Congratulations to the 2025 Steve Schmidly Coaching Award recipient Kelli Clancy of Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy.
Ms Clancy’s nominating student had this to say about her:
“ In 2020, Kelli came to Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy to create our first mock trial team. Soon after arriving at our small, all-girls school, she became the dedicated and ambitious backbone of our team. Her tough love and tireless efforts have shaped us into the formidable competitors we are today. Back then, we were a new team, so no one expected much from us. Kelli certainly changed that. She could’ve sat back and let us crash and burn with the little experience we had, but she didn’t. She could’ve written all our material for us and done no real coaching, but she didn’t. She could’ve left the school altogether in search of a more experienced team, but she didn’t. Instead, Kelli has spent countless hours making sure we understand the legal rules and processes of mock trial. She always makes herself available to us when we have questions despite her hectic work schedule. She arranges scrimmages and cross-examinations with attorneys and legal associates to make sure we’re in the best condition possible for competition.”
Then, the student talked about a situation of concern that was affecting their school and how Ms. Clancy stepped up to help them learn how to be advocates outside the courtroom.
“With her support, we decided to speak at several Wake County School Board meetings to voice our discontent and take our concerns to the local news. She continued to support us throughout the situation over several months while also coaching us through our mock trial season… We would not have been able to accomplish this without Kelli’s help. Her mentorship over years in mock trial, her encouragement to stand up for what we believe in, and her support throughout the entire crisis were instrumental in the outcome. We’ve gained lifelong advocacy skills through this experience, through mock trial, and most impactfully, through the teaching and encouragement of Kelli Clancy.”
The Steve Schmidly Coaching Award is presented to a lawyer, coach, teacher or administrator who has been instrumental to the North Carolina Mock Trial Program and more importantly, to their students, through their excellence in advocacy, coaching, and support of their school or team.
Steve Schmidly coached the Asheboro High School Mock Trial team for over 10 years. His teams won multiple state championships and competed at a national level. More importantly than the wins, Steve brought a passion and a spirit of selflessness to the young people he coached. He was a band director in a past life, before he became a lawyer, and he never lost that passion for teaching and impacting young people in a positive manner. He relished in passing on his knowledge to his students, in teaching his students not just how to present a competition, but how to think. Steve frequently spent twenty or thirty hours a week working with his students, year in and year out. He was a lawyer with a brilliant mind and boundless energy, and he loved each of the students he worked with, no matter their differences. His students have gone on to become teachers, scientists, members of the armed forces, ministers, doctors, newscasters and yes, even lawyers. Win or lose, Steve armed his students with a skillset that enabled them to become successful adults and positive contributors to society.
The North Carolina High School Mock Trial Program Board of Directors may consider a variety of factors in determining a worthy recipient, including, but not limited to selflessness, outreach to young people, impact to a school, community or program and competitive excellence. While no one factor is determinative, the Board will look to select a recipient that embodies the impact that Steve had on his students’ lives.
