise

🏆 6th Place: Effie

🏆 15th Place: Ellen

🏆 1st Place Team
Elise, Zelin, and Effie (4 wins and 0 losses!)

For Zelin, it was her second consecutive Top Speaker recognition across two tournaments. For Elise and Effie, it was a crowning moment in what has been a remarkable season.

But again, the results only tell part of the story. What stood out most was how our debaters supported one another throughout the tournament day — in the small gestures and the big ones alike. Ellen shared her AirPods with a teammate who forgot hers. With strong encouragement from her teammates, Anya channeled a first-round loss into fuel for the next round. Samra, Olivia, and Fiona refused to quit after three tough losses — and came away with a hard-earned win in that final round. And Veer, Oliver, and Samir refused to let past losses define them, keeping each other grounded when facing a team that had beaten them twice before.

These are middle schoolers, by the way.

One More to Go

Our final tournament is May 16 at Fallon Middle School. I don’t know what the scoreboard will say at the end of that day — but I know this group will be there for each other. That much they’ve already proven. What I’m most proud of can’t be measured in trophies or speaker rankings. It lives around a U-shaped table formation, in a hashtag hand gesture, and in a group of middle schoolers who learned to trust each other enough to say it — and mean it.

From empty-handed in December to back-to-back podium finishes — this adventure is just getting started. 💙🧡 #SAMETEAM

To see more photos of the March Mayhem Tournament, check out Dorris-Eaton’s Facebook and Instagram posts.