The recruiting process can be a lot like conditioning drills at the end of practice — frustrating, stressful and seemingly endless. But just like wind sprints, recruiting goes much easier if you’re well prepared. A solid plan of attack begins during your freshman year. Instead of taking a blind leap into the recruiting pool, you’ll be better off with a good idea of what you’re going to do, how you’re going to do it and when you want to get it done. A well-thought out schedule pays huge dividends down the road.But you’re not a fortune-teller. You aren’t even certain of what’s on your schedule for this coming weekend. How could you possibly know what you should be doing three years from now?Don’t worry — we’ve got you covered.

SOPHOMORE YEAR

Now that you’ve adjusted to high school, it’s time to start thinking about college.

“Start talking to friends, teachers and family about where they went to school and what their thoughts are about different places,” says Ward.

Research colleges you’re interested in by looking at their websites and checking out guidebooks. Keep any material you find in a file so you have all your college information in one place. And if you find yourself in the area of a school that caught your eye, don’t hesitate to drop by and look around.

“If you’re traveling places for other reasons,” Ward says, “take advantage and see what different types of schools look like — because when things start moving fast, they’ll move really fast. If you’re in a city, go see a couple of schools in that city. If you’re passing by a school out in the country, go see what it looks like. Get a feel for big schools and small schools.