Roosevelt High School Principal Announced as Member of the National Speech & Debate Association Hall of Fame

May 3, 2024 – The National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA) is proud to announce Steven Schappaugh, three-diamond coach and Principal at Theodore Roosevelt High School in Iowa, as a new member of the NSDA Hall of Fame.

Steven Schappaugh is best known for his determination to create important opportunities for young scholars to achieve their best, even in situations where they may be at a disadvantage. Steve is the champion of all coaches with a personal drive for expanding opportunities and creating connections that is unparalleled. Steve’s competitive journey in speech and debate has been at the highest level of achievement at every program at which he has worked. His coaching took him from Iowa to North Carolina, and then to Florida, where he concluded his coaching career at Nova Southeastern University School in Fort Lauderdale.

While at University School, his team won multiple School of Excellence Awards in speech and debate and an Overall School of Excellence Award. Additionally, Steve has coached an NSDA national champion in Humorous Interpretation, TOC champions in Public Forum Debate, NSDA finalists in Congress and Storytelling, and semifinalists in numerous events. Steve’s programs have won several state championship titles, and he has coached over a dozen students to state championships in their events.

However, it is Steve’s work as a leader in the speech and debate community that makes his candidacy stand out. Steve, as NSDA district chair in Broward County, helped bring county and state programs back and he mentored new and veteran coaches to improve the NSDA district tournament. Steve is the youngest person to ever be elected to the NSDA Board of Directors. Additionally, he has served on the Lincoln-Douglas Rules Committee and has spent many years on the NSDA National Tournament tabulation staff. Even in retirement, Steve is still an active leader, volunteer judge, and passionate advocate for this activity.

Induction into the NSDA Hall of Fame is the highest honor available to speech and debate coaches. With approximately 200 members, the Hall of Fame honors fewer than one percent of NSDA member coaches. Learn more about the Hall of Fame at www.speechanddebate.org/hall-of-fame.

All NSDA member coaches are given the opportunity to nominate individuals who either have at least 25 years of speech and debate coaching experience or have retired from speech and debate coaching. Current Hall of Fame members and other distinguished speech and debate coaches are then given the opportunity to vote new candidates into the Hall of Fame each year. The 2024 members will be officially inducted into the Hall of Fame at the National Speech & Debate Tournament held June 16-21 in Des Moines, Iowa.