RECORDS MEANT TO BE RECORDED, NOT JUST BROKEN
By Al Mattei
Founder, TopOfTheCircle.com
High-school records are important. They not only provide information for comparison across seasons, eras, and regions, but they also give the passionate girls' lacrosse fan some perspective.
And, in keeping with the historical perspective this website maintains, a re-tooled and updated national statistical database is entirely appropriate. We have always believed that girls' and women's lacrosse is a living history, and American lacrosse cannot move forward unless it knows where the game has been.
To that end, if we can prod the National Federation in streamlining its record authentication process, or to get athletic directors and coaches to actually submit the correct documentation about their girls' lacrosse teams, we think this effort will be worth it.
Here are some basic rules about what we're trying to do with The Rebel Project, based on the rules and regulations set forth in the National Records Committee Policy Handbook and the scoring conventions of national collegiate statistics director Chip Rogers:
1. The Rebel Project recognizes all performances from varsity teams that follow the rules and regulations of their state associations, or the rules of the national or international governing bodies of field hockey, competing against other competitors on varsity teams which also follow their respective rules.
2. The Rebel Project will not list in separate categories any records set by special schools (i.e., college preparatory, charter, magnet, parochial, pay-to-play club). Records for these schools, and any other exceptions, will be incorporated into the high school listings as long as all prior qualifications are met.
3. The Rebel Project defines an athletic career as being as long as the state high-school association deems it (i.e., New York public high school players should not be penalized for being eligible as young as 7th Grade). It is, however, limited to two semesters per academic year, with the last two semesters being consecutive, and attendance of 15 days shall count as a semester of participation.
4. The Rebel Project will not list marks that are solely of a negative nature (i.e., fewest saves, most goals conceded, most consecutive games without a win, margin of victory).
5. The Rebel Project will list the complete record (including names of individuals or teams involved) when the record involved a "positive," (i.e., fastest goal, most goals in a game).
6. The Rebel Project will refuse to list, or will delist, any individual, team, and institutional national records when action is taken subsequent to the establishment of the record rendering the record-holder ineligible, or necessitating forfeiture of a contest or contests.
7. The Rebel Project lists records even in the event of continued nonparticipation by the involved state association (e.g., Illinois High School Association) or in the complete absence of the same (Midwest Athletic Association).
8. For the purposes of recognizing a career mark in The Rebel Project, a "career" is defined as a minimum of two varsity seasons.
9a. For the purpose of recognizing a season mark in The Rebel Project, a "season" is defined as all timed, scored, and umpired regular-season contests within the limits of the state association (if any), any and all in-season tournaments (including consolation games), plus all contests in league, sub-state-level, and state association-sponsored playoffs up to and including a state championship contest.
9b. This also applies to postseason competitions in which a loss does not prevent a team from advancing to the next round of competition (e.g., Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association).
10a. For the purposes of recordkeeping, a "goal" is defined as the act of scoring in a game whilst the game is in regulation or overtime play.
11a. For the purposes of recordkeeping, an "assist" is defined as the act of making the final pass to a goal-scorer only if the pass improved the scorer's position or not. Like basketball, double-assists should never be awarded.
11b: if a shot is saved by the goalie, deflects off a defender, or strikes the goal frame, then an offensive player collects the rebound and scores, the original shooter should not get the assist.
12. For the purposes of recordkeeping, a "save" is defined as the goalkeeper making a stop of any shot or pass that would have been a sure goal if she had not made the play. A save cannot be awarded unless there is a shot taken; for example, a deep cross outside the circle that is not touched by the attack, but is intercepted by the goalie, is not a save since she could have let the ball go over the sideline and it would have been a side-in.
12a: For the purposes of recordkeeping, a "defensive save" is defined as the act of a field player legally stopping a sure goal with her stick when she is the deputy for the goalie.
12b. For the purposes of compiling statistics, the number of "team saves" equals the sum of a team's goalkeeper and defensive saves.
What is undisputable about this list is that, while it may be less inaccurate than the National Federation record book, it undoubtedly has some holes in it.
Some records may never be included because of inaccurate or shoddy record-keeping, plus there may be a number or two askew, since a lot of these are from personal research and memory.
We invite you to send email to us at TopOfTheCircle@gmail.com with any additions or corrections you may have. When you do, make sure you tell us the year the record was set, as well as the name of a contact person and contact information so that we can confirm it.
For team records, click here.
For individual records, click here.
To compare with the National Federation record book as posted on-line, click here.
And, by all means, let us know about any entry which should be added! This is meant to be an ongoing, living project meant to recognize those players and teams which have not gotten proper recognition.