Student athletes can register with various online recruiters or other agencies. Basically, you register with them by paying a fee. You enter your name, school, height, weight, position, and a few statements you want to make. Then anyone who happens to come to the site can check you out. As well, most agencies will send your stats to your top college choices, and other services are available that vary depending on the particular company.

Using the services certainly won't hurt your prospects. As always, however, you have to be realistic. Using an agency to send your stats to a winning Division I-A football team is probably a waste of time and money. The team already uses its own resources to find you. Using an agency to help you find a lesser-known Division II college, however, may work for you.

Besides, the Web sites of some of the agencies do have useful information, including sample resumes and cover letters for student athletes. We caught a number of inconsistencies in the statistics posted at some of the flashier sites, though, so be wary of quoting them. As always, buyer beware.