2026 Silicon Valley Spark

Event Details:

• Dates: Jan. 30-31, 2026
• Location: West Valley College, 14000 Fruitvale Ave, Saratoga, CA 95070
• This is a qualifying Stoa speech tournament, hosted by Clash Debate Club and Legacy Speech Club. All competitors must meet Stoa Eligibility Rules and be members of Stoa.

Students will speak to Community and Alumni Judges:

We aim to recruit around 150 community judges so that students have the chance to make an impact on people outside of the Stoa community. We want the tournament to run on time so that these valued volunteers aren't waiting around for rounds to start.

Please invite anyone who can serve as a judge! Judges can sign up by clicking "Community and Alumni Judges" on this website or go here : https://stoahub.org/tournament/silicon-valley-spark-tournament-2026/communityjudgeregistration 

Please help our tournament run on time!

Students

• Check in with a parent or responsible adult who will judge: 7-7:25 am. After 7:25 am, students risk forfeiting the first round. If you are going to be late or need to drop last minute, please text Sarah Hong at this number: (650) 996-8721‬
• Get to your rooms promptly to avoid delays and keep rounds running efficiently! Don't keep judges waiting.

Parents: 

• Come to Ballot Push 40 minutes before rounds start, and be ready to judge at least 3 rounds each day! Your availability will help us start rounds on time.
• Please wait at Ballot Push, because we will prioritize giving ballots to Community Judges first. We will especially need parents for the first round and final round, when there may be fewer community judges.

Debate

• Team Policy Debate
• Lincoln Douglas Debate

Speech Patterns

• Students are responsible for getting to events on time. Judges will not wait more than 10 minutes for the last speech in the room. 
• These are tentative patterns. They will likely be adjusted after registration closes in order to lessen the number of students with more than 3 events per pattern.

Pattern A (Tentative)

• Duo Interpretation
• Extemporaneous
• Humorous Interpretation
• Impromptu
• Mars Hill
• Original Oratory

Pattern B (Tentative)

• Apologetics
• Dramatic Interpretation
• Expository
• Open Interpretation
• Persuasive
• Slam Poetry

Registration

Before registering, read info tabs on this website, including Script Submission.

• Opens: Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, 9 am PT
• Closes: Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, 9 pm PT
• Meal orders: due Thursday Jan. 22, 9 pm.
• Read Tab on Script Submission for dates and late fees for Script Submission.
• Fees: $45 per debate event, $30 per speech event
• Beginning Monday Jan. 5, 3 pm
  • Unpaid registrations dropped
  • No refunds
  • Fee of $20 per dropped event

Waitlists

• If an event shows as waitlist-only, please register under the waitlist, and we will notify you via email if space becomes available.

Questions?

• Registration questions: legacyregistrar@gmail.com.
• Script submission questions: script.siliconvalley.spark@gmail.com
• Community judge questions: judges.sv@legacyspeechclub.com
• Other questions: svspark.tournament@gmail.com 
• For last minute drops or late arrivals, text Sarah Hong at (650) 996-8721‬

Thank you!
Silicon Valley Spark Tournament Team