Name Coaching Level For 16-17 Season Email Required: Fill & Download for Free

Yes, and have since early fall in ‘04. I had my life ended as I knew it by a pair of autoimmune diseases in Jan/04, that saw me spend roughly 60 days in/out of numerous hospitals from Jan through May. I was at my home town hospital, in Hershey, Philadelphia & Johns-Hopkins. I was given a tentative diagnosis, but nothing concrete.By Sept of ’04 I had a real hard time standing & walking and by late Sept/early Oct I couldn’t stand or walk. I also had been hiding the fact I’d been soaking everything I slept on more times than not since late August, though intermittent issues began in March. I was embarrassed to no end, and thought I could hide them. yeah…RIGHT!So I have to wear diapers whenever I might fall asleep. I was afraid that everyone who knew me would have never ever laughs at my expense for this, but that never happened. I always knew I chose my friends well, and I also know I have more true friends than any one man ever deserves in 3 lifetimes on Earth, but I was still beyond afraid of the implications of wearing diapers. Keep in mind that when I first got sick, I was 5′7″, 232 lbs of muscle with a 21.75″ neck, 59″ chest & 35″ waist. I was bench pressing quite a bit over 400 lbs, able to squat in excess of 1000 (no bullshit here, I was able to rep 1000 more than a dozen times but quit doing it as I saw no sense in putting that kind of weight onto my spine) and spent between 2–2.5 hours in the weight room every other night for a total of 7 nights in a 2 week span. I also ran 12–16 miles per week, usually split between 2 nights per week, often after my wife & kids went to sleep I’d go out running @ 10:30/11:00 PM on mountain roads where I live. I had numerous points marked out with pink flags tied to trees: 3 miles, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5, 6, 6.5, 7 & finally 7.5 miles from my house. I ran with a neon/florescent vest like highway workers wear and carried a small mag-light with me to shine at vehicles to let them know I was there long before they got near me. So yeah, being beyond huge was another issue I had with winding up needing to be back in diapers. It wasn’t easy to take, compounded with every other event going on in my life at the same time.I followed my Primary Physician’s recommendations and saw a Urologist. The 1st guy was an arrogant dickhead, and IF I would have been forced to deal with him I can promise i would have knocked teeth down his throat as he had in his mind that I was just “being lazy” and there was nothing wrong with me. I told him if he repeated those words I’d smack him silly and he had the balls to step to me. I wrestled for 8 years and coached for another 6 to that point in my life. I just stopped coaching in ’17 when my back screwed me again at the end of the ‘16-’17 season. The second his hands came up I had a 2 on 1 wrist lock to an arm drag which put me behind him in about half a second where I held him and asked if he wished to proceed. He stormed out of the room and we were through. The next one I saw was beginning to run tests when i wound up hospitalized @ the Jefferson Headache Center, and I asked to have that issue looked into as well. That’s the only place that really had any real knowledge about headaches, but even after a 19 day stay had no solution for my 24/7/365x15 yr8mos(to date today) headache other than to give a diagnostic name of New Daily Persistent Headache. My urinary issues are being blamed on a series of issues. The reason I wound up unable to stand/walk within months of my onset was due to joint destroying arthritis which hammered my lower spine facet, sacroiliac & coccyx joints (requiring a morphine pump implant to allow me to work my way to where I could get by with a cane 2+ years later) and they say there’s no doubt there’s nerve damage there. They also found my bladder is small, especially for my body mass. It makes sense as I ALWAYS had to pee unless I was working hard or working out. I know that even in my teens, I’d wake up at least once per night to go to the bathroom, sometimes as often as 3–4x, and that never changed as I aged. There’s also potential neurological issues, though to date they’re unconfirmed-undefined. The evidence behind that thinking is I’ve had multiple instances where my fevers have exceeded 106. The other evidence is I’ve had well over a dozen spinal taps to date. My pressure is always within range, but with every single lumbar puncture, they’ve found excess White Blood Cells in my CSF fluid, yet nothing has ever grown a culture in a lab. Why not? I LOVE being a Guinea Pig!!!! To say I would MURDER PEOPLE for the hospital records from the week + I spent in the hospital days after receiving all of the mandatory immunizations I received before Basic Training began in late June ‘90, with my hospitalization being in either late June or early July as i was out of it for the 1st ??? days, but I know the pain was identical to what intermittently knocked me down for a few days here & there sporadically afterward and for good in Jan/04. I NEVER was able to get ANY records from that hospital stay, even went so far as to contact every single hospital within 50 miles of Ft Benning, Ga to be told NONE had any records of me ever being a patient in any of them, which is impossible. The only aspect working in my favor is that I went to Basic with 3 friends who saw me collapse and know I was in a hospital for 6–9 days. Sorry about winding up off track…I’m just beyond PISSED OFF over this!Now, as I near my 16th anniversary of my ‘final” onset….I will say quite loudly that diapers are the least of my worries, by far! They never cause me any trouble (aside from having better uses for the money!), they cause no pain and they’re actually comfortable. I still wind up in the hospital an avg of 3 times/year with my total to date being 51 times for at least 600 days, though I think I’m actually over 700 days by a few. I lost count after 500.Not one person has made