lettering criteria

Our only criteria is to be a member in good standing through the entire season - no disciplinary issues, chemical or other violations, etc. We believe that football is the ultimate TEAM game, and that all members fulfill an important role. With a varsity roster over 75, not everyone is going to get the opportunity to get significant PT, so if we stress that all team members are important, we feel that all players who do what is expected of them should receive a letter.

Play in at least 8 varsity quarters, finish the season in good standing, have no more than one unexcused absence (two = off the team).

If it's a senior who has put in the time (weight room or other sports) and he comes up short on quarters but participates fully in practices for indo and wherever needed for group and team, he will letter. Last season only one senior of 29 did not receive a letter and he couldn't argue because he spent no time from Dec to July prepping for our season. Basically he got to wear a jersey and be part of something.

Once I did a yearly point "thing" but found it way too time intensive (120 players) so we stick with this lettering criteria and give out a lot of incentives and recognition for off season stuff. This has freed up more time to work with kids, x's and o's and the general program.

We're the same way...we will letter anyone as long as they are there till the end of the season (meaning thru the playoffs as well). Our JV kids know they will most likely not play in the game in the playoffs. We tell them if they stick it thru to the end, help us get better in practice..we will letter them. We are a small school however, (220 total), many of the younger jv kids that don't play still leave to go wrestle etc..and thats fine too..not upset with them. The lettering of the younger kids just gives them incentive to stick it out and give it their best.

Let me add, that rule would not apply if we did not make the playoffs either. Only the varsity kids would then get a letter.

I am on the fence on this one. At some schools I have been associated with, this would have been a great policy. Those schools already had a strong work ethic, the program already had the peer pressure systems in place that kept kids in line. "Just being in good standing" meant that all of the kids were busting their butts, and the intra-squad competition was tough.

At other schools, with lesser established programs and peer pressure, this type of lettering philosophy proved detrimental. The program I played in, for example, we dressed out 17 kids my sophomore year. The program was a joke at the time, we didn't compete against each other.. everyone was just happy to be there. WE were weren't really football players, we just dressed in the costumes. After a few years ,the numbers were up to around 40--but the attitude remained. It wasn't "an honor" for anyone to be on the Varsity football team. (There wasn't a JV ) In these cases, I think such a lettering system is counter productive.

Just some early ramblings

thanks for all of the messages. we are an established program, just looking to "formalize" the process a little bit.

Wow! When I first started at this school I sat down with my staff and dicussed the lettering policy. I had a few holdovers from the previous regime who told me that everyone always lettered before and that lettering meant absolutely nothing here. We hashed it out and decided that you had to play in at least 20 quarters to letter, and that's the way we've done it since. We use that to motivate young guys. If you want to letter as a freshman, your best chance is as a special teams Kamakazi! It never once occurred to me to attach behavior, academics, and attendance to lettering - What standards do you guys use for those?