I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

Ok, this year team 461 is going to try to get letters for varsity jackets. However, the only person who seems to have a problem with this is our athletic director who, the last i heard, was against our team using the same jackets as the rest of our school sports. Dean created FIRST as a sport, and we are the only team representing our school at an international level. Basketball, football, or volleyball, FIRST Robotics is the only thing our school has to show off to the entire world, other than our foreign language activities.

I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here, and state whether or not you get to use the same jackets as your schools other sports.

I need a big, long list of posts saying that you get letters!

Tell your friends to post here! Thank you!

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

We do indeed get letters but they are different than the athletics, they have a little academic torch on them like the National Honor Society symbol. They are called "academic letters" but they are better than the sports if you ask me. But I do believe that a team should get the letters because they are still a team that the school supports just as a sports team is and the athletic director should just go fly a kite.:)

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

We get varsity letters on our team for every 2 years your on the team. I think that FIRST is a sport and that it should allow you to get a letter for it

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

Wow, I'd definitely cause a major stink with the athletic department. We have soccer jerseys that are similar to our school's, and we may get jackets for the championship.

Why should they care anyway? Try an outside source, so your athletic director has no say over what you can and cannot have.

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

Members of Team 93, my old team, are able to receive letters and letter jackets for their involvement in FIRST.

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

When I was on team 93 in high school, we were able to letter. See page 24 of the NAC Handbook for lettering criteria! :)

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

Our team is now recognized as an academic sport (effective this year) and our members are eligible for the letter and pin.

On a side note, those schools that are a sport (academic or otherwise), what do your pins look like? Our athletic department is looking and hasn't found anything suitable yet.

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

kids on our team get a varsity letter for participating on our team and writing a nomination for the woodie flowers award.

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

Here's a vote from Indiana. Southport High awards letters to veteran members - PM me and I'll give you a copy of our letter requirements. We mostly stole it from MOE - they've got a fantastic white paper on CD.
If the athletic director is against letters for non-sports, simply remind him that band members get letters too (as well as academic decathlon, academic super bowl, spell bowl, drama, speech team, and tons of other academic extracurriculars). Also, it helps to have a stringent letter-earning policy.
Good luck and Boiler Up!

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

We use the FIRST logo patch - $3 apiece. It's linked through usfirst.org -> merchandise

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

We're finalizing requirements for varsity lettering to begin this season; our school district did not seem to have any preliminary issues with our decision, as the marching band already awarded 'varsity letters' to its members.

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

We get the same letters but we aren't supplied with jackets. But I'm pretty sure they count as the same varsity letters that one would recieve from athletics.

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

Team 1746 has Letters. We have minimum participation standards, etc. We are considered an academic competition.

The team members get a letter the first year nad chevrons each year after.

We also have a team logo patch we give the kids.

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

To expand on Andy's comment - our school, as some of you have previously mentioned, has also considered issuing letters of a modified design or inverted color order for 'non-athletic' letters (chess, orchestra, robotics, math, etc.). As far as I know, this has not been done and we continue to be eligible for the same varsity letters at the end of the year.

Good luck in your endeavor!

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

We have patches for our club and we can buy the same jackets and all.
Our basketball coach who coached the east last year in the McDonalds High School All-star game fully supports our team as well as our athletics director who is considered the best baseball coach in the state of Georgia. You gotta try and get some of the coaches on board with knowing about your team an appreciating your team.
These two bought into the idea because they realize how much time and work it takes to build one of these robots and they realize that when you compete, you represnt the school, your state, and even sometimes your entire country. Most FIRST teams put in as much time as some athletic teams at our school.
I think that if you can show your director how much work and effort you put into, you may have a really good shot.

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

The school does not give us letters or patches or anything. So last year, I got the team our own varisty patches, which the parents LOVED. I currently have mine on my varsity jacket. Most of the students don't have a jacket (cause they didn't do a sport) so they just have the patch, and it's pretty nice too. Hopefully seeing all these students who receive a robotics varsity patch and that they don't a jacket to put it on, will help the school see how much they should really see us as a sport. To get the patch, the parents have come with a citeria... ammount of hours you put in, competitions you go to, fundraising, etc.

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

Our school only seems to give out letters to VHSL (Virginia High School League) sports, so robotics doesn't qualify. I don't really care, though, since my cross-country letter just collects dust anyway. I get the same experience whether I get a letter or not, and I have plenty of other things to worry about, so I find complaining about not getting a letter for my involvement in robotics is a waste of my time.

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

I posted this up almost two years ago. It is in fact considered an academic letter. None the less, it is a letter worn proudly by every member of the team.

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

On my old team 301 we got the same letters as all the sports. After we merged teams, my new team 1250, at a different school, gives out letters that are different than athletic.

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively is the definition of “sport“. According to that definition FIRST is completely a sport. Maybe your athletic director dont know exactly what the robotics team does. Maybe he/she needs to visit a competition to see what it’s really like to play the sport of robotics. This sport should really be recognized as a sport by all schools. As far as the varsity letters, out team has them. I attend Pontiac Northern our letter is white shaped as a N with Pontiac written in red on the inside out robotics letters are a red N with Robotics in white writing it is totally possible to have letters.

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

234's Jackets are specifically designed for robotics. So, they aren't the same as the sports jackets..They are embroidered with the team logo on the back instead of actual "letters", too.