my diapers a laughing point, but then again outside of my family & friends, no one really knows as i don’t go around advertising this issue and when I have to wear I make certain it isn’t obvious. Just in case anyone who’s just starting out needing diapers is reading, save your money on the “discreet” diapers. They’re anything but discreet as the leak like sieves! You can hide a diaper under proper fitting clothes, but you can’t hide wet pants/wet clothes, period! I only wear the most absorbent, plastic outer shelled tabbed briefs (diapers with sticky tapes) I can afford. The best brands for the money by far are BetterDry, Abena Comfort briefs & the Molicare Slip Maxi, though those seem to be disappearing. I also utilize Tranquility XL Contour Booster pads in my diapers at night or whenever I’m not able to move well (or at all) as with that combination I know I’m protected for a minimum of 12–14 hours, but have had to go 18 hours at times and almost always make it without having a wet bed or wet clothes.So yes, there are literally MILLIONS of adults who have had to wear and NEED to wear adult diapers. There are also thousands upon thousands who wear because they simply like to wear diapers, adding to the overall number.You can also think of it this way: Do a Google search for adult diapers and you’ll be amazed! There’s literally countless brands/levels and styles on the market and THOUSANDS of sellers. That has to mean there is a rather large market for these products, and that market is obviously growing at a breakneck pace as the market seemingly adds several brand new choices every few months. It is estimated by the mid 2020’s adult diaper sales will exceed baby diaper sales so you are FAR FROM ALONE.Seriously though, I totally understand what a massive shock this is when first encountered. If you need to talk to someone who’s been where you’re at now, send me a message and I’ll send you a way to contact me through email, and we can go from there. It may not be what you wanted out of life, but far worse things happen to good people every minute of every day… so you must learn to adapt/overcome/drive-on. FYI in case you’re wondering due to my last statement, YES, I am a veteran, served my contract and was Honorably discharged in Nov/95.

Q. Is it really possible to get a scholarship in the 6th grade?A.You're never too young for scholarships!There are also ample opportunities for elementary and middle school students? Unfortunately, due to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), online scholarship search services are not available to students under the age of 13. These are some of the programs open for younger students.1. Kohl's Kids Who Care ProgramEach year, Kohl’s provides several prizes and scholarships to students (ages 6 through 18) who have volunteered within the past year. One winner at each store receives a $50 gift card and advances to the regional level, where he/she competes for a $1,000 scholarship. Ten regional winners will be selected to receive an additional $10,000 national award. Deadline: March 15.2. Nicholas A. Virgilio Memorial Haiku CompetitionStudents in grades 7 through 12 may compete in this creative writing contest. Students may submit up to three haikus, as long as the work has not been previously published or submitted in any other contest. Six winners will each receive $50. Deadline: March 25.3. “I Want to Go to College” Writing ContestThis contest is open to Nebraska seventh and eighth graders. Winners will receive a contribution to their state-sponsored 529 college savings plan, ranging between $500 and $2,000 each. Deadline: March 28.4. Doodle4GoogleAny student in elementary, middle, or high school may submit their artwork for consideration. Students simply need to take the Google name and turn it into something creative that reflects this year’s theme. National finalists will each receive a $5,000 scholarship. The Grand Prize winner will receive a $30,000 scholarship and his/her school will also receive a $50,000 technology grant. Deadline: March (TBA).5. The Gloria Barron Prize for Young HeroesEach year, the Barron Prize honors 25 outstanding students between the ages of 8 and 18. Students are recognized for their contributions to their community and the environment. The top 10 students will each receive a $5,000 scholarship. Deadline: April 15.6. The Healers Trilogy ContestStudents in grades 6 through 12 may submit a billboard, video, speech, essay, poem, song, or commercial based on Donna Labermeier’s book, The Healers, which is free to contestants. There are six scholarships, ranging in value from $500 to $2,500 each. Deadline: May 16.7. Courage in Student Journalism AwardsMiddle school and high school students who have exercised their First Amendment rights, despite difficulty or resistance, may be eligible to win a$5,000 scholarship through this contest sponsored by the Student Press Law Center, the Center for Scholastic Journalism at Kent State University, and the National Scholastic Press Association. Deadline: June 8.8. Patriot’s Pen Writing ContestThis program, sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), is open to students in grades 6 through 8. Students must submit an essay addressing this year’s topic, ‘Why I Appreciate America’s Veterans.” Prizes are given to the top 40 students, ranging between $500 and $5,000 each. Deadline: Nov. 1.9. Jif™ Most Creative Sandwich ContestEach fall, Jif™ sponsors a cooking contest for children between the ages of 6 and 12. Students must creative a main dish, side item, appetizer, or dessert using peanut butter as one of the ingredients. The contest typically opens in late August, so students can start working on their recipes now. One lucky winner will receive a $25,000 scholarship and four runners-up will each receive $4,000 for college. Deadline: November (TBA).10. Angela AwardFemale students in grades 5 through 8, who have an interest in science, may apply for this program. One winner will receive a $1,000 savings bond. Deadline: