Terms of Service

1. Who these terms cover

These terms govern use of Podium Debate's coaching program and online portal. A parent or legal guardian is always the account holder and the party responsible for payment and for agreeing to these terms, not the student.

2. The service

Podium Debate provides Lincoln-Douglas debate and speaking coaching, including live cohort sessions, optional 1:1 coaching, written progress notes, internal practice tournaments, and access to member coaching resources. Enrollment is non-exclusive. You're free to participate in a school team or another program at the same time.

3. Payment

The Core plan and hourly 1:1 sessions are billed through Stripe. There is no mandatory upfront or joining fee. Current pricing is published on our pricing page and may change over time. Active members will be notified of price changes before they take effect.

4. Cancellation & attendance

1:1 and sibling/pair sessions. Cancel at least 24 hours before the start and there is no charge. Cancel inside 24 hours and a 50% fee applies. Cancel inside 6 hours, or miss the session without cancelling, and the full session is charged. These are defaults; we can make exceptions at our discretion.

Group cohort sessions. These never carry a fee and never deduct credit. They run on a fixed weekly schedule, so if a student cannot make one, that week is simply missed: there is no make-up session, and the written notes in the portal are there to catch up from.

Core plan 1:1 hours. A Core plan on the 1:1 track includes a set number of coaching hours for each billing month. Those hours are for that month only: they must be booked and used before the next billing date, and any unused hours are not carried into the next month or refunded. Purchased hour credits are separate and are not affected by this.

The Core plan itself can be cancelled at any time and stays active through the period already paid for. Full detail is on our refund & cancellation policy page.

5. Conduct

We expect respectful conduct from students, parents, and coaches in every session and every messaging channel. We reserve the right to pause or end a family's enrollment if that expectation isn't met.

6. Member resources

Coaching materials, case files, and drills shared with members are for that family's personal use only and aren't to be redistributed or resold.

7. Liability & travel tournaments

Podium Debate may help coordinate or provide guidance for external and travel tournaments, but does not cover the costs of those tournaments and is not responsible for the policies or conduct of tournaments we don't host directly.

8. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of North Carolina.

9. Changes

We may update these terms as the program evolves. Material changes will be communicated to active members.

10. Contact

Questions about these terms? Reach out through our contact page.