The Coaches Manual is being updated for the 2026-27 season. Each updated section header is linked below. The Essay section is still undergoing revision. We'll post a link to the complete 2026-27 manual as soon as possible.

Cover and Notebook Tabs

Cover Page

Spine

Labels for Tabs (2 versions)

p. i Table of Contents

p. iii How to Use This Manual

Contact Information/Names and Dates

p. 1 Advisory Board

p. 2 Competition Coordinators

p. 3 USAD/State Officials

p. 4 Competition Dates

p. 5 Calendar

Background Information

p. 6 GAD History

p. 8 How the Decathlon Works

p. 9 To the AD Coach

Registration/Team Eligibility/Study Strategies

p. 10 District Registration

p. 11 Team Selection

p. 13 Team Eligibility

p. 16 Teams and Conditions

no pages 17-19

GPA Calculation Information (links to USAD Coaches webpage - scroll to bottom right)

p. 20 Request for Student Replacement (Sample form)

p. 21 Academic Elective Course

p. 23 Study Strategies

p. 25 Additional Study Strategies

District Competition

p. 27 Conducting a District-level AD Program

Testing

p. 29 What Tests to Take?

p. 30 Guidelines for District-level Testing

p. 31 USAD Calculator Policy

p. 32 Testing Answer Form

Essay

p. 31 Essay

p. 35 Judging Essay and Rubric Explanation

p. 36 Essay Practice Prompts

Essay Rubric - not included in the section download

Interview

p. 37 Interview

p. 38 How Interview is Judged

p. 40 Interview – Sample Topics

p. 41 Tips for Constructing a Resume

p. 42 Interview – Sample Resumes

p. 44 Interview -Sample Schedule

Interview Evaluation Form

Speech

p. 45 Speech

p. 46 Prepared Speech

p. 48 Speech – Coaching Tips

p. 50 Speech Descriptors

p. 51 Impromptu Preparation

p. 54 Speech “Toastmasters” Tips

p. 55 Speech Evaluation Form - not included in the section download

p. 56 Timing Cards

p. 59 Sample Speech Schedule

Showcase Speeches

Super Quiz

p. 60 Super Quiz – Relay

p. 61 Super Quiz – Scoring

Scoring

p. 62 Explanation of Scoring

p. 63 Scoring Tips

p. 64 Division Groupings

p. 65 Wild Card Invitational

p. 66 Wild Card-Directions for Calculating Scores

Wild Card Self-calculating Excel Spreadsheet (This .xls file includes instructions and a sample spreadsheet)

State Competition

p. 71 Teams Advancing to State Competition

p. 73 Code of Student Conduct

p. 74 Dress Code

p. 75 General Rules

p. 76 State Competition – Identification Numbers

Volunteer Form (online form)

Documents no longer in the Coaches Manual

Pages in this section are updated yearly and found in the Forms and State Competition Registration Packet sections of the website (will be updated every January). If a link to an online form isn’t active the form is probably not updated yet. 

p. 77 Competition Schedule

p. 78 Directions

p. 79 Parkview Campus Map

Intent to Participate (online form)

Preliminary Team Roster (online form)

p. 80 Return Cover Sheet

p. 81 Coach’s Agreement

p. 82 Team Registration

p. 84 Request for Special Needs/Consideration

p. 85 Student Registration

p. 86 GPA Worksheet Instructions

GPA Excel Worksheet (links to USAD website)

p. 88 Awards Banquet Reservations

p. 89 Hotel Room Registration Information

p. 90 Hotel Rooming List

Media Information (online form)

T-Shirt Order (online form)

Appendix

GAD Honor Cord Order Form – links to online store

USAD Content Standards