Primary impetus for the creation of Varsity Scouting came from the LDS church, which was experiencing a high dropout rate in its Explorer posts and was anxious to find a more effective way to keep its high school young men in Scouting. Although the BSA did the official development of the program, and has promoted it as a standard BSA offering, most Varsity teams today are still LDS sponsored. In 1989, the BSA made Varsity Scouting an option for older Scouts within a troop as well as within separate Varsity teams. Varsity Terminology and Advancement. The Varsity Scout program uses sports terminology as a tool to reach its target population.
Boys are members of a squad, which is part of a team led by an adult coach and a boy captain.
The advancement plan is identical to the Boy Scout advancement plan, from Tenderfoot through Eagle.