The letterman jacket is a high school tradition: a wearable reward, a walking trophy. Like me, many Lancaster High School students sport the recognizable dark blue jacket with the iconic leather sleeves in white or gold and a large chenille capital L letter. Students earn a letter through athletics, extracurriculars, and academic achievement. The history of the letterman jacket reportedly started at Harvard University as a letterman sweater (Liollio). Eventually, the sweater became a jacket. Some LHS teachers and students who have one say that their jackets are a source of pride.
LHS sophomore Mackenzie White explains why her jacket is important to her.
“My letterman jacket means a lot to me. I’m proud to show what I have accomplished, and I’m happy to represent our school. Wearing this jacket shows that I have put in the hard work in practice during and outside of the season. It also shows to other people that putting in the work will pay off and get you to where you want. I love to represent our school and my sports team when I have my letterman jacket on. To me, this jacket shows leadership to the people at your school, at another school, or even in public,” she said.
As an LHS athlete, I have firsthand knowledge of what a letterman’s jacket represents. It is about honor. When I see other students wear their jackets, even from a distance, I get a quick glimpse of their hard work and dedication towards their extracurricular activities and other accomplishments.
LHS junior Kamron Griffith said he was thrilled to learn that he had earned his letter.
“I have my varsity letter in baseball and football. I was able to get my baseball varsity letter as a freshman, and when I got the news, I had so much excitement when I heard that because I’d dedicated all my time to baseball, and me being a Varsity guy as a freshman was amazing for me,” said Griffith.
Once students earn a letter for athletics or academics, they continue earning adornments such as pins and patches for achievement. For example, some students earn extra pins and patches by being on the varsity multiple years in a row and if their team has won league games or meets. LHS junior Hailey Rings explained how she earned the ornamentations on her letterman jacket.
“I have earned my Varsity L letter for both of my sports. I play softball and volleyball. I have my pin for softball and volleyball, as well as my second-year bar for softball. I also have my NHS pin that I have earned,” she said.
LHS intervention specialist Heather Ingram reminisced about earning her letterman jacket back in her high school days.
“It meant a lot. I was in Varsity for all three of my sports from my freshman year on, and thisjacket displayed all my accolades. I had twelve Varsity letters, captain pins, patches from OCC championships, and my nickname, Boo was on my jacket,” she said.
LHS intervention specialist Kent Conklin said that his letterman jacket is a family tradition.
“Pride in athletic accomplishments was something I was raised with. I have my grandfather’s letter from Marion Pleasant High School. I have fond memories of practices, games, and teammates. I am very proud to have attended and played for Lancaster High School and Baldwin-Wallace. I have a lot of pride in the jackets, so I have kept them. They bring back fond memories that I have been able to share with my daughters and kids I have coached. I imagine I will pass the letterman jackets down to my daughters,” shared Conklin.
I, too, feel a deep sense of self-pride in wearing my letterman jacket because it reminds me of the accomplishments I have earned and keeps me focused on my current and future goals.
Back in the seventh grade, I started competing in track. I immediately set out to earn my first Varsity letter my freshman year of high school. What was once a silly dream of mine became reality two years later. I’m proud of my jacket. In public, people will often ask about my jacket, and I enjoy the opportunity to talk about it. I’ve decided that I will keep my letterman jacket because it’s a cool tradition and because I would love to share it with the younger generations in my family someday.
White said that in the future, she thinks that her parents will have her letterman jacket framed.
“My parents are really proud of my accomplishments so far, and they are excited to see what else I will do. Having my jacket hanging on a wall will mean so much to my parents and me. Hopefully my kids, their friends, and my nieces and nephews will look up to me as a role model so they can get the confidence to put in effort and work to get to where they want,” she said.
