One of the best recruiting things you’ll ever do is visit college campuses. Visits show you what colleges are really like. They take you way beyond glossy websites and brochures and show you all the bumps, scrapes, and hidden delights colleges have to offer.

If you can, schedule your visit with the coach. That way, when you get there, you’ll find a schedule waiting for you that lists the people you’ll stay with, who you’ll go to class with, when meals are, and so on. Then again, maybe you won’t get the royal treatment. Don?t worry if this happens. Some coaches roll out the red carpet for recruits. Others require you to be more self-sufficient. Either way, a can-do attitude will go a long way.

Your visit is your one real chance to investigate the school and the team. You have a ton of say in this whole decision. You may be trying to convince the coach to recruit you, but he has to convince you that his school and team are great as well. Remember, if you don?t like a college, you don?t have to go there just because the coach wants you to come.

Most importantly, this is where you might go to college. Ask yourself these questions: does it feel like home? Does it feel like a great place to spend four years? Does the campus have the right vibe?

Of course, this is also where you might play for the next four years. Do you like what you see in terms of style, the quality of play, the quality of coaching, the team?s attitude on the field, as well as the social dynamic off the field?

While you’re on campus, ditch your parents. Much as they might like to relive the glory years, this is your college experience. Take the tour with your parents and then go off with some of the kids on the team. Get the real college experience by staying in the dorms with them and eating in the cafeteria.

Finally, you have to meet with the coach. Try to sit down with him one-on-one. Ask for a tour of the facilities, watch a practice, and a game. In the few days that you’re there, do as much as you can to simulate what your college experience there would be like. Then, once you get home, be honest with yourself by answering one key question: How did you like it?

Avi Stopper coached at the University of Chicago and is the founder of CaptainU.com.

Have you watched as your friends are getting attention from college coaches and wondered, am I invisible to these guys? Or, if you’ve gotten some attention, have you wondered why it’s from colleges you don’t want to attend?

Unfortunately, this is where a ton of athletes throw up their hands and say, “I guess this isn’t going to happen for me.” They give up and miss out on the chance to be a college athlete. But it doesn’t have to be this way. There are plenty of college coaches out there who want you.

At this very moment, there are college coaches out there who are looking for an athlete just like you. Believe me. It’s true. I’ve been one of those college coaches. Right now, they’re sitting in some office or at the kitchen table, sifting through stacks of athletes, looking at databases, trying to find the right athletes. By introducing yourself to them, you can make their lives much easier. They want to hear from you.

The key is to find the right colleges. At CaptainU, we always tell our athletes to focus on the complete fit, not just the most prestigious name or biggest scholarship. Rather it’s about finding the place where the sports, academics, and social environment all match their needs – and show them how to find these colleges. Once you’ve found these colleges and introduced yourself, you’ll be well on your way to a great college career.

The award recognizes outstanding female student-athletes who have excelled in athletics, academics, leadership and service. While the honorees were in Indianapolis, they participated in a Habitat for Humanity service project.

There were 128 nominees and 9 finalists.  The nine finalists were:

• Shauneen Garrahan, Amherst College (cross country, track and field)
• Felicia Guliford, University of Tennessee, Knoxville (cross country, track and field)
• Ana Gutierrez, Seattle University (soccer)
• Jessica Javelet, University of Louisville (field hockey)
• Whitney Myers, University of Arizona (swimming and diving)
• Ashley Parker, Lincoln University (Pennsylvania) (track and field)
• Debbie Sharnak, Vassar College (tennis)
• Sarah Shearman, Truman State University (volleyball)
• Jamie Wolf, Clarion University of Pennsylvania (swimming and diving)