Letterman jackets and point system
 

I know numerous teams out have tried, but how many teams have successfully gotten varsity letter recognition from their school(s)? If you're one of the ones that has, how did you do it/what process did you have to go through?

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

Our team hands them out after 2 years of being a dedicated member and keeping your grades up to par.

I'm not too sure what my mentors did to get to the point of handing out varsity letters, but I know that we do get awarded with them.

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

I hate to be :that guy: but please search (although it won't let me link to it here, typing "robotics letters" into the search feature brought up dozens of fantastic threads about the subject thanks Jason). There are lots of threads discussing this and white papers available explaining the processes used by various teams.
Good luck and see you in St. Louis!

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

Yes, our team hands out letters. We have a fairly involved set of requirements in our team handbook outlining what it takes to letter. Essentially, it comes down to one item: Be actively involved in the team. You have to be on the team for two years, meet attendance requirements during the build season, attend competition events (not all, but a reasonable mix of regional, champs, and off-season that allows for other circumstances like family plans or trips with other school groups), attend our summer/fall off-season program, and take on some sort of leadership role on the team (with leadership being loosely defined - we've found leadership spots for everyone that's wanted one so far).

Make up a list of requirements that shows your school you're serious about it, and serious about making lettering at least as challenging as in other school activities. Build your case with the number of hours put in and the reward to both the student and the school from the program.

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

The criteria for our team is to be Junior or Senior and not a rookie. One must have had a significant impact on the team that it is noticeable to the others around them.

I got my letter, I cherish it more than my football ones.

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

We've had them since we started, if i remember right, so 6 years so far.

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

Does any one know the actual process of how their team got a Letter? Or who they had to go through (i.e. Principal, School Board, etc.)? My team has previously worked on getting one, but have not followed through. I was hoping to start the project back up again this year. Any help would be appreciated. :D

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

That's what I was really asking, how did you get the school to approve giving out varsity letters to robotic kids?

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

My old team got robotics recognized a year ago. It took a lot of convincing, a school board member, who is also quite involved with the team, at bat for us and a hooked on FIRST superintendent.

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

This might answer the OP's question.
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/21626

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

We think Robotics should be a full blown sport.
http://www.atomicrobotics.com/2011/08/considered-sport/

Do you think a varsity football player is going to solve climate change or cure cancer? I bet a varsity robot design might.

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

In the article at the link above:
"If the US really wants to make a dent in the number of kids that go into the sciences, it needs to start to change its priorities from athletic to academic. –"


I don't agree. It isn't a zero sum game. We don't have to give up athletics in order to have academics / robotics.

We have a great WindRiver c++ programmer. She is also a varsity cheerleader. She has the best of both worlds..
.

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

Anyone ever suggest having a regional champion letter?

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

It sort of is a zero sum game, because sports are prioritized so much higher than other school activities. Sports do nothing but entertain our society. Yes they fund some scientific pursuits. But if we took the revenue of the top professional sports and gave it to NASA. Holy crap, we be watching astronauts singing Christmas carols on Mars by 2014.

I am not discounting the need for student athletics, our national diabetes rate dictates that physical activity must be a part of a balanced path forward. But stop ranking athletics a 9 with outrageous funding, insane celebrity and unhealthy national focus while ranking academics a 2 or a 3. It should b academics a 9 and athletics maybe a 5.

The letter issue is indicative of the value system that can be found when we look at how schools celibate math clubs, science clubs, rocketry clubs and so on. These clubs needs to be moved to the top of the food chain at every school level. Let cheerleaders and football players go get funding to let them run around and be thrown in the air. Or better yet cancel cheer leading and football and let them all join cross country so the only thing they need to stay fit is a pair of shoes. The schools should divert sports coaching funds, field maintenance funds and travel funds towards academic activities.

I know that's how most of Asia looks at this problem.

