Who we are
Coaching from a nationally competitive debater.
Sun Debate Academy is a private debate coaching agency for elementary and middle school students, founded by Lincoln-Douglas debater James Sun.
James Sun
Founder and Head Coach
James is a Lincoln-Douglas debater from Bellevue, Washington. At the 2026 NSDA National Tournament he placed in the top 34 of more than 260 competitors, and 3rd at the Washington State Championships.
He captains Bellevue Speech & Debate, a team of about 100 students, where he raised the share of novices reaching varsity from 29% to 71%.
Beyond debate rounds, James is:
- President and CEO of UpWord, an international speech and debate nonprofit for students from immigrant and multilingual families
- National Committee Coordinator on the national staff of High School Democrats of America
- National Director of Growth at One Shot, One Story, a gun violence prevention nonprofit, where he helped open 17 chapters in 8 new states
- A volunteer NSDA debate judge and AP Scholar with Honor
Competitive record
James's highlights
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Top 34 in the nation
2026 NSDA National Tournament, out of 260+ competitors nationwide.
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#1 in Washington for his grade, across all events
Ranked the top competitor in Washington's Class of 2028 by the NSDA Honor Society, cumulative across all speech and debate events, two years in a row.
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3rd in Washington State
Washington State Championships, the highest finish of any sophomore.
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District champion
Won the Western Washington District Tournament without losing a judge's vote.
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Undefeated champion of four tournaments
Won four Washington tournaments without losing a round.
Talk with James about your student.
A consultation is the easiest way to see if Sun Debate Academy fits your student.