Dictionary Definition
letterman n : an athlete who has earned a letter
in a school sport
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Noun
Extensive Definition
A letterman, in U.S. sports, performing
arts or academics,
is a high
school or college
student who has met a specified level of participation and/or
performance on a varsity athletic
team, marching
band, or in other performance school-sponsored
activities.
Overview
The term comes from the practice of awarding each
such participant a cloth "letter",
which is usually the school's initial or initials,For example
Leavenworth High School gets an L, 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.
Traditionally the athletic letter is associated
with elite athletes, though in the last few decades there has been
movement to make the letter award more accessible to all students
by removing performance requirements.
In the case of a marching band, drumline, or
colorguard member, usually a letterman is awarded to an
upperclassmen or section leader.
Today, in order to distinguish "lettermen" from
other team participants, schools often establish a minimum level of
participation in a team's events and/or a minimum level of
performance in order for a letter to be awarded.
A common threshold in American
football and basketball is participation
in a set level, often half, of all quarters in a season. (To meet
this standard in a ten game season, one would have to have
participated in at least twenty of the forty quarters
played.)
In individual sports such as tennis and golf, the threshold for lettering
is generally participation in one half or sometimes two-thirds of
all matches contested. Frequently, other members of the team who
fail to meet requirements for a letter are awarded a certificate of
participation or other award considered to be of lesser value than
a letter.
Some schools continue to base the awarding of
letters according to performance, in team sports requiring a
certain number of 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.
In the performing arts letters are awarded
according to performance. Students who are selected for state choir
or receive high scores at major instrumental competition may
receive letters, or musicians who achieve first or second seat in
their instrumental section.
Students participating in academic clubs can also
be given this award if the requirements are met, what academic
clubs this award can be received from are at the discretion of the
school. In some schools general "academic letters" are awarded on
the basis of GPA, usually students with a GPA at or above
3.8.
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.
Letterman jacket
A letterman jacket is a jacket 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. Letterman jackets are also
known as "Varsity Jackets" in some places.
Appearance and style
The body (i.e., torso) is usually of boiled wool
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. They usually feature a banded collar for men or a
hood for women.
Decorations
The letter jacket derives its name from the
varsity
letter chenille patch on its left breast, which is almost
always the first letter or initials of the high school or college
the jacket came from. Because the jacket is meant as a display for
the letter award, the jacket's colors match those of the letter,
rather than the other way around.
The name of the owner usually appears either in
chenille (matching the letter) or is embroidered on the jacket
itself. The owner's graduation year usually appears in matching
chenille, Placement of the name and year of graduation depends on
school tradition. The year is most often sewn on the right sleeve
or just above the right pocket.
Lettermen who play on a championship team often
receive a large patch commemorating their championship that is worn
on the back of the jacket.
Lettermen who participate in a sport in which
medals are award often sew the medals onto their jackets to display
their accomplishments.
History of letterman jackets
Letter sweaters were a predecessor to
letter jackets. The letter was usually quite large and centered (if
the sweater was a pullover); stripes on one
sleeve designated the number of letters won, with a star indicating
a team captain.
Traditions
Letterman jackets are almost never purchased
before a student has earned a letter. In schools where only
varsity
letters are awarded this is usually in a students' junior or
senior year. In schools where junior varsity letters are awarded,
the jacket may also be purchased by junior varsity letter
recipients, though the letter is placed just above the left pocket,
leaving space for a (hopefully) future varsity letter.
Some schools may award letterman jackets to
letter winners at the award ceremony, but more often the school
only provides the letter.
In America and Canada a male athlete might give
his girlfriend the letter as a token of his love, this is
considered a sign of a truly intimate
relationship as the Jacket is an honor. In the event of a
breakup it is customary for the girl to return the jacket as a sign
of rejection.
See also
While it is commonly done, removing one's letter
from the letterman jacket upon graduation is not firmly held in the
protocol. Many graduates keep the letter on the jacket after
graduation as a symbol of accomplishment.