Records Should be Set in True Spirit of Athletic Competition

The adage “records are made to be broken” has been a part of our nation’s sports history for decades. 

Many remember Hank Aaron’s 715^th home run in 1974 that finally topped Babe Ruth’s career mark, followed in 1995 when Cal Ripken broke Lou Gehrig’s record of 2,130 consecutive games played.

At the high school level, the NFHS has been tracking records since 1979 when the first edition of the National High School Sports Record Book was published. With millions of students involved in high school sports every year, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of records broken every year.

One of the longest-standing records in high school football was the career rushing yards marks set by Ken Hall at Sugar Land (Texas) High School from 1950 to 1953. Hall, who was inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame in 1983, rushed for 11,232 yards during his four years. The record stood for 59 years until Derrick Henry, now one of the NFL’s all-time top running backs, rushed for 12,144 yards during his career at Yulee (Florida) High School that ended in 2012.

In girls basketball, one of the most amazing records is the blocked shots mark set by Brittney Griner of Houston (Texas) Nimitz High School in 2008. Griner blocked 25 shots in a game against Houston (Texas) Alief Hastings High School.

Now an online publication, the Record Book has provided a means of recognizing individual athletes and teams who have accomplished amazing feats. However, when it comes to high school records, the popular adage should have another line: “Records are made to be broken – if they are accomplished in the true spirit of athletic competition.”

The natural progression is that records are set as a result of accomplishments during a game, season or career – as opposed to the pursuit of records during a game, season or career. There is a significant difference in these approaches, and it mirrors the movement from a “formative” to “performative” approach threatening high school sports today.

Recently, there have been public announcements of intent to set a record in advance of a game. When this happens, the game becomes secondary to the pursuit of a record, consideration for competing with good sporting behavior is eliminated, and the score of the game becomes totally one-sided and embarrassing.

In fact, recent boys basketball scores from around the country have included a 95-3 regular-season game, a 119-18 playoff game and a 120-25 contest that involved only three-point attempts by the winning team.

One aspect that must separate high school sports from every other level is sportsmanship. While all participants and teams should strive for outstanding performances and winning seasons, those accomplishments must occur within the philosophy of education-based high school sports.

In order to ensure that records were established in this manner, the NFHS long ago developed a Sportsmanship Statement for inclusion in the National High School Sports Record Book. Perhaps it is time for a reminder about the importance of doing things the right and ethical way. Following is that statement:

“The National High School Records Committee is pleased to recognize outstanding achievements by teams and individuals. Although it is impossible to determine intent when marks are established, the committee encourages recognition of performances in the true spirit of interscholastic competition. Running up scores and embarrassing an opponent for the primary purpose of inclusion in the Record Book is not consistent with the ideals of good sportsmanship.”

High school sports is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for students to participate with their peers and learn valuable lessons that will help shape their lives. Let’s make sure the correct lessons are being demonstrated within the true spirit of interscholastic competition. 

Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff is in her eighth year as chief executive officer of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) in Indianapolis, Indiana. She is the first female to head the national leadership organization for high school athletics and performing arts activities and the sixth full-time executive director of the NFHS. She previously was executive director of the Connecticut Association of Schools-Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference for seven years.