This year, the ND Mock trial team strove to improve in big ways. There were many new changes made, including a brand new coach for the team and the activity becoming a registered team, not just a club, as it was in previous years.
Eric Kizirian, a Notre Dame parent himself, took on the challenge to improve the team and make it better than ever. He stepped up earlier this year, volunteering to become the main coach of the team.
Coach Kizirian has been a part of the ND community for two years now. Last year he was a parent volunteer for the team.
This year Coach Kizirian vowed to make big changes to the team, starting with holding tryouts, which the team hasn’t had in previous years. Instead of the 50 participants that competed last year, he limited the team’s capacity to just over 25 students.
These tryouts took place in the beginning of September and all of the participants attending were required to memorize a short speech. They then presented this speech to Coach Kizirian.
The 25 participants that made the team were offered either the position of witness, attorney, bailiff, or timekeeper.
Not only had Coach Kizirian significantly slimmed the team’s size down with tryouts but he also made it a much bigger time commitment for the participants. He specifically asked those who tried out for the team to commit to not missing any practices and to absolutely be there for the competition.
This is a big difference from last year’s team commitment requirements. Last year, Coach Kizirian noticed commitment was an issue for the team. Kizirian decided that making Mock Trial a bigger priority for the participants was something that would improve the team.
The new coach’s vision for the team was to get Notre Dame farther than it had ever gone before. He stated, “… I believe through the tryout process and the dedication and statements that we received from the students we do have a very committed hard-working group that I think will perform well. I think this composition of the team is what is going to give the confidence for success for the team.”
While students have won individual awards in the past, the team hasn’t won the county competition, or even gone past the first three preliminary rounds.
The new changes ultimately paid off, as the team advanced all the way up to the semi finals. Out of the 92 teams, Notre Dame advanced all the way to the final four, further than they had ever gone before.
Unfortunately they lost to Flintridge Prep, last year’s champions. However, on the upside, this year’s team has made it far further than any other team in Notre Dame’s history. While excited about this year’s progress, they are ready to do it all again next year and hopefully advance even further into the competition.
