This article originally appeared in the 2019 Festival Edition of the Ontario Lacrosse Magazine

Behind all of the action of weekly minor lacrosse games and tournaments is the statistical MyLax Rating System which provides the Ontario Lacrosse Association with a real-time, fact-based ranking based on team performances. Adapted to the sport of lacrosse from the creator of MyLax Ranking Technologies, algorithim czar Neal Lodin, the system of rating 500+ teams has produced more parity in provincial play than ever.

Lodin’s process of calculations has led to the decimal point accuracy as rankings are computed mathematically with no subjective component. The system is similar to that used in NCAA basketball, hockey and football in that calculations are based on strength of schedule, scores and number of games. All games have an impact and importance as the system provides equity and accuracy regardless of division classification, regional zone or participating numbers.

The entire process is coordinated by the very congenial Cheryl LaPlante, IT Rating Coordinator for the OLA and former manager of the Brampton Excelsiors Junior “B” team. Her mission and mandate is system accuracy. “The MyLax platform is only as good as it’s entries, so accuracy in correct game scores is paramount”.

Two factors in determining team ratings are Average Goal Differential (AGD) and strength of schedule (Sched). These values are computed and appear for each team at the Mylaxrankings.com website. The average goal differential is calculated by accumulating the goal difference in each game to a maximum of 10 and divided by the number of games played. The maximum goal differential cap of 10 is implemented to avoid teams running up scores to improve their rankings based on soft competitive schedules. Strength of schedule is computed by averaging the weight of each game opponent.

As LaPlante explains, “Once a week starting the first week of June every year, we enter exhibition, regular season and tournament results. Eight Zone Statisticians from across the province forward their information to two Regional Statisticians for uploading of games and tournament results in a timely manner.

Entering game scores can take anywhere from 15 minutes to three hours (depending on the total number of games played that week) so the team of eleven volunteers (including LaPlante) has to perform as a well-oiled machine. Entries and ratings are finalized every Tuesday evening throughout the summer and are up-dated and released Wednesday mornings. All this leads to the set deadlines in early July rating teams for provincial championship competition at the Ontario Lacrosse Festival.

With the 16th edition of the Festival now featuring over 500 teams and 1,000 games on the horizon, the pressure for the MyLax system to be both comprehensive and accurate is intense. The release of final ratings within the OLA Association, coaching and fan community is now more popular than summer blockbuster movie premieres. The parity between teams is now best illustrated by how close ratings are between teams. LaPlante points out that ties within ranking positions now exist and the OLA will be examining the best method to address those situations in the future; along with final rankings at year-end (with all scores from the season included) to better calibrate team groupings to begin each future season.

“The parity also shows up in how many ties we now break after round-robin play at the Festival to advance teams” said LaPlante. With the 2019 season in full heat, 4,561 scores entered to date, and each team playing upwards of 14-18 game schedules, the system does catch data entry errors (sometimes from incorrectly reported game scores). Incorrect scores and game tracking is currently pinpointed through the use of Google Docs online. This platform allows for monitoring of schedules from every Zone and accurate input to ensure real-time results. The necessary scope of including all games adds to the importance of tracking games across the province.

“The onus is on the team coaches and managers to report scores to Zone Statisticians, which we check against gamesheets where corrections are requested.” offered LaPlante.

Gone are the days of OLA rankings gurus travelling Ontario watching hours of games and teams. The MyLax Rating System has proven that decimal points and accuracy underscore real-time ranking that have improved competition at provincial championships. It’s an interesting odyssey of statistics driven by the nerve centre of volunteers including Keri Black (Hville), Julie Beetham (Gloucester), Toula Allman (Whitby), Justin Phelps (London), Sean Eno (Cambridge), Lisa Holder (Hamilton) and Donalyn Dredge (Milton) with fact-checking courtesy of Lynn Swindells (Ajax) and Julie Kettrick (Whitby). With Cheryl LaPlante at the helm, it’s an algorithm all-star team!

Written by Dana McKiel