Have the standards for earning a Varsity Letter changed?

In most places "standards" for letters are totally up to the school district.

Different schools, different requirements...but your son should definitely go out of respect for his coach and teammates if nothing else.

How does the actions of others affect the significance of the letter that he earned. You didnt say how old your son is or if he is a starter, but fromt the context, it sounds like he would be a big contributor to the team. So my question is, how does the playing time of the other kids have any affect on what he feels he earned?

My son has similar thinking as yours so maybe it is a young thing. He is a freshman. Two other freshmen made varsity and he was one of two to make JV. He thought it was pretty special. Then before the season started they brought up 5 more freshman. Now he says making JV isnt so special,but I dont get how the others making it take away from what he accomplished. He still worked hard and won the starting right field spot and number two pitcher,

Not sure about everywhere else. Sure it varies from school to school. My freshman played 10 JV and 10 Varsity games. Started all 10 JV and started 5 varsity and came off bench 4 times at varsity. Coach ordered him a varsity jacket and letter, just my experience for one varsity year in Florida.

I have no idea what the written rules are. But I did what I wanted to do. If I brought a player up and he was on our team he got a letter. If he was on the varsity I could careless how much he played or didnt play he got a letter. How can you tell every player on your team they are just as important to the teams success as the next and then turn around and tell them they dont deserve a letter? You mean that guy in the bullpen that works harder than anyone on the team doesnt deserve a letter because he didnt play enough games?

If I thought for one minute I had a player on my team that got upset because one of this team mates got a letter and somehow that diminished the importance of him getting his letter I would sent that kid packing in a heart beat. They run the bases while your doing situations. They man the field while your taking bp. They do everything you do except play as many innings in games.

If you make my team and your on the team your going to get a letter. If the school told me I couldnt do it I would do it anyway. Some kids have letters and letter jackets and then other players on your team do not? We all get them for being on the team and playing a part in its success or none of us get them. Other people can do whatever they want to do thats up to them. But I would never in a million years treat my players differently based on how many innings they played or games they started. They are on the team and they are a part of the team. And they are all equally important in my eyes and they should be in each others eyes as well. If not there is a problem imo. You should want your team mates to be rewarded just like you.

As things have changed over many years, When I played way to many years ago, we had two sets of letters. One was for the letterman's sweater which you got for being on the team, the second was for the varsity jacket, which you only got if you played 50% or more as a starter. You never let your girlfriend wear the Varsity Jacket, but would let her wear the letterman's sweater.

Coach May is absolutely correct!

Furthermore, our older son's college team had "rules" for awarding a letter...and that 30+ year mega-traditional coach whose teams still wear the same uniforms as 30 years ago...awarded letters to players who got into only a game or two.

Why? Because they contributed in many other ways and they deserved it. All for one, one for all!

Great post Coach May and illustrates the point that sometimes the most important guys on the team hardly step foot on the field.

It's called a varsity letter - not the starters letter. If you run practice right every kid in a varsity practice has earned the right to strut around school with that letter.

Thank you all for the info! Perhaps I worded my question the wrong way.

Our Coach is new. In previous years, there were players who did not get letters so I assumed that there was some sort of standard, like how many games played etc.

I'd hate to portay my son as someone who begrudges a teammate, for this is not the case at all. In fact he has stayed after many games to help teammates who asked for swing advice.



I'm sure if I tell him he should go out of respect for his coach & team, he won't have a problem with it. I guess I took the wrong approach by telling him he should go because it was 'an honor' I should know by now he frowns upon anything that isn't strictly about playing the game.