The Letter Jacket

[MsDinosaur]

It was certainly OK, at our large HS, to wear one, even if you didn't have letters. They were known as school jackets. They are much too expensive to only wear Junior and Senior years - and yes, they are very warm.

I think people are more picky at small schools, over who wears one.

Yes, I had friends with letter jackets, who didn't have letters. They just had 79 (grad class) on the sleeve and Truman (school) on the sailor flap. They were lovely, warm jackets and back in the 70s were not so much more expensive than any other jacket.

 

[MsDinosaur]

At my DD's HS:

Letter Jacket Policy

Letter jackets may be purchased by the student athlete after the following conditions have been met:

1. Participated at the varsity level for at least two years.

2. Satisfied requirements for lettering in the particular sport.
An athlete must meet the preceding requirements and the following team-specific requirements in order to letter:

Softball
Play defense in 26 varsity innings or participate in 50% of varsity games.

Gah, so parents are expected to wait and then pony up for an expensive jacket that may only be worn one winter? And even if you had a kid who, say, pitched the team to a state championship, she wouldn't be eligible to have one till years down the road?

No thanks! Glad we're not there.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

^How are they policing those requirements? I think the school is really creating a clique. So, marching band members can't wear a school jacket?

 

[Mylil32]

Gah, so parents are expected to wait and then pony up for an expensive jacket that may only be worn one winter? And even if you had a kid who, say, pitched the team to a state championship, she wouldn't be eligible to have one till years down the road?

No thanks! Glad we're not there.

Yep, it sucks, and DD won't be getting one mainly because I refuse to pay $300 for a jacket she won't wear. It could be 32 degrees outside and she doesn't wear any jacket at all. Luckily she's not sentimental about her school, she didn't even want a yearbook.

 

[guero_gordo]

^How are they policing those requirements? I think the school is really creating a clique. So, marching band members can't wear a school jacket?

When I was in school the band had our own jackets(available to all members). Technically you could letter in band even then, but no band geek ever got one.