Welcome to parishathletics.org’s newest feature: Inside Panther Athletics. This section will feature general information about Parish’s athletics programs and will also answer some of the most often asked questions.
Current Articles [Jan-Feb 2007]
• The Panther Athletics Jacket
• Letter Jacket - Letter and Awards Guidelines
• Varsity Athletics - Try outs
• Middle School Athletics - Team Placement
The Panther Athletics Letter Jacket
History:
It seems with the advent of organized sports, there was a need for uniforms. There also was an additional need for identification between competing teams, which was satisfied by the use of emblems or letters. In 1865, the Harvard baseball team added an old English “H.” The football team started to use the “H” in 1875. It became the practice for the team captain to allow certain players who played in the most important games (Yale or Princeton) to keep the “H” jerseys as an award. The letter was then sewn on a sweater to wear about campus. In the 1930s, the letter award started to appear on leather sleeved, wool-bodied jackets. The earliest example of the letter in a high school environment is shown in the 1911 yearbook of Phoenix Union High School in then the Arizona Territory.
Parish:
Multiple letter jacket designs were developed by the Athletic Council and the coaching staff, and the designs were then voted on by the student body (8th – 12th). The design selected is the “traditional design” with snap buttons, knit waist and cuffs, and the traditional shirt type wool collar. It was decided that the jacket should represent the school and the teams and not accentuate the individual. With this desire in mind, the jackets will maintain a very uniform look, while still affording the student-athlete the ability to display the individual sport’s insignias, as well as team and individual accomplishments
Letter Awards:
• Letters are awarded by the Athletic Director by recommendation of the head coach of the particular sport or athletic support organization. There are currently 18 sports and two support organizations.
• The letters are awarded only to team members of the varsity teams who satisfy the requirements of the head coach and are approved by the Athletic Director.
• Prior to the start of the season, the student-athlete must participate in try outs for the team and be awarded a position on the varsity roster.
• The student-athlete must remain academically eligible and in good standing within the school community.
• The student-athlete must remain in good standing on the team by attending practices and competitions, displaying excellent sportsmanship on and off the field, and being a value adding member of the team throughout the entire season.
• At the discretion of the head coach and with approval by the Athletic Director, there may be certain performance measures added, on an individual sport by sport basis, in order to earn a varsity letter.
[back to top]
Letter Jacket - Letter and Awards Guidelines
Letter:
(1) The varsity letter “P” will be awarded to the team members and provided by the School.
(2) All items listed below will be embroidered onto the letter. No pins or patches may be added to the letter itself.
(3) The sport’s symbol will be embroidered onto the letter.
(4) A “C” will be added designating the team captains.
(5) A “bar” will be added for each year of lettering, beginning with two bars in the second year of lettering.
(6) The “bar(s)” and “C(s)” will be adjacent (below or to the right side) to the sport’s symbol for multi-sport letter winners.
Uniform Numbers:
(7) A letter winner may add their uniform number to their jacket sleeve. These will match the “P” letter in color and materials.
Team Awards:
(8) Patches for district and state championships can be added to the jacket sleeves. These will match the “P” letter in color and materials.
Individual Awards:
Note: These will match the “P” letter in color and materials.
(9) Patches for city, district, regional, state and national individual recognition can be added to the sleeves, including first team, second team and honorable mention.
(10) MVP and Heart of the Pride award can be added, but not the MIP award.
(11) No club sports recognition on the letter jacket.
General:
(12) No patches, embroidering or pins will be added to the back, front or sleeves of the jacket, except those detailed above.
(13) Letter jackets will usually be updated once a year (generally summer, post spring sport).
[back to top]
Varsity Athletics - Try outs
It is the objective of Panther Athletics to provide the best possible skills development for our student-athletes in a safe and enjoyable environment, while being successfully competitive in our competitions. Our goal for teams is to have a Varsity team and either two Junior Varsities (an A and B teams) or a Junior Varsity and a Freshman team. While we would like to provide an opportunity for all student-athletes, optimum player numbers per team prohibit coaches from keeping all student-athletes who may want to participate.
Tryout practice(s) are held prior to the start of every season and each student-athlete is evaluated by a group of coaches, lead by the Varsity Head Coach. Typically 20 percent of the players are experienced and 20 percent are first time type student-athletes. These players are then placed accordingly. The middle 60 percent are closely reviewed and both objectively (e.g., measured drills) and subjectively (coaches’ trained eye for talent and intangible skills – e.g. leadership, hustle and enthusiasm) evaluated and placed according to the collective coaches’ recommendation to the Head Coach. No team positions are “held” for a specific player, although we think all will agree, baring injury or academic concerns, some players will be repeat Varsity players.
Following tryout practice(s), the teams will be established by the Head Coach and posted.
Practice and games will then begin for the individual squads. On occasion (our obvious goal is to not do so), a player will be misplaced. In this situation, we will work extensively with that player to ensure the best season possible. There are also occasions (e.g., injury) when the rosters can be adjusted. This type of change is at the sole discretion of the Head Coach.
For more information or questions, please contact a head coach or the Athletic Director.
[back to top]
Middle School Athletics - Team Placement
According to several studies, including an intra-school “straw poll”, behind only the desire to sign a big professional contract and winning a World Series, a WNBA Championship, a World Cup or Super Bowl, the main reason student-athletes play sports is to “have fun and be with their friends,” and the reason they leave sports is because they are no longer having “fun.”
With this basis in mind, we encourage all students to play a sport, and our system is designed to accommodate them in this endeavor, regardless of their age, size, experience and capability. In the Middle School programs, no student-athletes are cut from play. Make no mistake, Parish not only competes vigorously but also believes that excellent, early athletic ability development is key to a long athletic career and the future success of the program.
Our “Team Placement” program works to group players of similar talents and experience and then places that team in a competitive division of like talented teams. The Dallas Parochial League (DPL), in which Parish competes, offers three divisions for all 31 schools in order to accomplish this exact task. Award points are given for the leading teams in each division for the overall school championship. Our student-athletes support each other, regardless of division, so that each team can work towards achieving their goal of winning their division by gaining overall points for the school.
“Team Placement” practices are held at the start of each season, and players are evaluated by a group of coaches, lead by the Varsity Head Coach. Typically 20 percent of the players are experienced and 20 percent are first time type student-athletes. These players are then placed accordingly. The middle 60 percent are closely reviewed and both objectively (e.g., measured drills) and subjectively (coaches’ trained eye for talent and intangible skills – e.g. leadership, hustle and enthusiasm) evaluated and placed according to the collective coaches’ recommendation to the Head Coach.
Once the teams are established, these rosters are registered with the DPL and can not be changed. On occasion (our obvious goal is to not do so), a player will be misplaced. In this situation, we will work extensively with that player to ensure the best season possible.
The teams are then turned over to their assigned coaches and practices and play begins. For fifth and sixth grade teams, the coaches are volunteers and preferably moms and dads. This is the standard DPL practice and the guidelines Parish follows. The DPL offers coaching clinics for theses volunteers, as well as the “Play Like a Champion” program developed by Notre Dame. The Parish Varsity Coaches also offer assistance and guidance to these coaches. The seventh and eighth grade level coaching staff usually end up as a combination of volunteer parents and stipend coaches, in most cases and preferably, Parish Faculty and Staff members.
For more information or questions, please contact a head coach or the Athletic Director.
[back to top]
Parish Episcopal School
4101 Sigma Rd.
Dallas, TX 75244
972.239.8011 • 800.909.9081 • Fax 972.991.1237