194:, 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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171:", 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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Some schools continue to base the awarding of letters according to performance, in team sports requiring a certain number of
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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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was a pullover); stripes on one sleeve designated the number of letters won, with a star indicating a team captain.
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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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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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353:The letter jacket derives its name from the
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303:Learn how and when to remove this message
147:Learn how and when to remove this message
450:"Dropping Knowledge: The Varsity Jacket"
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379:Varsity jackets trace their origins to
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340:The body (i.e., torso) is usually of
332:reference to their American origins.
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81:adding citations to reliable sources
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1386:Terminology used in multiple sports
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623:Rules of gridiron football codes
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228:needs additional citations for
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205:, or other school activities.
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561:American–Canadian comparison
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252:"Letterman" sports
96:"Letterman" sports
1007:Fourth down conversion
329:baseball-styled jacket
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1345:Touchdown celebration
1070:Running out the clock
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1335:Running up the score
1161:Yards from scrimmage
846:Two-point conversion
841:One-point conversion
336:Appearance and style
237:improve this article
77:improve this section
1166:All-purpose yardage
1396:School terminology
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1156:Yards after catch
979:Turnover on downs
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448:Gallagher, Jake.
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173:American football
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1202:Three-cone drill
1065:Clock management
760:Field goal range
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325:letter jacket
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254: –
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248:Find sources:
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226:This section
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209:Letter jacket
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98: –
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92:Find sources:
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62:This section
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51:
50:
42:
40:
36:
32:
28:
22:
1355:Trading card
1309:
1247:Penalty flag
1207:Film session
1146:Return yards
1080:Garbage time
1075:Untimed play
964:Interception
882:Forward pass
791:Neutral zone
693:Professional
457:. Retrieved
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247:
235:Please help
230:verification
227:
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75:Please help
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39:varsity team
26:
24:
1360:Twelfth man
1293:Football IQ
1283:Concussions
1216:Officiating
969:Muffed punt
939:Onside kick
654:High school
349:Decorations
342:boiled wool
31:high school
1375:Categories
1298:Formations
1237:Chain crew
1192:Two-a-days
1101:Completion
1089:Statistics
1022:Play clock
997:First down
851:Field goal
733:Hash marks
728:Yard lines
642:Pop Warner
618:Wheelchair
613:Powderpuff
435:References
395:Traditions
293:April 2015
263:newspapers
192:touchdowns
177:basketball
137:March 2021
107:newspapers
19:See also:
1350:Tuck rule
1330:Positions
1310:Letterman
1288:Equipment
1126:Reception
1012:Dead ball
951:Turnovers
929:Drop kick
922:Touchback
836:Touchdown
786:Dead zone
748:Sidelines
743:Goal line
203:academics
64:does not
27:letterman
1340:Strategy
1320:Overtime
1273:Blocking
1231:Canadian
1227:American
1223:Official
1180:Practice
907:Hand-off
781:Red zone
776:End zone
738:End line
688:Semi-pro
571:Glossary
556:Canadian
522:Glossary
517:American
504:concepts
416:See also
358:chenille
45:Overview
1381:Jackets
1261:Related
1242:Penalty
1030:Timeout
934:Kickoff
887:Lateral
829:Scoring
698:Women's
671:College
659:Varsity
527:History
389:sweater
375:History
277:scholar
121:scholar
85:removed
70:sources
35:college
1058:1 min.
1053:2 min.
1048:3 min.
959:Fumble
856:Safety
816:Pocket
769:Spaces
681:Sprint
537:Modern
459:31 May
279:
272:
265:
258:
250:
181:tennis
169:letter
123:
116:
109:
102:
94:
1325:Plays
1096:Carry
1040:Spike
1035:Kneel
989:Downs
721:Lines
713:Field
603:Touch
593:6-man
588:7-man
583:8-man
578:9-man
551:Arena
544:Rules
532:Early
510:Codes
327:is a
284:JSTOR
270:books
128:JSTOR
114:books
29:is a
1303:List
1268:Ball
1141:Sack
917:Punt
912:Rush
877:Snap
811:Hole
801:Flat
676:Club
598:Flag
461:2014
256:news
185:golf
183:and
175:and
100:news
68:any
66:cite
806:Gap
647:AYF
239:by
79:by
33:or
1377::
1229:,
454:GQ
452:.
323:A
201:,
41:.
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