• Get started! How can you get university and college coaches to evaluate your talents? What will your best opportunity be? When should you start working toward a college sports goal? Some of the answers are here. The best advice? "Don't wait!" Freshmen, sophomore and junior athletes can take important steps to improve their recruiting chances. Seniors can learn how to maximize opportunities and avoid pitfalls. No matter what your year in school, start now! 
• What is a sports scholarship worth? It varies but it can be a huge amount. College costs are skyrocketing. See some actual college costs of typical schools. 
• What's new?: How does the SAT affect NCAA eligibility? How will new federal financial aid rules increase college costs for many students? Also, a description of two time-lines in college sports recruiting.
  
• Are you on the college coaches' recruiting lists? How would you know? How can you get the attention of college coaches?
  
• Parents, learn how you can help your student athlete achieve his or her goals: How parents can help.
  
• Valuable information on athletic scholarships, recruiting rules and eligibility standards from the NCAA, the NAIA and others.
  
• College and financial aid resources for all college bound students.
• Information about national high school championships and national high school sports records.
• The Sports Scholarship Handbook details dozens of things that high school students at all grade levels can do right now to improve their chances of being recruited and of getting a better offer. Preview the handbook.
• Topics in sports medicine for student athletes.
  
• Computers and software for students--advice on how to save money on these essential tools.
• Great sites and advice on linking to AthleticAid.Com.
  
• A side trip about the name "Yaquina" and some photos from the central Oregon coast.
• About this site.

• Working on your athletic skills and endurance is assumed.
• Also work at being a leader among the athletes in your sport. Show maturity, set a good example and stay free of injuries.
• Stay ahead of school work. Coaches favor athletes who do a good job managing their academics.
  
• Investigate colleges on the Internet. Then make appointments and visit.
• Read The Sports Scholarship Handbook. The handbook details specific things that athletes can do to enhance their recruiting opportunities. Start now!
  

• Information about the NCAA recruiting schedules by sport and by NCAA Division is available. There is an overview chart that is in PDF format. You will need an Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the PDF. Be sure to get the specific information for your sport and your target Division or Divisions of the NCAA.
  
• Signing dates for National Letters of Intent are not listed on the NCAA calendars. They are set by the National Letter of Intent program and can be found on their site.
  

• The past school year's recruiting season is basically over.
  

• Summer is a time for improving skills, visiting colleges unofficially and preparing for the school year to come.
• Coaches will be calling this Fall's high school seniors and starting the new recruiting season for the coming school year.
• If you will be a senior this coming school year, start preparing for those phone calls from coaches.

• Summer is also when coaches are refining their list of top prospects. You might be a top player and a high school senior in the fall, but if you are not on that list by now then you will need to take action to get on it.
• If called, show interest until you know that you are no longer interested. A great many recruits end up at colleges that they did not consider until they got recruited. Keep your eyes and your options open.

Throughout the year the calendar includes evaluation periods, quiet periods and dead periods. There are initial or early signing dates for many sports and regular or late signing periods. Some kinds of contacts are allowed or not allowed depending on the calendar and the prospect's year in school. The Sports Scholarship Handbook helps student athletes and parents navigate the recruiting process and take maximum advantage of the recruiting calendar.