As with all cures, prevention is still the key to maintaining your jacket in the best possible condition. Let us first deal with the leather part of your jacket before the wool. If your jacket is still brand new, it is advisable to always condition and water-proof the leather and if it is to be worn outdoors for most of the time, the more important it is to put maximum protection on them all the time. There are many products that you can buy to protect the leather like rub-on oils and waxes and spray-on chemicals. After each use, I usually check for spots, especially in discreet areas.

Whenever I put on the rub-on oil, I make sure that I use a lot of them and I leave it on the leather overnight which will protect it for a longer time. If your leather is looking rough but hasn’t cracked yet, you can apply a blend of beeswax and mink oil to minimize the damage and prevent it from spreading. Finally, if your leather has, unfortunately, cracked, you can use rubber cement to cover it up. Moving on, for the wool, I constantly brush it to remove any surface oil or debris. If your wool has stains, you can remove it with a spot treatment and you should periodically hang it in a steamed room to prevent and remove wrinkles.

Caring for your letterman jacket is that simple. You just have to allot some time to carefully manage that and when you do, you can wear your HS letterman jacket again and feel like you just graduated from high school yesterday.

Currently my letterman jacket has so many patches on it because I wanted it not only to show that I am part of my alma mater but also to exhibit to others who I really am through the patches on my jacket. Learning to sew these patches on can be great fun and it also gives me a sense of independence that I am capable of doing this on my own.

I remembered how excited I was when I first created my own letterman jacket from scratch with my high school jacket and some patches that I earned and bought from a local store. I have earned about five patches from my basketball team at school and I bought about 5 more patches because I thought I wanted to have as much patches as I could put on.

Anyway when I got home, go online and researched some DIY sites on sewing patches on jackets and I tried to follow them religiously. First, I laid out all my patches and I created a picture in my mind how the end result would be. Then I started with the smallest patch, which was a letter and I sewn it on the left chest of the jacket as per the site’s instruction. After several more try with the other patches, I finally got the hang of it and with some safety pins, the task became a lot easier. In the end, my jacket looked decent enough to wear anywhere and to show everyone what I have accomplished not just for myself but also for my school.

Unfortunately though, after a few washes, some of the patches on my HS letterman jacket started to come off because I wasn’t able to sew them on tightly but since it was my first try, I tried to put them back on.

Additionally, HS letterman jacket can also be made from synthetic fiber that simplifies cleaning. These jackets can be bought but the true pride one gets from these jackets is by earning them. Depending on your talents and skills, earning your letters and your jacket can either be easy or difficult.

The most obvious way to earn your letterman jacket is by joining a varsity level sport. There are many sports that you can join to earn one but most common sports to sign up for are basketball, baseball, football and softball. Other sports like soccer, tennis and golf can also be entered into. According to your school’s fixed standards, try to excel at your chosen sport which can be varying for every person depending on your skills.

Some schools require a performance level to be reached such as scoring percentage, touch-downs made and so on and so forth. There are also other schools that require only participation to earn a letter. Usually, the coach or trainer is the one to decide whether you’ve earned your letter. Being a varsity athlete, when you’ve earned your right to wear one, you will receive a certificate of achievement and your letter with a small symbol of your sport which you can sew or pin on your high school letterman jacket.

In some schools, after your letter has been given, they will also give you your HS letterman jacket where you will sew on all your letters, medals and other symbols. In some schools though, you are required to buy your own jacket after receiving your letter. Your high school letterman jacket can be customized to your own choosing with some things that are fixed like the school name and color.

When you have earned your letter and your letterman jacket, wear it with pride and honor because it shows everyone what you have done and what you are capable of.

With enough patience, determination, resource and of course natural talent, you can become a jock. Start training while you are still young. Try to join the pee-wee or junior leagues of any sports so that you can get a feel of what it is like. Do whatever it takes to become the best, although of course try to do the right thing while you are giving it your all. When you’ve reached middle school, aim to get the starting position when you’ve joined a team. Since you’ve already joined the junior leagues, you’ll surely be no new comer to middle school competitive sports.

Getting into high school, completely devote your free time to sports. Many say that you can get into a good college when you are well-rounded so you also have to spare some time for your studies. If your academics and athletics are above average, you can easily get scholarships at different colleges.

Your family can save more money on your schooling, plus you get to play college varsity which is what you want. Always train to maintain your position which you’ve worked so hard for. Moreover, constantly practice to get better and to play consistently when you’re on the court. When you are not studying or practicing, always wear your HS letterman jacket to flaunt your school spirit and this can also be an ego booster.

Becoming a jock is quite hard but when you do get there, it can be very, very rewarding. Being a jock doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to be a jerk to every weaker person but you can still be a jock while being a nice guy in school. This way, a lot more people will admire what you can do and respect you for who you are.