Testimonials

"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 and Keene Fukunaga (1st-year Lincoln-Douglas debaters from California) 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 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 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 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're looking to improve your skills further for the second half 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.

"My success this year has been heavily impacted by the invaluable feedback, friendship, and coaching Ben has given me. He knows exactly how to work on your weaknesses and improve your strengths. I'd recommend him as a coach to absolutely anyone in Stoa looking to become the speaker they want to be."
— Malachi Smith (4th-year competitor from California), 2024.