Debate as an elitist activity can be defined in two ways: it may mean that entry to a tournament is restricted to only a few participants from any one school, or it may mean that although a wide range of students may participate in debate, only the best debaters are allowed to compete in prestigious national tournaments. The restriction on the number of participants from one school that may attend a tournament may be justified by a number of arguments, including the limited number of students that can be covered by any one judge at a tournament. The practice of sending only the finest debaters to national tournaments may also be justified by several arguments, such as the fact that the "star system" provides an incentive for debaters to work hard to become members of the traveling squad. An appropriate response to these rationalizations is that they have both positive and negative aspects and that the term "elite" may be placed in a broader perspective so that an egalitarian approach may be taken. In implementing that approach, debate coaches must take steps to make debate available to as many students as possible. These steps include hosting and attending tournaments that emphasize sound educational practices and staying actively involved in coaching and tournament judging. (DF)