A
varsity letter is an
award earned in the
United States by regular
participation or
excellence in a school varsity
sport. A letter can
signify either
status as a varsity athlete, or that it's
winner was
chosen to
recieve the letter based on preformance. Letters are made of cloth and typically sewn on clothing that reflects the sport.
In recent years the letter has
branched out into non athletic endevours. It may also be
awarded for reliability.
The
award is
analogous to the long(er) established "
Sporting colors award" traditionally given by Eurpoean universities and schools.