OK I am off my soap box. Sorry if i offended anyone. I played high school sports and it taught me a lot of things, never paid a dime and traveled all over the east coast. But the high school debate team i was on required dues and all trips came out of my pocket, errrr my parents pocket. Looking back i see how bass ackwards that was. I learned more from two seasons of debate than i ever did playing sports.

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

We got them this year. We thought there would be some process but all we had to do was ask our school administration and they said yes. We use our logo as the symbol and even got a patch in honor of our 2011 Chairmans win. Since we got them after CMP we gave a letter to any member who was dedicated, reached their hours, etc. We didnt discriminate by grade.

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

I think it just varies by school, but getting anywhere in school admin starts with asking at the front desk. If someone chooses not to allow varsity letters for robotics, then at least you know who to petition, right?

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

I know this response is a little late. However, hopefully it's still relevant! Or hopefully you already are getting varsity letters at your school!

I worked to get Bedford Express (1023 from MI) varsity letters during my sophomore year (2008). I actually started in my Honors English class because we were asked to write a persuasion essay on a topic we were very passionate about. Most people chose abortion, gay marriage, lowering drinking age, etc but I chose something I was really passionate about-how FIRST students deserved just as much recognition as the athletes in our school. I gathered as much information as I could (Other teams requirements, how the letter impacted the students, how the principal initially felt, impact on FIRST on students/communities etc). I even worked with my coach on designing the letter. We also had to present to the class which I was nervous about because I figured the students in my class wouldn't support me. After my presentation, the students in my class were APPALLED that the FIRST team didn't receive sport recognition. My teacher and my coach encouraged me to try for varsity letter recognition and for the first time I actually felt like we could get it.

After that, it was just a series of presentations. I proofread my paper a million times and presented it along with what I thought the requirements should be in addition to my presentation. I started gathering other teachers who supported me, and then I presented to the principal. He was supportive of the program, but not sure it warranted a varsity letter. My coach and I just kept talking to people... the athletic director, teachers, other coaches, school board members. And I kept talking to my principal. We also made this video and used it to present to administrators: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8-CVg0QAyg

Eventually, we got through to them and Bedford Express has been giving varsity letters to students who fulfill our varsity requirements for two years.

PM me if you need anymore help!

Biggest piece of advice, get to know your administrators and make sure they know what FIRST is!

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

Additionally, we have a page on our website dedicated to helping teams get varsity letters. Much of what Hannah said is there. We also are collecting teams that award Varsity letters on the website so that you have a collection of resources. Also, some of the CD threads are linked there. http://www.bedfordexpress.org/varsity

Any teams that give letters are asked to please add your website to our database so that we have a solid resource. We are working at publishing team requirements there as well, but have not finished that part yet.

Good Luck!

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

Our team has varsity letters, although now they are varsity "activity" letters. It was hilarious though because for the first two years of the team, the only letters they had were athletic letters. I have one at home that reads "varsity athletics letter: FIRST robotics".

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

I want to start by saying that if people get varsity letters for doing FIRST that's great, and I really don't have a problem with that, but suppose I do question why people think it is an honor to receive a varsity letter for doing FIRST, or a dishonor for not receiving one (whichever way you choose to look at it).

I'd like to remind everyone what a varsity letter is. It is an award earned for participation in a sport. It's not a recognition for any extra-curricular activity. A general sentiment around Chief Delphi seems to be that FIRST is a sport. A sport is "An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others." People seem to think that it's "better" to be classified as a sport than as something else. FIRST is fantastic. In my opinion, it's the best extra-curricular activity one could get involved in during high school. It teaches kids so many things, and it's inspiring to so many individuals. But it's not a sport.

Respect FIRST for what it is. Don't try to lump it in a category with sports because you feel it legitimizes the activity. That doesn't need to be done. FIRST is good enough on it's own, and we all know that. I never felt the need to be recognized with sports teams. We participate in a different activity, and get recognized in our own way, and we should be proud of that.

