The Letter Jacket

[sluggers]

DDs' school gave numerals for the freshman team, small letters for JV, large letters for varsity, and gold letters for state participation. Kids were given patches for special things like winning playoffs or conference. Kids could also receive letters for academics, band, etc. The kids really like them.

As to kids not wearing them after HS...there are lots of things they don't wear after HS.

This is the back of DD#3's letter jacket.

 

[Greenmonsters]

Have you checked to make sure she has met the participation level required by the school? DD's school did it by innings played, as a freshman you'd have to play almost every varsity inning from game one to qualify. ( if you did qualify as a freshman, it really felt earned ) Another school we play, basically had a policy of "if you're on the varsity roster, you lettered", even if you actually played very little. ( I felt that was too easy and unearned )

This is a generalization that I've seen, I'm in no way speaking of your daughter.............

The criteria of the letter jacket has been dumbed down over the last decade, I'm not going to get into politics or the social agenda I believe has led to this. The letter was once a long ( successful ) effort by an athlete, once that merit was earned, it really separated them from the other participants. Also the rate ( student school year ) at which you earned the letter was a symbol of pride, a freshman/sophomore who met the inning/quarter eligibility was looked at as a better athlete than one who was a junior/senior.

Where I think the problem started is when schools no longer provided the award ( letter jacket ). Parents didn't use to pay for them ( except thru taxes/tuition ), and because they are not cheap the schools set higher standards of eligibility. Now since we have to pay for our own kid's jackets, it's just an option of how fast you can come up with the $350, buy the jacket and get the letter free mentality.

Good topic InsidePitch, I'd like to hear what criteria others have faced to earn the letter.

Way back in the day... 4 Varsity letters were needed to earn a Varsity jacket, which was provided by the Booster Club. Letter requirements varied by sport, but generally required one to be a starter, state qualifier, or a significant contributor. An underclassman with a Varsity jacket was a multi-sport athlete/BMOC!

 

[GOINGDEEP]

Here is my old letter jacket.

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[InsidePitch]

Around here kids buy the jacket in anticipation of the letter all the time. The letter gets sewn on once its awarded. Kids even wear them to school with a big blank spot where the letter will go one day.

DD said there is a freshman swimmer that has the jacket with her name but no letter.

 

[KCM]

My daughter lettered in varsity tennis in 8th grade but we made her wait until Christmas of her 9th grade year to get the jacket. Now she has the potential in lettering at new school so there will be another $400 come after her 10th grade year. She did say she will wear her old school jacket proudly not because of the school colors but because of her achievement in the sport of tennis. Thankfully she will be attending another semi small private school so she not catch a lot of flack because the two schools do not even play each other in varsity sports.

 

[SCDad]

Have one, and rarely gets worn. Even while still in HS. The championship patches make the jacket tho. not the actual letter.

 

[thatcrazymom]

In GA, HS softball is in the fall. My freshman DD lettered in the fall. She got her jacket for Christmas. She wore it all winter and some this spring. Because she earned the letter as a freshman, we got the jacket during her freshman year to give her more time to wear the $300+ jacket. It will stay in the closet after high school, so DD should wear while she has the chance.

 

[JAD]

My DD got one this year and wore it all winter. She has a couple of years of high school left, so I am hoping to get my moneys worth out of it ($300+).

 

[MsDinosaur]

We promised DD a letter jacket if she earns either a varsity or JV letter. We were doing winter workout sessions in conjunction with an older team one winter. Our younger girls kept casting envious glances at the older girls' letter jackets, with all their cool patches and pins. It was somewhat akin to the reaction younger girls have when a team in metal cleats clatters by.

As a Mom who worries when DD insists that a hoodie is all she needs in sub-freezing temperatures, I'm looking forward to her having a warm wool jacket that she'll actually wear!

I certainly hope she'll letter as a freshman this coming fall so that she'll have four winters to wear it. Heaven knows those things are expensive!

 

[Cannonball]

My dd's HS (where I teach/coach) is 1,100. DD lettered every year of HS and garnered post season awards as well. There is not a bare space on her jacket. It is pretty neat. DD has her LJ at college and still throws it on when it gets cold. One thing that hacked me off about this was that she was given All Conference Patches. She was given All Area Patches from 2 different newspapers. Yet, our school did not buy her an All State Patch. Doesn't make sense to me. Oh, DD lettered in two different sports as well. We do one letter and then bars for each year afterwards. She has softball letter on the front and golf letter on the back. Then, patches up or down the sleeves and all over the back.