46 teams battled for the prestigious honor of National High School Mock Trial Champion in Hartford, Connecticut last weekend. \u00a0When it was all said and done, 10 teams were called to the stage at the Awards Gala.<\/p>\n
7 had one thing in common:<\/span><\/p>\n They competed at an Empire Mock Trial program last fall. <\/span><\/p>\n Including the National Champion, Central Carolina Homeschoolers, 7 out of the top 10 teams in the U.S. attended an Empire program in 2016<\/span>\u2014<\/span>and many say Empire helped them get there. <\/span><\/p>\n “Competing against the best teams in the world helps you prepare for the intense level of competition you see at Nationals,” said student Jared Steckl from Henry W. Grady High School, whose team placed 3rd at Nationals. “Without Empire we would’ve been at a huge disadvantage.” \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Reflecting on the year, Nevada State Champion coach Jocelyne Uy wrote: <\/span><\/p>\n “Empire was the game changer in our program. \u00a0The amazing experiences we had were the catalyst for this year’s incredible season,” her team, Faith Lutheran High School, placed 10th at Nationals. <\/span><\/p>\n “Once we competed at Empire we knew we could do anything.”<\/span><\/p>\n Starting their season in July, Empire teams prepared 3 cases over the course of 9 months. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n How’s that for dedication? <\/span><\/p>\n “It’s the challenge that motivates the students,” said Empire Executive Director Justin Matarrese. “And that’s why competition, with the right atmosphere, can be a beautiful thing for young people; it pushes them to their limits, and enables their growth, without them even realizing it.” <\/span><\/p>\n Teams agree.<\/span><\/p>\n Empire World Champion Coach Bill Schrier of Carmel High School (CA) has attended Empire for the past 3 years.<\/span><\/p>\n “It changed our program. I can’t imagine having had the year we just had without Empire.”<\/span><\/p>\n “Our involvement has made us a stronger program and is a major reason why we’ve been so successful during our state competition,” added Eric August, coach of the Trumbull High School team from Connecticut.<\/span><\/p>\n Skyler Schwartzreich of sixth place American Heritage (FL) was emphatic:<\/span><\/p>\n “Empire is the reason I’m a state champion!” <\/span><\/p>\n But Empire is never just about the competition. Making sure that students get the opportunity to connect with each other is a fundamental part of the organization’s mission. \u00a0Daniel Cowan, a student at Montgomery Bell Academy in Tennessee, talks about how that approach impacted him at Nationals: <\/span><\/p>\n “Empire introduced me to the idea that, although it’s primarily an event to try a case in a real-life setting, mock trial is also an event to meet and connect with new people.”<\/span><\/p>\n Despite winning a National Championship, Maggie Lanier, a student from the Central Carolina Homeschoolers group, left Nationals gushing about her Empire friendships: <\/span><\/p>\n “One of the coolest things about going to Nationals this year was seeing the support from our Empire family… a friend [from Empire] Facebooked me before the competition to wish me good luck and after to congratulate me!”<\/span><\/p>\n That is exactly the type of relationship building the organization strives to cultivate. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n “Trophies collect dust, whereas relationships last forever,” remarked Matarrese. \u00a0“In 10 years time, students are more likely to remember the friend(s) that they made rather than the trophy they earned.”<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n And that\u2019s a wrap on the 2017 National High School Mock Trial Championship. \u00a0Congratulations to our friends at\u00a0<\/span>Civics First<\/a><\/strong> on hosting a wonderful event in Hartford.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n