205:, catches, scores, steals, baskets or tackles, according to position and sport. In individual sports letters are often determined according to qualification for state meets or tournaments. Other schools award letters on a more subjective basis, with the head coach, usually with the input of other coaches and sometimes student team leaders who have already lettered, awarding letters for substantial improvement as well as significant performance on or off the field. This places much more emphasis on character, commitment and teamwork as well as, and often in place of, simply playing enough or meeting some other time or performance requirement. Sometimes in high schools academic performance in classes can also be an element. This philosophy gives more focus to developing and rewarding a well-rounded and balanced player, where other methods focus strictly on athletic performance and on the field victories. This term is not gender-specific; a qualifying participant in women's basketball or other women's sports is properly referred to as a letterman, as would be a qualifying female participant on a co-educational sports team. An athlete who is awarded a letter (or letters in multiple sports) is said to have "lettered" when they receive their letter.
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182:", which is usually the school's initial or initials, for placement on a "letter sweater" or "letter jacket" intended for the display of such an award. In some instances, the sweater or jacket itself may also be awarded, especially for the initial award to a given individual. Today, in order to distinguish "lettermen" from other team participants, schools often establish a minimum level of participation in a team's events or a minimum level of performance in order for a letter to be awarded. A common threshold in
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The name of the owner usually appears either in chenille (matching the letter) or embroidered on the jacket itself. The owner's graduation year typically appears in matching chenille. Placement of the name and year of graduation depends on school traditions. The year is most often sewn on the right
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and the sleeves of leather with banded wrists and waistband. Letter jackets are usually produced in the school colors, with the body of the jacket in the school's primary color and sleeves in the secondary color, although sometimes, the colors of the jacket may be customized to a certain extent by
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are awarded this is usually the practice in a student's junior or senior year. Recently, many student-athletes have been awarded letters during their sophomore and sometimes freshman year, leading to the need for a jacket much sooner. Still, the actual jacket is not usually purchased until the
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traditionally worn by high school and college students in the United States to represent school and team pride as well as to display personal awards earned in athletics, academics or activities. Letter jackets are also known as "letterman jackets", "varsity jackets" and "baseball jackets" in
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While it is commonly done, removing one's letter from the letter jacket upon graduation is not firmly held as protocol. Many graduates keep the letter on the jacket after graduation as a symbol of accomplishment and school pride and commitment, especially with college lettermen.
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patch on its left breast, which is almost always the first letter or initials of the high school or college the jacket came from. The letter itself can also be custom fitted to the particular sport or activity (e.g. cross country—a symbol or sign in the middle of the letter).
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the student. There could be cases where a student could change the color so much that it doesn't differentiate too much from school colors. They usually feature a banded collar for men or a top-buttoned hood (that unbuttons into an expanded collar) for women.
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Some schools may award letter jackets to letter winners at an award ceremony, but more often, the school only provides the letter. Some schools will have fundraising activities or other programs to provide jackets to students who cannot afford them.
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sophomore year. In schools where junior varsity letters are awarded, the jacket may be purchased by junior varsity letter recipients, though the letter is placed just above the left pocket, leaving space for a future varsity letter.
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Lettermen who play on a championship team often receive a large patch commemorating their championship that is worn on the back of the jacket.
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sleeve or just above the right pocket. The school logo and symbols representing the student's activities may also be ironed onto the jacket.
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Lettermen who participate in a sport in which medals are awarded often sew the medals onto their jackets to display their accomplishments.
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In recent years, some schools have expanded the concept of letterman beyond sports, providing letters for performance in
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is participation in a set level, often half, of all quarters in a season. In individual sports such as
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Letter jackets are almost never purchased before a student has earned a letter. In schools where only
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A student wearing a wool baseball jacket with embroidered letter "W" and award medals.
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The term comes from the practice of awarding each such participant a cloth "
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student who has met a specified level of participation or performance on a
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team in 1865. The letter was usually quite large and centered (if the
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Classification of high school or college athlete in the United States
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364:The letter jacket derives its name from the
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314:Learn how and when to remove this message
158:Learn how and when to remove this message
461:"Dropping Knowledge: The Varsity Jacket"
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390:Varsity jackets trace their origins to
351:The body (i.e., torso) is usually of
343:reference to their American origins.
