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Letter Jacket Policy (SMC involvement)

Posted by 2A BD on 1/5/2026, 12:50 pm

We are looking at our very outdated letterman policy which currently awards a student a letter in band for faithfully participating in 2 region marching contests (so essentially two marching seasons and a concert season). Jackets aligning with athletics are typically ordered in the late fall.

I was planning to implement a point system that includes all region and solo/ensemble involvement- but a question was raised since we have advanced to the State Marching Contest a number of years in a row if that should qualify all marching students for a letter. I do want to recognize that achievement and athletes who go to state in their sport earn theirs even as freshman. Since it is more of a team achievement I'm not sure how I feel tying jackets to where they automatically get it if we advance. Not to mention we have students who are alternates who do not march and play- as much as I appreciate their role as prop managers is it deserving of a letter?

Don't get me wrong- I am all about recognizing and pumping up our students' success- just want to make changes cautiously.

Any small school programs out there willing to share their criteria? Thanks!

Re: Letter Jacket Policy (SMC involvement)

Posted by Curious on 1/8/2026, 9:02 am, in reply to "Letter Jacket Policy (SMC involvement)"

We use a point system that makes letter jackets attainable for everyone by the end of their sophomore year IF they participate. Points are earned just by participating in required functions like attending every football game (with leniency for legitimate excuses), auditioning for All-Region, performing a solo or in an ensemble, performing in the concert band at contest, etc. Students earn additional points for 1st division ratings or advancing to area. My school won't allow the term "automatic letter," so state championships or making the All-State band earns the student 100 points (out of 100).

The point is to make it attainable with effort. Those students who put more into it earn their letter jacket earlier than those who don't. Most kids are going to earn a letter jacket somewhere. I'd rather they walk around with band patches.

Re: Letter Jacket Policy (SMC involvement)

Posted by Give out as many as you can on 1/6/2026, 2:47 pm, in reply to "Letter Jacket Policy (SMC involvement)"

I had a policy that I thought was REALLY easy to obtain. A point system. Group events counted as well as individual events. Some of my kids just didn't want to participate in the individual events (all region, solo-ensemble).

In hindsight, I would trade that policy in a heartbeat to see more of my kids wearing band letter jackets.

Re: Letter Jacket Policy (SMC involvement)

Posted by BDSO on 1/5/2026, 8:39 pm, in reply to "Letter Jacket Policy (SMC involvement)"

I worked with a head director once who had a very complicated process that all but guaranteed very few earned a letter jacket before then end of their junior year. We started losing students to athletics because as long as they made a team - any team in any grade - they got a jacket. Band kids were upset they had to wait to get a jacket just because they were in band, so they quit. I made a bold suggestion. Give every band student a jacket at the end of their first year as long as they participated in every full ensemble performance. Not S&E. Not region band. Just the full ensemble performances. All football games, all pre-UIL and UIL events, all concerts, and even all pep rallies and parades. Nearly all the students who hadn't already earned a jacket earned on the first year. It fixed two problems. First, we had less students bale because of a jacket and b) our eligibility went up (nearly 100% all year). When kids can get jackets for doing nothing just because they made a team, we really have to ask ourselves: Why the hell do have to make EVERYTHING so hard for ourselves? Sometimes (ok, nearly every day) I wonder if we are our own worse enemies.

Re: Letter Jacket Policy (SMC involvement)

Posted by West Texas Band Guy on 1/5/2026, 4:45 pm, in reply to "Letter Jacket Policy (SMC involvement)"

I let my student leaders set the policy about 20 years ago. To receive a letter jacket in our progarm they must qualify for TSSEC and receive a 3 or higher at TSSEC on a solo or ensemble. They may also receive a letter jacket if they make the All State Band. If they do not earn a jacket before their SR year, then we award SR's a jacket. 90% of our students earn their jacket before they are SR's.
I do have a few that choose to wait and get their jacket from athletics.

Re: Letter Jacket Policy (SMC involvement)

Posted by Respectfully on 1/7/2026, 6:44 am, in reply to "Re: Letter Jacket Policy (SMC involvement)"

Time to reexamine. Kids 20 years ago aren’t at all the same as kids today.

Re: Letter Jacket Policy (SMC involvement)

Posted by Alpha on 1/5/2026, 3:54 pm, in reply to "Letter Jacket Policy (SMC involvement)"

I used to have a really strict and complicated letter policy. Then I realized I had a bunch of band kids wearing athletic jackets. Even a benchwarmer who never sees game time qualifies for a letter.

We do a 3 point system. Marching, concert, marching counts for their 3 points and they get a letter for their 2nd year. Even a last-chair prop pusher gets a point for participating, just like the football benchwarmer. The policy says something about "satisfactory participation" for the season. In general they only lose the point if they don't complete the season due to grades or something else stupid.

For us a kid who advances to State in either TMEA or UIL Solo and Ensemble earns a letter, even if they are a freshman. You said your campus gives a letter to everyone on the team if the team makes State. I would match that policy and award the letter to everyone if you make State marching. I might still require them to finish the year and do concert.

Re: Letter Jacket Policy (SMC involvement)

Posted by Former Small School Guy on 1/5/2026, 2:51 pm, in reply to "Letter Jacket Policy (SMC involvement)"

My policy was to award letter jackets for the entire band when qualifying for UIL SMC (this policy was approved by admin.) Once they earned the jacket and we qualified again, it was an additional letter. We awarded patches for C/SR, division 1 solos/ensembles, and patches for UIL SSE.

We did use a point system in addition to the above and if students were in band for all four years but fell short of their points, they were awarded their jackets in the spring of their senior year. I can't remember all the details but it all seemed very equitable and aligned with district and community expectations. I don't remember very much push back from anyone. I'm also glad I don't deal with this any more.

Re: Letter Jacket Policy (SMC involvement)

Posted by 2A'er on 1/5/2026, 2:49 pm, in reply to "Letter Jacket Policy (SMC involvement)"

Here is my policy...FYI 8th graders are in the HS band:

1. Must complete 3 *full* years in HS band. Students who moved in from another district will have their time in their previous band applied to here (is it their fault they had to move?).

2. Qualify for the State S&E Contest either as a solo, or part of an ensemble.

3. Earn a place in the All-State Band.

4. If the band qualifies for State Marching Contest, State OPS, or State Honor Band...all members letter.

Meeting any one of the above criteria gets the student their jacket.

Any student who quits the program in bad faith can have their jacket repossessed. This is a district policy, not mine, and applies to any activity that a jacket can be awarded for.

Re: Letter Jacket Policy (SMC involvement)

Posted by Curious on 1/5/2026, 9:45 pm, in reply to "Re: Letter Jacket Policy (SMC involvement)"

I'm curious about the repossession policy. Not attacking in any way, but legitimately asking. I've had some situations where I'd like to repossess a student's jacket but didn't feel like I could.

In my school, the band pays for the student's jacket and letter. I think sports are the same. The provided jacket is pretty bare, doesn't even include the kid's name. Most kids pay quite a bit out of pocket for their own customization.

If you had a kid who paid a bunch of money for extra personalization on their jacket, do you still repossess the jacket? Any pushback from parents or anyone else on that?

Re: Letter Jacket Policy (SMC involvement)

Posted by 2A'er on 1/6/2026, 1:41 pm, in reply to "Re: Letter Jacket Policy (SMC involvement)"

To be honest, as far a band is concerned, I've never had to deal with it. I think that the repossession is handled by administration, since it's a district policy.

I've had some parents say that the last repossession happened about 20 years ago in athletics...didn't say if there was any blowback.

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