Millard steps down after 20 years as H-D-CAL’s Mock Trial coach

The final gavel has fallen on Lori Millard’s career as the Hampton-Dumont-CAL High School Mock Trial coach.

Millard earlier this year announced that she will retire from the position after leading the team for the last 20 years, a decision she did not make lightly.

“It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve made because I still feel strongly for the program, the school and community have been amazing in their support, but I’m just getting up there in age and I feel like 20 years was a nice, round number,” she said.

Millard’s 20 year tenure as mock trial coach began rather unexpectedly. When she joined the district as a high school social studies teacher, administration asked that she also assume the leadership position as the mock trail team. Admittedly, Millard knew little about mock trial itself, but had enough coaching experience she figured she could lead the students and gain the knowledge along the way.

“When I first got my job at H-D, they said, ‘By the way, you’ll be the mock trial coach as well,’ and I said, ‘Wonderful, but what is mock trial?’” she recalled. “I didn’t know what it was at the time but I was willing to do it and jump right in.”

Millard said when she first began, she worked to make connections with the Iowa Bar Association, which sponsors mock trial, in order to learn the ropes of the competition. She said she picked up tips and pointers here and there, but what really eased her into the position were the students.

“When it came to that very first year and first regional competition…I was fortunate to have kids that worked so hard and dedicated themselves,” she said. “When I got to see them in competition, I was absolutely amazed by their performance, competitiveness, poise and abilities.”

After that first year, Millard added that she knew she had stumbled into a program she wanted to help grow.

“I thought this was something that really needs to thrive and continue on,” she said.

Throughout the next 20 years, Millard-led H-D mock trial teams qualified for state 17 times, a remarkable achievement considering all schools in Iowa compete in the same class and just 32 reach the state level each year. On a few occasions, H-D was able to place in the top half of schools.

Millard said there wasn’t a strategy or game plan that led to the success of the teams, but was rather a product of students’ determination and willingness to do what it takes to reach the next level.

“Every time we went to State, the kids absolutely shined and did an amazing job,” she said.

She credits the longevity of the program’s success to the constant cycle of established leaders and upcoming, motivated students. With two teams, Millard said younger students were able to learn from upperclassmen then put that knowledge to use. Year by year, those younger students would grow into the next group of veteran leaders.

“My older, more experienced kids were so good about getting involved and recruiting kids and then being good leaders to bring them along,” she said. “By the time they graduated, we had someone coming up that had good experience.”

She added that the administration, the community and the students’ parents were major contributors to the success of the program as well due to their support and willingness to help in any way possible.

Millard said, without a doubt, what she’ll miss most about mock trial are the students. Watching them work together while they were part of the team and then catching up with them after leaving the program, she said, was what made the job worthwhile and kept her involved for 20 years.

“The way they handle themselves and their willingness to work hard…and on top of that, you spend so much time together with a small group of kids, you become almost like a family,” she said.