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252:adding citations to reliable sources
92:adding citations to reliable sources
1397:Terminology used in multiple sports
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634:Rules of gridiron football codes
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239:needs additional citations for
216:, or other school activities.
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572:American–Canadian comparison
396:Harvard University baseball
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394:, first introduced by the
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1132:Total quarterback rating
438:Blue (university sport)
263:"Letterman" sports
107:"Letterman" sports
1018:Fourth down conversion
340:baseball-styled jacket
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1356:Touchdown celebration
1081:Running out the clock
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1346:Running up the score
1172:Yards from scrimmage
857:Two-point conversion
852:One-point conversion
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248:improve this article
88:improve this section
1177:All-purpose yardage
1407:School terminology
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1167:Yards after catch
990:Turnover on downs
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766:Line of scrimmage
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459:Gallagher, Jake.
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184:American football
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265: –
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259:Find sources:
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237:This section
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220:Letter jacket
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73:This section
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55:
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47:
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39:
33:
19:
1366:Trading card
1320:
1258:Penalty flag
1218:Film session
1157:Return yards
1091:Garbage time
1086:Untimed play
975:Interception
893:Forward pass
802:Neutral zone
704:Professional
468:. Retrieved
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246:Please help
241:verification
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86:Please help
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50:varsity team
37:
35:
1371:Twelfth man
1304:Football IQ
1294:Concussions
1227:Officiating
980:Muffed punt
950:Onside kick
665:High school
360:Decorations
353:boiled wool
42:high school
1386:Categories
1309:Formations
1248:Chain crew
1203:Two-a-days
1112:Completion
1100:Statistics
1033:Play clock
1008:First down
862:Field goal
744:Hash marks
739:Yard lines
653:Pop Warner
629:Wheelchair
624:Powderpuff
446:References
406:Traditions
304:April 2015
274:newspapers
203:touchdowns
188:basketball
148:March 2021
118:newspapers
30:See also:
1361:Tuck rule
1341:Positions
1321:Letterman
1299:Equipment
1137:Reception
1023:Dead ball
962:Turnovers
940:Drop kick
933:Touchback
847:Touchdown
797:Dead zone
759:Sidelines
754:Goal line
214:academics
75:does not
38:letterman
1351:Strategy
1331:Overtime
1284:Blocking
1242:Canadian
1238:American
1234:Official
1191:Practice
918:Hand-off
792:Red zone
787:End zone
749:End line
699:Semi-pro
582:Glossary
567:Canadian
533:Glossary
528:American
515:concepts
427:See also
369:chenille
56:Overview
1392:Jackets
1272:Related
1253:Penalty
1041:Timeout
945:Kickoff
898:Lateral
840:Scoring
709:Women's
682:College
670:Varsity
538:History
400:sweater
386:History
288:scholar
132:scholar
96:removed
81:sources
46:college
1069:1 min.
1064:2 min.
1059:3 min.
970:Fumble
867:Safety
827:Pocket
780:Spaces
692:Sprint
548:Modern
470:31 May
290:
283:
276:
269:
261:
192:tennis
180:letter
134:
127:
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105:
1336:Plays
1107:Carry
1051:Spike
1046:Kneel
1000:Downs
732:Lines
724:Field
614:Touch
604:6-man
599:7-man
594:8-man
589:9-man
562:Arena
555:Rules
543:Early
521:Codes
338:is a
295:JSTOR
281:books
139:JSTOR
125:books
40:is a
1314:List
1279:Ball
1152:Sack
928:Punt
923:Rush
888:Snap
822:Hole
812:Flat
687:Club
609:Flag
472:2014
267:news
196:golf
194:and
186:and
111:news
79:any
77:cite
817:Gap
658:AYF
250:by
90:by
44:or
1388::
1240:,
465:GQ
463:.
334:A
212:,
52:.
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