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Welcome to AthleticAid.com
the home of
The Sports Scholarship Handbook
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Five college buildings.
Over $1 billion in sports scholarships
Every year hundreds of university and college coaches go searching for a new group of talented athletes to recruit. Every year hundreds of top schools award athletes over $1 billion in sports scholarships. There are often other benefits to sports participation. The goal of this site is to help high school athletes find information and advice that can guide them through the university and college sports recruiting process to find the opportunity that is right for them.

Freshmen
Juniors
Sophomores
Parents
Are you waiting for a call?
Every year, thousands of high school athletes sit by their phones waiting for college coaches to call. Some will get called, but thousands of talented athletes will not. Do not wait. Take action before it is too late. You can increase your chances of being recruited, of competing at the college level and of getting a sports scholarship.

When should you start? Now! The earlier you start, the wider will be your range of opportunities. The earlier you start, the more likely you are to be successful. If you are still waiting for a call when your senior year starts, then time is getting very short. If you are a junior there is more time, but the earlier you start, the more you can do and the more choices you will have. Getting started.

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Crowd of fans.

Site guide:
  • 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.
freestyle
During the school year:
  • 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!
Recruiting Calendars
College sports recruiting has an official NCAA annual calendar with a succession of dates and seasons.  There is a common plan, but some sports have their own sets of critical dates and seasons. The calendar and the rules governing recruiting in various sports at the Division I and II NCAA levels also change frequently. Stay up-to-date by getting the most current NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student Athlete (found here) and by looking at the calendar links below. You will need the Adobe Acrobat reader to view and print the online version.
  • Details of the NCAA recruiting calendars by sport and Division can be viewed on the NCAA site here. You may need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view some files.
  • 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.
Recent dates and events:
goal
  • The Fall recruiting season has come and gone and 2009 has arrived. "Official" recruiting visits are wrapping up or finished. Offers are being discussed between coaches and athletes.
Current activities:
  • College coaches have their short lists. 
  • Athletes generally know if they will get an offer from the coaches who have shown strong interest.
Coming recruiting activities:
  • If you are a senior and you have been recruited you should have a good idea of what offers might be coming.
  • If you have offers coming from schools that are not at the top of your own list, now is the time to use them to spark conversation with coaches at your preferred schools.
  • If your sport season is still ahead of you there are still opportunities to get noticed.
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.


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