In-Depth: Talk About Confidence

What does it mean to win? Does it mean taking home the title? Or does it mean taking what life's handed you and, with the right opportunity, turning it into more than you could ever imagine?

Trish Van Pilsum spent five months tagging along with two girls from North High School in Minneapolis to see what happens when young people become part of a team that teaches them to believe in their own intelligence and the strength of their own voices.

On a day designed just for homecoming, the Polars of North Community High School in Minneapolis headed to the gym to rally for the football team. It's the kind of rah-rah the kids who were about the head upstairs wouldn't get.

They're the members of the debate team.

Every policy debate team in the state tackles the same topic: this year it's the federal energy policy. They'll have to be ready to argue both sides of the issue.

Saturday's start early for debaters, and on this Saturday the North High debaters are sharing a bus with other city school on their way to a tournament at the University of Minnesota.

There was a time when Minneapolis schools didn't have debate teams, while kids in the suburbs have debated for decades.

Minneapolis schools still don’t budget for debate teams, which are made possible by private funding from the Urban Debate League.

North's very part-time coach is not with them on their bus ride to the U of M, so the responsibility falls to team member Brittany -- as if she doesn't have enough to worry about.

And there's a pretty good chance that out of all the debaters heading to the tournament season, there isn't one of them who knows what it's like to be without a home -- except Brittany.

"Right now I'm not staying with my mother, or my dad," Brittany said. "We're having a really hard time the past couple of months. So I'm out of there. I was having trouble getting everything I needed to get done for school done in that environment."

Where she is staying, she won't say -- only that she's safe. So, the stress of a tournament is a relief. Debate gives her something else to think about and good people to support her.

The North High debaters arrive at the tournament with a single plastic tub filled with argument outlines, evidence, quotes and data from experts. Thei tub is dwarfed by the towers of tubs wielded by suburban teams.

The competition often has the advantage of several coaches and daily debate classes -- something Brittany and her team don't have. Still, they start the season with confidence.

The first tournament, they lost every round.

"You always leave things hanging at the bottom a little bit and the other team capitalizes on it," a judge tells them."

"That was like a slap in the face," Brittany said. "It was like getting hit by a car. Realizing how unprepared we really were. But it made me work harder."

At the next tournament, North lost all but one round.

"My thing is improving round to round," Brittany said. "Tournament to tournament. And as long as that's happening, the losses don't hurt so much."

Brittany's teammate, Kristell, went her first full debate season without winning a single round. The challenge of getting that first win, even it was only one round, was what kept her motivated.

"I like challenges," Kristell said. "And complex things. And debate is complex. I really wanted to win just one round."

A single win in year two. Not bad for a 16-year-old who didn't speak any English until she was 12.

"I grew up in Mexico," she said. "I lived with my grandparents. My mom lived here. She got married here. Went back. She took me first. Then my brother."

Kristell always thought she watned to be a lawyer. Now she knows for sure, and debate has given her that confidence.

Three months later, a much more confident North High team competed at sections, daring to hope for a spot at the state tournament.

"That was my goal all year long," Brittany said. "I need to qualify for state."

They qualified, bringing them back to the University of Minnesota.

"My legs went weak for a moment actually," Brittany said, after learning the Polars qualified.

Six rounds of debate leave them feeling hopeful. The round went exactly like the prayed it would. As expectation raise, they raise the standards for themselves.

The announcer lists off teams headed to state: The Blake School…Wayzata…right past the number for North.

"They went right past our number and I thought, sad, but my instant reaction was what could I do to help my buddies from South," Brittany said.

South is the oldest and largest Urban Debate League team.'

They wouldn't cry about it until later that night, but their coach is disappointed for them.

"The thing is, I know for a fact they're both going to get what I wanted for them in there later when it matters more," debate coach Eli said. "It will be when they're in law school or up for tenure review or doing mergers. These girls are going to get it because they're going to get it. But I don't think they should have to wait."

But their teachers know