About Us

Our Philosophy

At Apex Debate, we believe debate is more than just an extracurricular—it’s a training ground for life.

Our coaching goes beyond flowcharts and evidence files. We teach students to think critically, speak persuasively, collaborate effectively, and stay composed under pressure—skills that stay with them far beyond competition.

We value clarity over jargon, strategy over scripts, and growth over perfection. Whether your child is preparing for their first local tournament or the national circuit, we’re here to help them rise to the challenge—with purpose, discipline, and confidence.

Our Expertise

We specialize in Public Forum debate—one of the most popular and competitive high school and middle school debate formats in the U.S.

Years of firsthand experience on the national PF circuit
Deep understanding of argument strategy, round framing, judge adaptation, and second-layer analysis

Track record of helping students place at major invitationals, improve speaker points, and qualify for advanced competition
Coaching tailored to each student’s level, learning style, and goals

Every lesson is built around what actually wins rounds—and helps students love debate along the way.

Our Services

1:1 Private Coaching

Personalized instruction tailored to each student
Focus on speaking drills, strategy, round structure, and flow
Detailed, actionable feedback after every session

Group Classes

Weekly PF classes (max 6 students)
Topic prep, crossfire practice, and round strategy
Collaborative drills and live feedback

Tournament Prep & Coaching

Bootcamps

Focused sessions on topic prep, case polishing, judge adaptation, and advanced strategy
Runthroughs of rebuttal blocks and second-layer framing
Tailored for upcoming tournaments and partner coordination

On-Call Tournament Support

Real-time strategy advice between rounds
Text, call, or video access to Coach Elizabeth for quick pivots and judge-specific adjustments
Available virtually or in-person (location-dependent)
Peace of mind for students and parents throughout the tournament weekend

All services are offered virtually, with select in-person support available for major tournaments. Flexible scheduling to fit school and travel calendars.

Meet the Coach

Elizabeth Kim, Founder & Head Coach

Elizabeth debated for five years at Lake Highland Preparatory School in Florida, serving as team captain during her junior and senior years. As captain, she led and coached several novice and middle school teams to competitive success. Throughout her senior season, she consistently advanced to late elimination rounds at national tournaments, including Yale, Harvard, Glenbrooks, Blake, Emory, and Lexington.

She also received numerous individual accolades, including 5th speaker out of 796 competitors at the Harvard Invitational, 3rd speaker out of 390 at the Emory Invitational, and recognition as a top 5 nationally ranked "first speaker." On the state level, she is a two-time state qualifier and has won multiple district and regional tournaments.

As a coach, Elizabeth’s love for debate drives her coaching, inspiring students to build confidence, think critically, and perform at their best. She has taught over 100 students across all skill levels and ages. Notably, under her coaching, her team rose from #75 nationally to #1, improved their win rate by 75%, and captured first place at the Yale and Harvard Invitationals. She thrives under ambiguity and has a problem-solving mindset, as evidenced by her one-on-one work with students, parents, and other instructors to identify problem areas and provide individual attention to struggling students. After graduation, Elizabeth taught at several debate camps, where she received the highest instructor evaluation scores from her peers and students (of 20+ at the time), and her students had an unheard-of retention rate of 100%.

Elizabeth is a recent graduate of New York University, where she earned her degree in Economics and Finance.