Varsity

Need Help with Getting Varsity Letters Approved at Your School?

Bedford Express would LOVE To help!!! First of all, DON’T GIVE UP! It took us many years to get approval for varsity status. Sometimes, approaching different people will help. We had a team member work with her Honor’s English teacher on a persuasive essay. The teacher allowed her to pick her topic to be why the team should get varsity credit. Being able to work on this essay in class and with her teacher’s guidance gave her a powerful tool, AND an ally. Her teacher learned a lot through her essay and agreed that we should earn them.We then created a slideshow movie, using the free software from Microsoft, Photo Story. The final product is shown to the left. Feel free to use our video, or create your own with our ideas incorporated as they fit. If you would like a good quality copy of our video, just click HERE and fill out this information and we will mail you a dvd copy of it.Next we researched what other teams were doing to earn Varsity Credit, and we created our own requirements for our team. Setting attainable, but challenging requirements was a tough task. It took a lot of time to decide how to do this so that we would show the administration we were taking this seriously and that the letter must be earned.

Impress Your Administrators! If you have the support of your principal, this is a much easier task. Have your team brainstorm ways they can help the school. Gather these ideas, and implement them as possible. Gather information about the requirements for Varsity Letters for other sports and/or clubs in your district. Do your homework. Our administration was interested in what other Michigan schools were doing. We went to our favorite site, Chief Delphi, and searched for Varsity Letter. There are many threads there which show you schools that are giving Varsity Letters for FIRST Robotics. Print out this data and have it ready to provide to your administrators.Once you have done all of your preparations, request a meeting with your principal and superintendent. Share your/our video, essays, research, and proposed varsity requirements. Always exhibit Gracious Professionalism and avoid putting down others that earn letters. Focus on how much time you dedicate and how you deserve this recognition. Thank your administrators for their time.Next will probably come the waiting game. Remember the first rule! DON’T GIVE UP! But, don’t pester either. Give it a reasonable time frame and then follow up. If you are unsuccessful, ask why and then find a way to ease their concerns. Network with others who have achieved this status and KEEP TRYING!

BX 1023 – Varsity Requirements – 2012 Season

Below are our 2012 Varsity Requirements and Awards. This is what works for our team. It is reviewed and changed as needed at the end of each season. We have tried several ways, but this works for us. Some schools do not have requirements. You have to find what works for your team. Find the right spot to put that bar to where your team members have to reach, but CAN reach this status. The requirements help earn the respect of others earning letters. But, there will always be those that state letters should be for athletes only. But, most of those people have NO idea the amount of time we put into our sport! Invite them to your practice and they will surely be impressed with all you are doing. Feel free to use all or part of our requirements as they work for your team.

BX has three levels of commitment. We have Varsity, Junior Varsity, and casual members. Casual members are free to join the team and participate in whichever area they choose. They are not interested in the Varsity Letter but are interested in being on the team. Often, dual athletes join as casual members because they cannot meet all of our requirements or practices. Key positions on our team are giving priority based on commitment to the team. Varsity candidates are always considered first for leadership roles. All levels of team members contribute something to our team and are considered valuable team members!

Varsity Letter Requirements

For

Bedford Express, FIRST Robotics Team 1023

Varsity team members will always be given preference for key positions and events on the team. In order for a team member to receive a varsity letter & varsity status they must* achieve the following yearly commitments:

Varsity Level:

Attend all mandatory meetings**
Participate in 60 hours of practice during the 6 week build season
Full attendance for ALL competitions
Attend the FIRST season kickoff
Acquisition of $500 in new sponsorship money or participate in 2 business presentations to secure sponsorship for our team
Give sponsorship letter to at least 4 new businesses that are not currently sponsoring us
Raise $100 for the team through group fund raising opportunities
Documentation of 5 hours of approved FIRST service for our team
Documentation of 10 hours of approved community service for our team
Documentation of 1 hour of approved mentor service for a mentor that is not your parent
Attend at least 1 BXU class in each of the core areas (Mechanical, Electrical, Culture Changing, Safety, Communication, Business)
Complete Varsity level requirements for two years to earn Varsity Letter

Varsity Awards:

1^st year – FIRST patch

2^nd year – Varsity Letter

3^rd year –Varsity Year/Varsity Bar or Varsity Bar/Third Year Bar

4^th year – Plaque & Fourth Year Bar

Jr. Varsity Level:

Attend all mandatory meetings**
Participate in 30 hours of practice during the 6 week build season
Full attendance for all assigned competitions
Attend the FIRST season kickoff
Acquisition of $250 in new sponsorship money or participate in 1 business presentation to secure sponsorship for our team
Give sponsorship letter to at least 2 new businesses that are not currently sponsoring us
Raise $50 for the team through group fund raising opportunities
Documentation of 2 hours of approved FIRST service for our team
Documentation of 7 hours of approved community service for our team
Documentation of 1/2 hour of approved mentor service for a mentor that is not your parent
Attend at least 1 BXU class in three of the core areas (Mechanical, Electrical, Culture Changing, Communication, Safety, Business)
Complete junior varsity level requirements for four years to earn Varsity Letter (Or complete 2 years of JV and 1 year of Varsity credit)

* An Override of any requirement may be at the coach’s discretion in emergency situations including severe illness, death in a family or extreme financial hardship if the team member communicates said emergencies prior to missing an event or deadline. A committee of coaches, student leaders, mentors and administrators should evaluate these guidelines in May of 2012 and adjust as necessary.

**If you are going to miss a mandatory meeting for a valid reason, you must attend a make up session on the Saturday immediately following the missed mandatory meeting IF you get approval before missing the meeting. Unexcused absences (no prior notification) will not be able to be made up. Make up sessions will be the first hour of Saturday’s practice. If you are unable to do this, you must speak with the coaches personally prior to missing Thursday.

Junior Varsity Awards:

1^st year – FIRST pin

2^nd year – FIRST patch

3^rd year – JV Bar/Third Year Bar

4^th year – Varsity Letter