I feel like it's a dishonor to the true value and uniqueness of FIRST to consider it just a sport. FIRST is great as it is, classifying it as a sport makes it no better or worse, but why classify in a category to which it does not fit by definition? The classification of 'sport' doesn't make FIRST better, it just makes it a little less unique.

For some reason this topic bothers me every time it comes up, so please disagree with me if you do, but I feel like voicing my opinion. I have this discussion a lot with friends I have on FIRST teams, and I seem to be in the very underrepresented minority with my beliefs on this topic. I don't really understand why, so I'd be curious to hear what other people think, and maybe even convince me that we should be getting varsity letters.

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

My team specifically does not give out Varsity letters. But our school works a bit differently than most. We give out Varsity letters along with a Varsity pin. If you gain Varsity status in another sport, you get a pin for that sport as well. If you are on Varsity for a sport at one point, you are considered Varsity for the rest of your seasons on the team and you get a service bar pin. With that said, maybe they could give out Varsity pins for robotics in the shape of a FIRST logo? My school also gives out the "Old English F" award, which is essentially an academic Varsity letter. It requires 85% attendance and GPA, as well as participation in 3 extra-curricular activities. Maybe something like that for robotics. For the idea of Varsity letters for regional winners, what if the gave out patches? They look like this: http://www.sectionvsoccer.org/Images%5Cpatch2.gif
Maybe give these out to the top 2 or three seeded teams?

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

My team has varsity letters. Our requirements for earning one is either being on the team for two years if your a freshman or if your not a freshman but a new on the team that year and worked hard, then you would also get a varsity letter.
I have no idea how we got them in the first place, all I know is it took a while to get them though.

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

That may be your definition, and your definition of sport may vary from mine, but in my school district, the marching band and the varsity choir have the opportunity to earn varsity letters. Whether FIRST is a sport or not depends on your definition of sport. With poker on ESPN now, that line seems to get more and more blurred everyday. The definitions do not even agree with each other. They range from recreation to organized physical activity. If my favorite sport (NASCAR) is a sport, and hunting and fishing are sports, why is FIRST not a sport? Isn't our tag line sports for the mind?

For me, FIRST is a sports model with a unique twist... Gracious Professionalism. We compete with our brain in an organized competition. Either way, why is it wrong to recognize those that want to participate in a brain activity instead of a bash your brain activity? Why not give everyone this opportunity to earn a letter. FIRST kids are proud of their accomplishments and deserve this recognition if they want it. :) JMHO :)

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

1675 works like this:

1st year = small letter and graduation numerals
2nd year = large letter
3rd year = chevron
4th year = inverted large letter and 4 year patch

Letter is determined by school (We are up to 5 different schools now :))

If a student did not join as a freshman they can be bumped up 1 year in the progression for extreme circumstances (excluding 4-year patch).

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

CircuitRunners Robotics have varsity letters for the students that make it onto the FRC team; since we consider that our varsity team out of our 3 competition teams.

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

where did you guys order them from??? I want to buy some for my team in honor of our first World Championship win.

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

We ordered ours from Neff.
http://www.neffco.com/neffco.asp

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

The RoboDawgs gave out 18 Varsity letters last year! I'm not sure of the process behind getting our school to allow them, but we do have some pretty strict requirements to earn one.

The honor recognizes team members for their work — an estimated 1,200 to 1,500 hours per year — on various events, including creating for the annual fall autonomous boat race and the FIRST Robotics Competition season. Students also must mentor elementary and middle school FLL or VEX teams and help run an event, like our local FLL or VEX tournament, to earn a letter. Other qualifications: They must maintain a minimum 3.25 grade-point average and demonstrate proficiency in areas including pneumatic systems, digital and analog sensors and motors, transmissions and drive train.

