Varsity Letters

[Cannonball]

For our school, you have to play in over half of the games. However, there is a phrase that reads, "make contributions to the team that lead to the success of the team." That is a way that a backup catcher etc. can letter. You don't get a letter for just sitting on the bench.

Per my dd, she started every game from freshman year through her senior year. So, she lettered. She was the only freshman to letter that year.

 

[MNDad]

It varies widely between schools and sports. For DD softball and basketball any player on the post season roster gets a letter. Son’s football is a percentage of downs or any senior who was with the program from 9th grade gets a letter. I like the post season criteria and awarding to seniors with four years in the program. I think percentage of downs or innings takes away from kids with specialty roles who are just as important to the team.

 

[55dad]

I am pretty sure the standard was play in 50% of the varsity games. Attendance at practice was assumed. Seniors who were in the program for multiple years generally lettered from what I saw.

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[chinamigarden]

Thanks for the replies.

It looks like there are all kinds of different standards, so I think I'll stick with a point system for now at least.

I would consider calling a couple of other head coaches in your area and see how it's dealt with locally.

 

[quincy]

I am enjoying this thread and the various responses.

but if it's just essentially a participation award for being on the team, I don't see much value in it.

I am not sure if I agree with that, participation means a lot to me.

I like trying to have a defined set of goals to get a letter but I wonder if some people are making it to complicated which might cause you grief.

For example points for grades make sense to me but is it for all 4 years or current year? DD got a B once. Another player was flunking out and made an A and straight Bs to be on softball Team and some other life changes.

(How to you get a B in gym class?)

 

[55dad]

I am enjoying this thread and the various responses.



I am not sure if I agree with that, participation means a lot to me.

I like trying to have a defined set of goals to get a letter but I wonder if some people are making it to complicated which might cause you grief.

For example points for grades make sense to me but is it for all 4 years or current year? DD got a B once. Another player was flunking out and made an A and straight Bs to be on softball Team and some other life changes.

The way I look at academics is that it should be kept separate from lettering. The school might award academic letters which are not softball letters. There are minimum standards that athletes must maintain in order to stay eligible to play so if they are eligible to play why should that impact lettering? A smart kid with a 4.0 can letter more easily than the kid with a 2.0? This is a varsity softball team and lettering standards should be based on softball. The 4.0 kid can make academic all-conference and all-state which is great but don't make it easier for them to earn a letter in softball by giving them points for grades. Just my opinion. Same with discipline. Sometimes kids do stupid things and get suspended for a few games. If they still meet your playing time standards they should still letter. I have also seen where coaches can award discretionary letters in some cases such as season ending injuries to players who would have easily met the standard without the injury.

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[FP26]

The way I look at academics is that it should be kept separate from lettering. The school might award academic letters which are not softball letters. There are minimum standards that athletes must maintain in order to stay eligible to play so if they are eligible to play why should that impact lettering? A smart kid with a 4.0 can letter more easily than the kid with a 2.0? This is a varsity softball team and lettering standards should be based on softball. The 4.0 kid can make academic all-conference and all-state which is great but don't make it easier for them to earn a letter in softball by giving them points for grades. Just my opinion. Same with discipline. Sometimes kids do stupid things and get suspended for a few games. If they still meet your playing time standards they should still letter. I have also seen where coaches can award discretionary letters in some cases such as season ending injuries to players who would have easily met the standard without the injury.

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I agree that academic achievements and athletic achievements should be kept separate. Although I am a fan of the "academic all conference" type awards that combine both to a certain extent. The simple act of lettering should not be impacted positively or negatively by academics, unless of course academic eligibility prevents the athlete from acquiring enough playing time to letter.

In my opinion, lettering should be difficult enough that it is truly an achievement to accomplish and not just a participation award. But not so difficult that it is extremely difficult to qualify. I will provide 2 examples from DD's school. Lettering in softball only requires that the athlete participate in 1/2 of the games the team plays. By this rule, we had a person qualify that only had 1 at bat the entire season. She qualified because she was a courtesy runner in numerous games. While I am not opposed to this young lady lettering for this (she was actually on base more often than many of the regular players...), playing in 1/2 the games may be a little too easy. However, our basketball requirements are much more strict. As a freshmen, DD was actually the 4th leading scorer on the varsity team, but didn't play in enough quarters in order to qualify for a letter. She was used for her long range shooting ability (very good with 3 pointers), but only played when the offense needed a spark. During that season, 8 basketball players lettered and DD outscored all but 3 of them, but did not letter. In my opinion, that lettering rule is a little too strict...

 

[canyonjoe]

To me if you are truly on the Varsity team you get a letter. Sports like Cross country or track where they'll let anybody compete are a little different. When I was a Junior in HS I played baseball and unfortunately had an all-state player in my position so only played about 40 percent of the games depending on who pitched, but I certainly deserved a letter for what I did in those games. We had 100 kids at tryouts so if you were a top 14 you deserved it. It's a little tougher in a sport like football. We had no cuts and some kids might have played 2 or 3 downs all year. Still they made all the practices so it's hard to say they don't deserve a letter. The letter by definition is a participation award. It signifies you were on a varsity sport.

 

[quincy]

Sports like Cross country or track where they'll let anybody compete are a little different.

You are on my ignore list.

 

[canyonjoe]

You are on my ignore list.

I meant to add that in many of them you need to score a point or finish in the top X in certain events. Not meant to discredit the sport. I am truly sorry about that.