Almost all institutions have an academic requirement to receive a letter award. This can be put in place to maintain the academic integrity and reputation of the institution. In some cases, particularly in secondary schools, participation in athletics is linked to academics by government mandate. Adding an academic element to the lettering policy could serve to motivate athletes to perform well in the classroom in order to be eligible for participation and/or Letterman status. Many coaches implement lettering policies that prohibit eligibility to win a letter if the athlete has a usual discipline problem. Some school policies require that, to be eligible for the letter, an athlete must not have served a suspension in or out of school. A radical coach could even implement a lettering policy prohibiting disciplinary reprimands during the season. This can be an effective deterrent against violations of school rules. First and foremost, an athlete must be a varsity athlete, that is, they play on a varsity team. No letters will be awarded to play at the junior university level or other sub-university levels. The reason for this requirement is that a university sport is time-consuming and physically demanding – more so than sub-university sports.
They may even require longer or more technically difficult trial and error. A varsity team can practice several hours four or five days a week. Then there are competitions and travel times, invitations and even university meetings with different schools. To form a university team, a high level of skills is required. In addition, the varsity athlete must have superior time management skills and complete the entire regular season. Winning a university letter is a great achievement in the world of athletics. This is proof that you have excelled not only in the field, but also in the classroom. The requirements for obtaining a university certificate vary from sport to sport and from school to school. While there are many labeling guidelines, an athlete must generally perform satisfactorily (as defined by their institution), be on a university roster, and meet one or more training and/or performance standards set by the coach. The general requirements for student-athletes are described below. Another labeling criterion may be a predetermined amount of actual playing time and/or performance at an expected level, which is often decided by the head coach or athletic director. For example, to win a letter, a college baseball player might have to play in 70% or more of the total innings on the calendar.
A basketball player may have played in 80% of the scheduled games. In order to receive an athletics certificate, an athlete can be expected to accumulate a predetermined number of points throughout the season. Some labeling guidelines include discretion. This statement is present so that a trainer has the opportunity to write a deserving candidate who has not been neglected in any category except academic. Maybe there`s someone on the varsity team who`s been playing for four years, but hasn`t been given the required playing time because of a high-level talent cycle. Perhaps he has a superior work ethic and top-notch leadership skills, as he has been a value to the team – off the field. University letters can be earned in almost any sport when played at the university level. These include softball, cheerleading, cross country, baseball, dance, soccer, track and field, lacrosse, volleyball, soccer and more. Whether you`re in middle school or high school, if you demonstrate exemplary sportsmanship, play well, meet GPA requirements and finish the entire season, you can get a college letter at the end of the season. Always be sure to thank your coaching staff, parents and school district for allowing you to receive this honour.
