Judge Recruitment

Training for RJRC, JRL, and JRT

Content Outline

Coordinating Recruitment Efforts

While the bulk of community judge recruitment is done by clubs and families, the JRL serves as the main contact for resources, guidance, and encouragement. This lesson has information on setting judge recruitment goals, communicating progress, and coordinating effective recruiting strategies across families, clubs, and community organizations. It also outlines approved communication procedures and identification protocols for tournament judges.

  • Setting and Communicating Goals
      • Establishing Tournament Goals
        • The RC and/or TC set overall judge recruitment goals.
        • These goals can be viewed on the NCFCA staff dashboard, where JRLS can access:
          • Recruitment goals for each round
          • Registration numbers and progress updates
  • Understanding the Judge Cap
      • The “Judge Cap” on the Round Needs tab represents the community judge recruitment goal.
        • Approximately 50% of debate judges and 65% of speech judges should be community judges.
      • Initial goals are based on projected tournament size and will be adjusted after registration closes.
        • Check for updated numbers a few days after registration closes.
  • Coordinating Recruitment Efforts
      • Launch Recruitment
        • A template for clubs and families to kick off judge recruitment is available.
      • Update & Encourage
        • The JC should work with club leaders and local affiliates to coordinate community judge recruitment.
        • Provide weekly progress updates to all clubs participating in recruitment efforts.
        • The RD/TD can send out regional or family updates using available email templates (located in the Google Drive folder).
      • Motivate Through Incentives
        • Discuss potential recruitment prizes or incentives with your Regional Judge Coordinator (RJC).
          • Examples include prizes for families who recruit the most judges or cover the most rounds.
          • Offer 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place awards to encourage participation.
        • Creativity is welcome—small rewards can generate big enthusiasm!
  • Contacting Past Judges
      • NCFCA maintains a centralized email system for contacting past judges.
      • Automated messages will be sent inviting them to serve again.
      • To comply with privacy laws and email consent requirements:
        • Do not maintain or use personal lists of past judges.
        • Do not email past judges using an NCFCA.org email address outside of the system.
  • Judge Recruitment Strategies
      • Engage Families & Competitors
        • Offer the Recruiting 101 documents for clubs and families to use
        • Encourage each participating family to recruit 3–8 judges, depending on tournament size and their location in relation to the tournament.
        • Other regional NCFCA families should also be invited to assist.
        • Personal invitations are the most effective—encourage outreach to family and friends as well as others in the community using the Expanding Your “Friends & Family” Circle.
        • Students can play a key role—judges often respond positively to direct student invitations.
        • Remind everyone of safety guidelines and protocols
          • Send invitations from a parent or family email address. 
          • Make any calls from a home phone or a parent’s cellphone. 
          • Use the buddy system when recruiting in-person in a neighborhood or business area. 
          • Follow social media policy when making any posts.
      • Coordinate Club Recruiting Efforts
        • Club leaders should actively support recruitment by:
          • Dedicating time during meetings for updates and encouragement.
          • Dividing up contact lists of outside organizations for outreach.
          • Checking progress weekly to promote accountability.
          • Offering club-based prizes or recognition if possible.
        • Group recruiting activities can boost momentum:
          • Host a “calling party” to make calls or send texts together.
          • Use templates from the JRL Master Folder in 01-Recruiting, including phone and text scripts and sign-up links.
      • Reach Out to Cold Contacts
        • Families, especially those not living in the tournament area, may also reach out to new cold contacts through organizations and community connections.
        • Use approved strategies (outlined below) to identify and contact outside groups.
          • Use the recruiting hub to organize and track regional efforts for each tournament to avoid duplication
          • Utilize available templates in the JRL Master Folder in 01-Recruiting such as letters, phone scripts, etc.
          • Again, refer to the Expanding Your “Friends & Family” Circle for cold contact ideas not already listed in your recruiting hub.
        • Extend Your Reach with Social Media
          • Social media can be a powerful recruitment tool when used appropriately.
          • Follow NCFCA social media policy
          • Families may share judge recruitment posts privately with friends.
  • Judge Identification Protocols
    • All judges must complete the “Referred By” field when registering.
      • Judges can list either the person who invited them or the organization name
    • Judges are required to create a free NCFCA account during registration.
    • Upon arrival at an in-person tournament:
      • Judges must check in and wear a name badge for identification and security purposes.

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