This may come as a surprise: winning college sports scholarships isn't that difficult. It really comes down to two things:

1. Identifying the right colleges - Being realistic about where you can play and adding those colleges to your list.


2. Endearing yourself to the college - Building a strong and meaningful relationship with the college coaches.

College sports scholarships are shrouded by a veil of misconceptions and mythology. But really, it's that simple. Let's take a closer look at Step 2 - Endearing yourself to college coaches.

Make no mistake about it, this doesn't mean groveling. It doesn't mean begging. And it doesn't mean brown-nosing. It means developing a strong relationship built on the foundation of mutual respect and honesty.

5 Dos

1. Make a professional introduction with a cover letter and sports resume
2. Show a level of responsibility by following up on a regular basis
3. Show the coach that you really care about his team by knowing as much as you can about it
4. Make an unofficial visit to campus, whether you're invited on an NCAA official visit or not
5. Share some of the details of your life off the field

3 Don'ts

1. Start a hard-nosed negotiation before you've developed your relationship
2. Send the exact same emails to every college coach
3. Play one offer against another to try to squeeze more scholarship money out of a coach

Division I College Sports Scholarships Available for Men

NCAA Baseball Scholarships: 11.7

NCAA Basketball Scholarships: 13

NCAA Cross Country/Track and Field Scholarships: 12.6

NCAA Football Scholarships: 85

NCAA Golf Scholarships: 4.5

NCAA Gymnastics Scholarships: 6.3

NCAA Ice Hockey Scholarships: 18

NCAA Lacrosse Scholarships: 12.6

NCAA Soccer Scholarships: 9.9

NCAA Swimming and Diving Scholarships: 9.9

NCAA Tennis Scholarships: 4.5

NCAA Water Polo Scholarships: 4.5

NCAA Wrestling Scholarships: 9.9

Division I College Sports Scholarships Available for Women

NCAA Basketball Scholarships: 15

NCAA Cross Country/Track and Field Scholarships: 18

NCAA Field Hockey Scholarships: 12

NCAA Golf Scholarships: 6

NCAA Gymnastics Scholarships: 12

NCAA Ice Hockey Scholarships: 18

NCAA Lacrosse Scholarships: 12

NCAA Soccer Scholarships: 14

NCAA Softball Scholarships: 12

NCAA Swimming and Diving Scholarships: 14

NCAA Tennis Scholarships: 8

NCAA Volleyball Scholarships: 12

NCAA Water Polo Scholarships: 4.5