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

At our school you get one "letter" and then you can sew on everything you letter in onto that letter. So a typical letter for a robotics student may have a gear (our symbol we get to sew on) and two bars, then the academic symbol and two bars. =P

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

Team 245 has had a recent breakthrough on the subject. On saturday febuary 3rd, a Michigan congressman decided to come to our machine shop and check us out. When the superintendent heard that a congressman was showing up, he decided to make an appearance (finally after 4-5 invitations, I don't know if the congressman had anything to do with it). The congressman told the superintendent that this was a great program and something should be done to expand it. He offered to give us a varsity letter for robotics. So team 245 will be reciving varsity letters soon.

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

67 gets their varsity letters after one year on the team, and they're the same jackets/letters as all the other sports.

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

Multiple people on my team 399 have received there Varsity letters for putting in 2 years with at least 200 hours per year. I proudly wear my jacket at school with a little gear on the letter to signify robotics.

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

When I was a high school student I got a varsity letter. I'm not sure if the kids still get them or not.

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

We get to use the same jackets

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

We currently don't get anything, but I might look into it, so I might use your list for this too! Thanks!:D

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

Team 476 members get letters depending on the number of lab hours logged, number of years on the team, GPA, attendance, etc. I'm eligible for one this May.

BTW, a few weeks ago I had debates with people in several of my classes about whether robotics is a sport. According to their definition, no. According to the dictionary, yes.

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

We get the same letters as sports and other things like debate. Typically, most of the activities at my school share the same letter and jacket. Then if you were to letter again you get a pin, which are different for each activity. Our pin is the FIRST symbol. A lot of people that have letter jackets on the team also put the FIRST patch on it.

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

thanks guys! please keep the posts comming, and tell your friends to post too. i'd really appreciate it!

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

i already posted but i didnt included something. the look of the jacket is customized. you go to the store and tell then what you want on and what you want it to look like. i have a customized first logo. im going to post some pictures

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

Please excuse the dirt on my jacket, its time for a cleaning.

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

Lake Orion gives out varsity letters after you have been a part of the robotics team for 2 years. I believe that we put just as much time if not more into robotics as every other sport out there. We compete in every aspect as another team does and deserve a Varsity letter.

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

I created a letter system at our school several years ago, we ran into the same issues, but we instead paid for the patches and had separate categories for shoulder/pocket patches (drive team, pit, etc...) it allowed us to use our logo as the little patch which turned out awesome. We have had the letter system around for 4 years.

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

We get the same letters as Varsity sports do. It's pretty cool. At the end of the year, all members have to fill out an "end of the year report," which our head advisor comes up with, and then the mentors all get together, look at what everyone has done, and then decides who gets a letter. There are lots of requirements, and not everyone on the team gets one, but yes, we do have Varsity letters that are recognized by the school.

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

Team 67's students get letters after 1 year on the team. I know Megan already posted that, but I can add to it.

The letters are the standard letter, without any type of emblem (for example, the marching band letters have a musical symbol in the letter). Our students often have "Robotics," "HOT Team," and/or "FIRST" embroidered on their jackets.

After the first year on the team, each team member receives a pin with our team logo on it to add to their jacket. I've also seen our students wear pins from competitions on their jackets. We have a photo somewhere of several team members with their HOT varsity jackets, but I can't seem to find it.

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

We at 753 get letters for FIRST Robotics
I have 2 on my Lettermans jacket (Right next to my Swim Team, Water Polo, Debate/Speech and Mock Trial letters...)

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

Teams 342 gets varsity letters from two different schools!
This is exactly why FIRST was started; to get our society away from this idolization of sports that is greatly depriving our country of any intelligence!
We put in just as much work (if not more) as athletics team, and we are actually doing something ACADEMIC!:mad:

Here is the letters Summerville and Fort-Dorchester HS receices.
http://academics.tridenttech.edu/tea...es/sletter.jpg
http://academics.tridenttech.edu/tea...s/fdletter.jpg

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

I don't know if we stil do but I know one or two years we did give letters. It was back when south side was the archerGEeks 1022 and letters went to those who had put in x amount of hours and went to x competitions etc. The requirements were high but worth it. When I get home I can post a picture.

At south side letters are currently given to sports, speech team, and academic team.

Good luck on getting your school to give robotics letters! I hope it works out for you.

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

Our team gets Varsity letters (as does our chess club and mathelete team), and we can use them on the same letter jacket as our sports. What we do is anything sports goes on the left and anything academic on the right.

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

Team Delphi E.L.I.T.E. 48 receives varsity letters, it took us awhile to convince our school board, but with the support of our parents we finally started to receive them at the end of the 2005 season. Of course as always there is certain criterion that you have to meet in order to receive them, such as being on the team for two years or putting in at least 60 hours of work and ten hours of community service.

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

Thats a great idea. We will try after VCU to get jackets.

Chris

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

We get varsity/jv letters based on levels of participation and committment. We are definitely allowed to use the same jackets as the "athletes", however whether we buy them (they are beastly expensive) is another issue.

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

Our team members receive a letter after 2 full years of membership on the team. We designed our own letter, with a gear in the background. Here is reasoning for you to use.

Robotics team members have to meet the same eligibility and grade requirements as atheletes do.
Robotics Team members have to fulfill attendance and team requirements.

Good luck---parental pressure will help. Get the local media involved as well.

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

i have showed this to another member on the team and we showed it to our coach and he is telling us to go for it. we are working on a presentation to present to our principal and A.D. i was just wondering what some of you guys use for requirements. so far i have seen:

200 hours
2 full years
community service
mentoring ther FRC and FLL teams
participation
Leaders (i.e. driver, safety captain, head fab, elec, etc.)

what else have you guys come up with?

Re: I need everyone who recieves varsity jacket lettering to post here!
 

our lettering system will be based on a point system. we've come up with stuff like so many points for so many hours put in, mentoring FLL/FVC, participating a regionals beyond cheering, ect.