Alabama Ain't That Sweet
Well, I spent the last 2 months pouring all of my time and energy into a trial team competition, TYLA. It took place this weekend in Birmingham. It was a regional round, so there were 26 teams from 13 schools in Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama. Our two teams came out of each round feeling awesome about ourselves. Feeling really confident because we got positive remarks; we were completely memorized and the other teams were using notes; we were polished and the other teams fumbled; we objected well and had good arguments when objected to, while the other teams were stumbling and trying to figure out what to do with the objections that we made. By Saturday night, we felt like we were definitely going to advance to the Elite Eight. 26 teams narrowed down to 8.
Now, let me first say that we had spent the last month saying that we didn't want to advance. Why would we want to win the region?? That would mean spending another 1.5 months working on a completely new packet! Wasting our entire semester on one competition. Being stressed beyond recognition to our friends and families, and then going to compete at the national round in Texas in April. We kept saying we didn't want to advance.
But of course we wanted to advance. No one wants to put in months of hard work only to fail. We wanted to advance, and we had the work product to take us there.
We did not advance. Not even into the Elite Eight. Our other team won 0 of their 3 preliminary rounds, and my team won 1 of our 3 preliminary rounds. One of my team's losses was by 6 points. We were devastated. The team we barely lost to advanced, and they should have because they were awesome. But they were also the host school, and before the round they were talking to the judges and the witnesses, which isn't allowed. My co-counsel and I were under the impression that the host school couldn't advance, so we didn't say anything about it. If I had known they could, I would have protested. But they were really good and deserved it. The other team we lost to was from UF, and they were not good. The girl fell all over herself when I objected to her and she had a hard time recovering. She spent her closing argument looking and sounding like she was about to cry. She also used a dry erase board to make a point, but used a marker that didn't work. We did awesome in that round! I controlled my witnesses and made good arguments and did an AWESOME job on my closing. Ben was really great and likeable and controlled his witnesses well. We should have won. We were devastated.
So I will look at the positive:
1. I can now spend the rest of my semester focusing on the Bar and becoming more prepared for it.
2. I will not be as stressed and can be home more.
3. I can start doing devotions again, because we haven't done one this entire time.
4. I will have the time to start exercising, and possibly doing Zumba with Shezel.
5. I will have the time to actually hang out with my friends instead of feeling like I never see anyone.
6. I feel more confident with my evidence and I learned that I don't get as nervous as I expect myself to get.
7. I made friends with some fun people.
These are all very positive things. And yet, I'm still devastated.
Now, let me first say that we had spent the last month saying that we didn't want to advance. Why would we want to win the region?? That would mean spending another 1.5 months working on a completely new packet! Wasting our entire semester on one competition. Being stressed beyond recognition to our friends and families, and then going to compete at the national round in Texas in April. We kept saying we didn't want to advance.
But of course we wanted to advance. No one wants to put in months of hard work only to fail. We wanted to advance, and we had the work product to take us there.
We did not advance. Not even into the Elite Eight. Our other team won 0 of their 3 preliminary rounds, and my team won 1 of our 3 preliminary rounds. One of my team's losses was by 6 points. We were devastated. The team we barely lost to advanced, and they should have because they were awesome. But they were also the host school, and before the round they were talking to the judges and the witnesses, which isn't allowed. My co-counsel and I were under the impression that the host school couldn't advance, so we didn't say anything about it. If I had known they could, I would have protested. But they were really good and deserved it. The other team we lost to was from UF, and they were not good. The girl fell all over herself when I objected to her and she had a hard time recovering. She spent her closing argument looking and sounding like she was about to cry. She also used a dry erase board to make a point, but used a marker that didn't work. We did awesome in that round! I controlled my witnesses and made good arguments and did an AWESOME job on my closing. Ben was really great and likeable and controlled his witnesses well. We should have won. We were devastated.
So I will look at the positive:
1. I can now spend the rest of my semester focusing on the Bar and becoming more prepared for it.
2. I will not be as stressed and can be home more.
3. I can start doing devotions again, because we haven't done one this entire time.
4. I will have the time to start exercising, and possibly doing Zumba with Shezel.
5. I will have the time to actually hang out with my friends instead of feeling like I never see anyone.
6. I feel more confident with my evidence and I learned that I don't get as nervous as I expect myself to get.
7. I made friends with some fun people.
These are all very positive things. And yet, I'm still devastated.