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

Earning a varsity letter on the CircuitRunners is more prestigious than just being on FRC. We have individual requirements that vary a bit year to year, but are all mostly the same. We require letter recipients to:

• attend a competition in both fall and spring semester
• volunteer at either our annual FLL or FTC qualifier
• attain X number of service hours
• attain Y number of fundraising hours
• maintain Z grade point average
• receive 2 letters of recommendation from team officers/mentors

These requirements are set in order to make sure that those team members who receive letters are those who actually deserve them by further aiding and improving the team.

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

Better late than never, and no, we're not getting letters yet.

Our administration and school board are wildly enthusiastic about FIRST, and our Athletic Director is our founding coach. The opposition is kind of vague, I suspect that it is not wanting to set a precedent for a "non-sport" letter. But as you mention, Band is a sport now?
Yes, exactly. Which part of that doesn't apply directly to FRC? Activity? Physical exertion? Skill? Compete? I'm not sure your words support your premise.

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

Team 3173, the IgKnighters, currently hands out varsity letters to all members from McQuaid Jesuit high school on the robotics team. We unfortunately cannot get letters for any of the members from other schools yet. I can give you a team contact if you want to know more about our process for getting them.

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

BX also orders from NEFF. They added the FIRST logo at our request in 2009. It is supposed to be available to all FIRST teams at no additional charge, but is not generally viewable on their website (at least the last time I checked). We insert it onto our letter. Also, they are adding a line of robot type awards thanks to another team that has been working on that (Sorry I cannot remember the number, just talking to the team!) So, ask your NEFF rep about all the robot options. :) Soon, we will have as many choices as other sports have to choose from. :)

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

I believe that is team Aperture 3142, Debbie.

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

[/center]The ones sitting in front and right of us at the finals? I was kicking myself for not remembering what team they were with! Thanks!

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

Team Driven 1730 has had varsity letters for all 7 years we have participated, in order to letter you must be: a dedicated to the team, shown initiative (like leading a sub team, starting a fund-raiser etc) and you must have good grades if I remember correctly

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

And in my first year I lettered too! One of 3 freshmen to letter this year!

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

A tomato is still the exact same tomato whether you classify it as a fruit or a vegetable. People seem to get offended when others deny that FIRST is a sport, and my point is more that it doesn't matter. Belonging to the classification of "sport" doesn't make FIRST better. FIRST is still the same great program no matter how you choose to classify it.

I'm not saying it's bad to call it sport, I'm just questioning if it matters. Some people seem to think it is a necessity to the advancement of the program to have it classified as a sport, and I don't.

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

NEMO www.firstnemo.org is very interested in posting a "how to" paper on letters for teams.

Anyone interesting in pulling the info together in a one-pager?

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

I think this depends rather heavily on where the particular expansion is occurring. At the level of broad-spectrum American culture? [unfamiliar with international] FIRST probably doesn't need to an ESPN sport. However, just of the schools/districts I know personally, several give particular benefits to things called "sports" (some include the likes of varsity choir and marching band in here). For instance, earning the right to letter in robotics opens up previously unavailable school funds, teacher stipends, facility rights, and more for the team. I suspect it also impacts things like advertising and recruiting in some places. If nothing else, in schools that consider "varsity" to include more than traditional "sports", lettering gives FIRST a level of credibility I suspect most of us believe it deserves along side music groups and academic teams receiving the same school-based honor.

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

We are working on collecting a database of info on this over the summer. If that is soon enough, we can do it.

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

It doesn't particularly matter to me personally, but earning a varsity letter is outside the premise this debate.

Varsity letters are given out for many many different things these days besides just athletics. Like someone else pointed out: Marching Bands and Choirs often award varsity letters, and many schools award them for high academics as well.

When a student earns a varsity letter, it is then socially acceptable to get a varsity jacket to go along with it. So for many students, if their main extra-curricular activity is robotics, it would be a huge bummer to not have the chance to get a varsity jacket.

