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Post by catbacker59 on Apr 27, 2006 13:45:35 GMT -6
I am interested in finding out other teams' lettering policies. Is it set by admin, or do you get to set it as the HC? Do any of you tie off-season conditioning into your policy? Thanks for the help coaches.
catbacker59
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Post by tribepride on Apr 27, 2006 14:07:42 GMT -6
Our policy does not have any input from the administration. The coaching staff sits down at the end of the season and decides who deserves a letter. We take all things into consideration.......off-season all the way to the final game. So it doesn't matter if the kids had played (x) amount of quaters because of blow-outs......he won't letter unless he deserves it.
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Post by cqmiller on Apr 27, 2006 14:21:42 GMT -6
I kind of agree with tribepride. When I played in high school, there was a set # of quarters (20) that we had to play in in order to letter. So unless we won half of our games by big margins, those key role-playing seniors, who just didn't have the talent to play constantly would get screwed out of a letter. Same thing with the Great Athlete who gets kicked off the team the 2nd to last week of the season, he would technically letter because he played every quarter up until then.
I think it is better if the staff sits down and decides who deserves to letter, and who doesn't.
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Post by senatorblutarsky on Apr 27, 2006 16:50:09 GMT -6
We still do it the "old" way here... it was set by someone long ago- 14 quarters and finish the season in good standing. Seniors who played all 4 years letter regardless of playing time. We do have two exceptions: we letter everyone if we play in the state championship that year and we do have a "provisional" letter for someone who because of some reason beyond their control (generally injury), did not letter, but probably would have. With the provisional letter, we incorporate off-season work.
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Post by saintrad on Apr 27, 2006 22:00:01 GMT -6
mine is the same as blutarsky's, but its 12 quarters (quarter= 7 consecuative plays on one side of the ball)
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Post by knighter on Apr 28, 2006 5:26:33 GMT -6
we are the same as bluto as well
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Post by catbacker59 on Apr 28, 2006 7:25:17 GMT -6
Thanks Coaches -
Here's my line of thinking on the issue. Tell me what you think.
We will never judge a player's worth to our team based solely on the number of varsity quarters played. To me, that says that the sophomore defensive tackle who has been busting his butt in practice playing scout team, and making our varsity oline better but not getting any varsity time because there are talented lineman above him, is less valuable to the team than those same olineman who start and/or get significant time. This kid is just an example - there are many on our team. Kids who have 100% attendance in the offseason, help us on scout team, excel in JV games, but don't get to play much in varsity games. On the flip side - what about the kids who are naturally talented enough to not do much of anything in the offseason, but still help your team on Friday nights. What does it say to the rest of the kids in your program if those kids show up in August and letter because of their DNA? This is not how life will be for them. Life rewards committment (most often). We want our program to be as close to "real-life" as possible. To us, lettering should be a huge honor and reward for their committment.
Here's what I am thinking on our policy:
you will letter if: 1. you are academically in good standing the entire season (eligible) 2. you are in good standing with the team at the end of the season (equipment turned in, no suspension/probation) 3. you have had 90% attendance rate at football activities (these are labeled on our calendar) in the off-season. These include summer weights/conditioning, meetings, camps, etc.
Do these three things, and you will letter in our program. I am hoping this will motivate some freshman and sophomores, who now have the chance to earn a varsity letter. It may even help our numbers. I think it will also help with the Jr/Sr's who think they can just show up in August, earn their spot, and letter.
Give me your honest opinion coaches.
Catbacker59
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Post by superpower on Apr 28, 2006 7:31:09 GMT -6
Catbacker,
While I see merit in what you are saying, in my opinion a VARSITY letter should not be for everyone on the team. I think in far too many schools varsity letters are being used as participation awards. I think all the kids on the team who finish in good standing should get a participation award, but a varsity letter should be earned. I guess I am old school, but I know when I was in high school a varsity letter was a special accomplishment. Just my opinion.
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Post by knighter on Apr 28, 2006 7:43:51 GMT -6
I remember vividly getting my first varsity football letter, and the jacket it went on. It was a special moment. I had earned other letters (as an 8th grader playing varsity baseball, and as a freshmen in track) but I refused to get a jacket until I lettered as a sophomore in football. Letters are not purple participation ribbons for everyone. They must be earned by being on the field in battle with other varsity contestants. Just my opinion, which is worth about 1 and 1/2 cents.
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Post by runtheball86 on Apr 28, 2006 7:44:35 GMT -6
I agree 100% with superpower.
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herky
Sophomore Member
Posts: 189
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Post by herky on Apr 28, 2006 9:52:49 GMT -6
I also agree with superpower.
Most if not all of us on here probably lettered easily and often. Knighter, like you, I had my first varsity letter playing softball the summer after my 8th grade year. I feel it is important to establish a distinction with participation and competition to give the letter any value.
Cat, those sophs that are hard working already buy into the program and will value the significance of the initial letter when they get more varisty playing time. It is the senior that provides leadership off the field and in practice for 4 years that is less talented and may not fit in the 'play a set number of quarters' box that flexibility should come into play.
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Post by senatorblutarsky on Apr 28, 2006 10:24:19 GMT -6
catbacker,
I to see some positives in your approach; when I was at a bigger school we based it somewhat on merit- we still had a quarter rule (I think it was 12 then), but a player could earn quarters through conditioning, making certain levels/goals on lifting, being scout team player of the week, etc.. In all, I think a player could earn up to 6 quarters for practice/conditioning related things... so they still had to earn playing time, but they had an opportunity to get some credit for commitment. Generally, if a player does all of the stuff to earn all 6 extra letter points, he usually has worked himself in to some spot on the field.
I do agree that playing time is what should earn the letter- but I don't see anything wrong with a commitment based incentive program to help encourage the players.
We do not do that at my current school mainly because we are small enough that just about everyone has an opportunity for PT, if they work for it.
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Post by saintrad on Apr 28, 2006 18:01:37 GMT -6
this last year we had 82 players qualify for a varsity letter...less than 40 saw any sort of playing time with the most coming on my defensive unit to boot. I dont like to dress more than i play and i definately dont think that jsut being a "dresser" entitles you to a letter. Plus, i hated babysitting 82 kids on the sidelines.
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