Empire Atlanta 2016 {The Preperation}

My team arrived in Atlanta for the Empire Mock Trial 2016 competion last Thursday. For me it would be my second-and last time-competing at an Empire competition.

The first two days we were down there were preparation days...we spent our days scrimmaging other teams and running material.

We stayed in the Omni Hotel...this was our view looking out at the city. I thought it was absolutely lovely!

This was the CNN center/food court that was connected to the hotel...where we ate a majority or our meals.

This is from friday...but it clearly depicts what so many of our meals looked like. Chick-fill-a and debriefings! =)

Thursday's scrimmage...

Thursday after arriving we headed down to scrimmage a sweet team from Texas. We played the Prosecution, while they portrayed the Defense. Their attorneys had a very conversational style of presenting and their witnesses provided us with new challenges that we had not yet encountered.

After the scrimmage some of us grabbed a bite to eat in the food court and then we headed up the Opening Ceremony...which was SO much fun!! The format of the ceremony was simple... 1) a welcome, 2) a speaker, 3) the pin exchange, and 4) the team challenge event. 

The last two may require some explanation. The pin exchange is super fun and a great way to get to know other teams. Every team will bring some little trinkets to hand out (we brought pens that said something like "eat, sleep, CCH mock trial"). During the pin exchange you just mingle with the other teams and exchange trinkets and get to know people.

The team challenge event is preety cool as well. It's a bit different depending on which Empire competition you attend but here how it works for the Atlanta competition. The GA teams get to challenge a non-GA to face them in the first round of competition. After all the GA teams pick their opponents other teams get a chance to challenge. If you get challenged you get to pick which side of the case you want. We were a challenger this year and challenged a sweet team from Alabama that chose to represent the Defense. More to come about the competition later. =)

We took LOTS of groupies over the course of the weekend... =)

Empire had a Photo booth set up which was very fun to do! Unfortunately we couldn't quite get the whole team in the picture.

Another photo booth picture...these girls are awesome! One of them (on the left) actually is competing in NYC next month but came down anyways to cheer us on. <3

Friday morning started bright and early...at least for most of us...ahem...some people slept in. =P We had a scrimmage scheduled for 8am so we met in the lobby at quarter till. This time we scrimmaged a team from the local area and played the Defense.

Me and my attorney +Alivia Talley! <3

Groupies once again while waiting for the team to gather in the lobby.

More waiting.

This is during the actual scrimmage. We were able to get LOTS of practice from this scrimmage and preety much the whole morning scrimmaging.


Let me just say...the Bar association building it had some cool elevators. The ceilings were mirrors. That provided for some preety cool pictures!

Here's my team in front of the Bar Association building where we scrimmaged Friday morning...yep we're homeschoolers.

After the scrimmage we talked through the scrimmage during lunch, ran some material, and then headed to the aquarium. The aquarium was super fun! Many of us had never been before. We were able to see some really neat things even due to the insane crowds... 

This is what took place while waiting for our group leader to take us to the aquarium!! If you have never done this before it's SO much fun. You position yourselves on top of chairs just right so when you remove the chairs you stay in the same position.

To say the least we were all a little worn out and ready for a nap by part way through the day. I guess that's what MT will do to you...hehe +David Bainbridge 

 So, after the aquarium we split up and all found dinner either in the food court or at Hard Rock Cafe. I was one of the few who chose to go to Hard Rock Cafe. While it may have not been the best restaurant to go to get escape the noise of the food court we definitely made some good memories there!

Only four of us kids went...Caleb, +David Bainbridge, +Alivia Talley, and myself.

Posing in front of Hard Rock after dinner.

After we all ate dinner we gathered together again for more practice and a time of prayer and worship before the first round of competition in the morning. That's one of the huge reasons I love my team so much. We don't just mock together...we hang out together, we goof off together, we pray together, and we even cry together.

What I'll always remember from friday night is praying together as a team and one person after another saying a variation of, "Lord, help us to praise you and to glorify you even if we lose." 

Those words are so easy to say when your entering a competition...thinking you'll do well. I don't think any of us had any clue what God was about to do and how we would actually get to live that prayer out by the end of the weekend.

More to come soon!

*Not all these pictures all mine...many of them were taken my other team members.