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

After taking a quick read through this, I really want to try and get varsity letters for future students at my school! It seems like a great idea, and though I've thought of it before, I have never actually decided to mention it. I think I'm going to try and work to get Varsity letters for the deserving members of the team, thanks for the push, everyone who posted.

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

Our administration supported it, I was a sports coach when I started FIRST and continued to be one until this past year. I put some real requirements on it and it was approved pretty easily:

1) 150+ hours active participation during build season.
2) 2nd Year of participation, attending at least 50% of competitions (if we have more than 1 - if only 1 competition, they need to be there.
3) 2.0 GPA (Athletic participation requirement for our district) minimum maintained during years of participation (not cumulative - annual)
4) 'Pay it Forward' - Lettermen are required to have mentored an FLL or FTC team for their season or worked Summer Robotics Camps with kids. Notes from the FLL or FTC coach are required proof of positive participation.
5) Team PR/Community Event participation requirement.

1st Year Senior exception: Mentors and coach can eliminate the 2 year requirement for those senior members whose contributions are considered exceptional for their season of participation. This member needs to exemplify the spirit of the program. (This has only been done twice in 4 years).

One year I only lettered 1 member of the team despite having 5 seniors graduating - some with multiple years. I have been committed to 'close doesn't count' - you don't cheapen it by letting someone slide on a requirement - ever. I considered the following definition while determining the criteria, the 'no exception' stance, and have been clear with students and parents about it.

Wikipedia: A varsity letter (or monogram) is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

Visit http://www.firstnemo.org/resources.htm for the latest resource paper.
"Thinking about Varsity Letters for your Robotics Team?"

Thanks to all who contributed in this thread and over the years on this topic. The goal was to just create a one-page document directing people to all the legwork already done by teams.

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

I just noticed this popped up on my feed again, and while it isn't exactly timely (seeing as these announcements happened a while ago), two relevant announcements from MN:

http://www.mnfirst.org/news/08282011#

http://www.mnfirst.org/news/05292012

So, in MN at least, Robotics is on the same level as sports and other extra curricular activities, and has its own officially sanctioned lettering patch. This goes beyond a single team lettering at their school... it's state wide!

Letterman jackets and point system
 

Hello Chief Delphi Community

I know thier is a thread about how some teams were able to get their respected schools to allow the robotics team to get varsity letterman jackets and if anyone has a link to them please post them here.

I was also wondering how do some teams set thier requirements for thier students to recieve the letterman jackets. Do some teams do a point system, or a certain requirements like attend a number of regional events

So my question is, what requirements do teams use to determine who gets a letterman?

Re: Letterman jackets and point system
 

None of our schools allow for letterman jackets to any group who is not a sports team (our rugby team doesn't get them cause they are a "club") so we do not get them.

This being said we made them ourselves with our team colors, our logo, their name, and graduating year

You do not get them until the end of your senior year as a last present from the team and you qualify in several ways:

1. Be a team member for 4 years
2. Achieve a leadership position on the team
3. Be a member of the field team
4. Be a First (Last year we had a rookie from a school who was a senior thus she was the first graduate from the school on our team)
5. A vote of the alumni for if you have received enough merit in your time to receive the honor.

Re: Letterman jackets and point system
 

Because we are a younger team, our requirements are not quite as stringent...you can see them in our handbook here in the Varsity section.

Re: Letterman jackets and point system
 

We have a list of requirements... unfortunately, I don't have it in front of me right now, though. It's basically centered around the goals of the team:
- attend a certain % of meetings (for the build team, this applies during build season. For PR, it's all year)
- Attend our competitions (there's some wiggle room in there for attending off-season versus regional events, for those students with unavoidable scheduling conflicts)
- Participate in our outreach and fundraising events (this goes towards our Chairman's efforts)
- Be a member for at least 2 years (We want to see continuity, as students are typically much more prepared and skilled after they've completed a season)
- distinguish yourself on the team (we have a number of leadership positions available, as well as positions with additional responsibilities for students to take on, all outlined in the handbook)
- Attend all required meetings (kickoff, recruitment meetings, end of the year clean up day, etc)

Basically, everything is designed to help the team run smoothly, constantly improve, and increase our ability to achieve our team goals. It's also something that active participant who is excited about the team will achieve without even thinking about it. I don't think we've had any student really pay attention to these rules, and almost all of them have earned a letter after 2 years in.

Re: Letterman jackets and point system
 

I realize now that the list I posted could be read as you have to do all the things you only need to do one of the 5 to qualify

Re: Letterman jackets and point system
 

We are registered at our school as a competitive academic team. Makes us eligible for Letters. A club would not be. The point of the school is to educate. Not to be able to letter in an academic competition is just silly. :) If your school does allow it they need to be sold on the idea STEM. Which is one of the missions of the FIRST team to begin with.

Anyway here is our letting requirements

Walton Robotics Lettering Program

In order to letter this year, students must have:

75 hours of participation
20 hours of community service
5 hours of community outreach
2 community outreach events
1 business event
Safety Training
3 other training sessions
Attendance at a regional competition
Recommendation from the team coach

I do not have anything to with it. I am just the robot mentor.

Re: Letterman jackets and point system
 

Hmmm i see....im trying to help our team manger (Lead Teacher) to convince our school to allow our students to recieve letterman jackets, just as the school Drama club recieve them and we can also use it to encourage our kids

thanks for the advice, and please any other teams that recieve letterman jackets, please feel free to give your input, all the help is appreciated

Also do some teams do a point system or merit base system to determine who gets to go to the regionals and championship travel team?

Re: Letterman jackets and point system
 

If you make 50% of Build Season meeting times, and do not receive any reprimands from leadership or mentors than you get to go. Though if we stay in a hotel the students have to split the costs.

Re: Letterman jackets and point system
 

Yes. Ours is based on attendance - the attendance requirement for lettering is higher, though. Also, there are different attendance requirements for build versus PR, due to the different schedules the two parts of the team are on (although there is some overlap). A student on the build team can "make up" excused time missed through participation on the PR team as well.

Re: Letterman jackets and point system
 

If i may ask what is your teams requirement to letter?

Re: Letterman jackets and point system
 

Already answered.

Re: Letterman jackets and point system
 

My apologies, thank you for the advice and input. And if other team out thier also do a merit or point system, or have requirements for letterman jackets and to be part of the travel team, please give your input, i greatly appreciate all the input and advice from everyone

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

Laurie is quoted in this article. More robotics teams than varsity hockey teams in MN!
http://www.startribune.com/local/188507421.html

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

Great article! Good for MN. Surprising that FIRST is not mentioned anywhere in the piece - a major oversight.

Personally, the use of the term 'kit' in articles written for the general public bothers me as I feel it misrepresents and undermines the design and build process that teams go through. I feel like FIRST should rename the KoP especially as it's evolving into basically a customized ordering process.

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

We had to apply for it through our school, and were only successful after we convinced the athletics/administration that we put in as much work and dedication, if not more, than any varsity sports team. As for the actual process, we just shot an email to the principal and copied the athletic director, and they told us what we needed to do. We also had to demonstrate that we had requirements for participants that parallel those of varsity sports- GPA requirements, attendance, etc. and send that document to the administration. We were finally granted varsity letters this past fall and we only award them on the FRC level.

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

I know that we do, although I'm not sure how they did it because we aren't associated with our school. We have strict criteria to get it, it accounts for number of team, volunteer, and fundraising hours you have.

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

We started handing them out last year. Our requirements are based on task card hours, fundraising quotas, community service hours, and volunteering hours. It doesn't matter what grade level/participation year the student is in. We had a Freshman member earn her letter within one year of dedicated work on the team.

As for how we got the school district to approve varsity robotics? I'm not entirely certain on the specific process our coach had to undergo for that, but I do know that our team has left a very favorable impression on the administration. We did a presentation to the school board a couple of years ago, and our principal and superintendent frequently visit the team's competitions and events. I'm sure this kind of experience helped persuade them in deciding whether robotics should be a varsity activity...

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

my school gives us varsity letters for robotics

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

This year will be our first year getting a Varsity letter. It took four years to get it. Both our school and the Deaf School can get the letters. For four years we went through the principal waiting for a response. We waited year after year. Finally we made a formal request of the School Board. We had to send a written formal request to the principal and the athletic director on behalf of the team and the school board, then our request was finally granted.

Not everyone can get a letter just because they are on the team. Several requirements must be met.

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

Our team has these. Our school was very inviting and didn't mind it all. We just went and got them made and we have had them for quite a long time.

Re: Robotics Varsity Letters?
 

I got a letter for robotics back when I was on 93.

Student lettering in FRC
 

We are a second year team and the popularity of FRC is growing leaps and bounds throughout the school and community. We are a small town so this is a big deal...

Anyway I am the team leader/teacher and I am wondering what other teams are doing for their team members/students to "letter" in FRC within their school district. I know there was some information given last year about a possible FRC patch we could get for students' letterman jackets.

Does anyone out there know.....
- Is there a standard patch and if so where I can get those for my team members that qualified within my team to earn a letter?

- what are other teams doing for students that letter.. The requirements within their team etc.

- what is the cost for a patch.

Thanks everyone out there for all the advice on this forum and for the great 2013 season.

Jalmos
#4166

Re: Student lettering in FRC
 

I can't speak for all teams, but Team Driven has had letters from either the first or second year. Our requirements are that you are actively involved with the team, contributed in a significant way to the team and have taken leadership in team projects. Since our school letters are "L"s we have an L with Robotics embroidered on it. I have not seen the "standard" patch in our local area so I'm not any help there. As for cost I have no idea since I didn't purchase mine, the team provides them if you earn them.

Re: Student lettering in FRC
 

As part of FIRST in Minnesota, Team 2220 had the pleasure of becoming a part of the Minnesota State High School League last year, bringing a higher recognition of FRC in our state. As a part of that, there was also a competition to design a new "standard" robotics letter (though this isn't technically a part of being a part of the MSHSL). I lack a file of the current patch, otherwise I'd link it here.

Our team has done letters for several years, though the actual patch may or may not have changed. We also do "bars" for continued participation. The year I lettered, the patch was a FIRST logo with "Robotics" written in the center with school colors.

On our team, the requirements are fairly minimal-- "regular" attendance, continued contribution to the team, and a lack of any behavioral issues. It requires two full years (measured in build seasons) of participation, as well as participating in outreach events during the offseason (these range from bagging groceries for a fundraiser to mentoring an FLL team). The majority of our students letter in their second year.

As for cost, I am not privy to how much ordering the patches costs, being a student on the team. I believe they come out of a student's participation fee, as I received my patch without charge.

Have a good rest of the season!

Re: Student lettering in FRC
 

Team 948 was permitted to letter as of last year.... We require a high level of attendance for meetings/builds sessions, the participation in most major events and active particpation kick-off weekend.

Re: Student lettering in FRC
 

Got to our website > Resources > team management. We have our varsity letter policy there for download. Our school has since adopted that policy for all club letters.

http://www.theflyingtoasters.org/#!_...eam-management

Re: Student lettering in FRC
 

First of all, search can be your friend. http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...hlight=letters

Secondly, since FIRST is not recognized by all High School Athletic Associations (currently only Minnesota's does) there is not a genaric and commonly used lettering method. It is up to each individual team on how they want to define the requirements.

For 1802 out of Piper High School the team sets standards at the begining of the year on what allows a student to letter and attend the regional. The regional standards have been adjusted after build season so we can actually take a medium sized team to the Regional because we do not make the students pick one activity over another.

They get the normal school letter the first year and a pin for every year they are apart of the team.