Nov. 30.11. Scholastic Art & Writing AwardsEach September, students in grades 7 through 12 can compete in 28 different categories, including, but not limited to: comic art, fashion, painting, photography, poetry, short story, journalism, and video games. More than $250,000 in scholarships is awarded annually. Deadline: Varies by region.It’s never too early to start searching and applying for scholarships. Keep an eye out in your local paper or parenting magazines for writing contests and other opportunities, and don’t forget to check out Google and Facebookpages that offer advice for parents of younger children. These forums often post photo and essay contests that can help build your child’s college nest egg.4 Scholarships to Apply to Before Senior Year (usnews.com)1. Best Buy @15: Best Buy Children's Foundation will award up to 1,200 scholarships of $1,000 each to students in grades 9-12 who are planning to attend college after high school. Scholarship recipients are selected based on academic achievement, volunteering efforts, and work experience.2. Kohl's Cares Scholarship Program: Kids ages 6 to 18 are eligible for the Kohl's Cares Scholarship Program—provided they have contributed to their community in a meaningful way in the past 12 months by performing volunteer service that helped a non-family member. Students must be nominated for this award, and nominators must be age 21 or older. Parents: Yes, you can nominate your own children for this award.[Find out more about turning your community service into college cash.]3. Raytheon Math Moves U: Raytheon has a middle school scholarship focused on students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades only, who submit an answer to the question, "How does math put the action in your passion?" Submissions may be multimedia or paper, and awards of $1,000 can be used for "camperships" at a science, technology, engineering, or math-related summer camp—or set aside for the students' freshman year of college.4. Discover Scholarship Program: The Discover Scholarship Program is aimed specifically at high school juniors who have at least a 2.75 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale for their 9th and 10th grades. Up to 10 scholarships of $25,000 are awarded each year and may be used for any type of post-high school education or training, certification, etc. at a two- or four-year school. The 2012 program year will open for applications in late 2011.Janine Fugate joined Scholarship America in 2002. She is an alumna of the College of Saint Benedict, Saint Joseph, Minn., and is currently pursuing a Master of Public Affairs at the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. Fugate is the recipient of numerous scholarships at both the undergraduate and graduate level.Committing to Play for a College, Then Starting 9th GradeHaley Berg, 15, at home with her sister in Celina, Tex. She accepted a soccer scholarship to Texas four years in advance. CreditCooper Neill for The New York TimesSANFORD, Fla. — Before Haley Berg was done with middle school, she had the numbers for 16 college soccer coaches programmed into the iPhone she protected with a Justin Bieber case.She was all of 14, but Hales, as her friends call her, was already weighing offers to attend the University of Colorado, Texas A&M and the University of Texas, free of charge.Haley is not a once-in-a-generation talent like LeBron James. She just happens to be a very good soccer player, and that is now valuable enough to set off a frenzy among college coaches, even when — or especially when — the athlete in question has not attended a day of high school. For Haley, the process ended last summer, a few weeks before ninth grade began, when she called the coach at Texas to accept her offer of a scholarship four years later.“When I started in seventh grade, I didn’t think they would talk to me that early,” Haley, now 15, said after a tournament late last month in Central Florida, where Texas coaches showed up to watch her juke past defenders, blond ponytail bouncing behind.“Even the coaches told me, ‘Wow, we’re recruiting an eighth grader,’ ” she said.In today’s sports world, students are offered full scholarships before they have taken their first College Boards, or even the Preliminary SAT exams. Coaches at colleges large and small flock to watch 13- and 14-year-old girls who they hope will fill out their future rosters. This is happening despite N.C.A.A. rules that appear to explicitly prohibit it.The heated race to recruit ever younger players has drastically accelerated over the last five years, according to the coaches involved. It is generally traced back to the professionalization of college and youth sports, a shift that has transformed soccer and other recreational sports from after-school activities into regimens requiring strength coaches and managers.The practice has attracted little public notice, except when it has occasionally happened in football and in basketball. But a review of recruiting data and interviews with coaches indicate that it is actually occurring much more frequently in sports that never make a dime for their colleges.Early scouting has also become more prevalent in women’s sports than men’s, in part because girls mature sooner than boys. But coaches say it is also an unintended consequence of Title IX, the federal law that requires equal spending on men’s and women’s sports. Colleges have sharply increased the number of women’s sports scholarships they offer, leading to a growing number of coaches chasing talent pools that have not expanded as quickly. In soccer, for instance, there are 322 women’s soccer teams in the highest division, up from 82 in 1990. There are now 204 men’s soccer teams.“In women’s soccer, there are more scholarships than there are good players,” said Peter Albright, the coach at Richmond and a regular critic of early recruiting. “In men’s sports, it’s the opposite.”While women’s soccer is generally viewed as having led the way in early recruiting, lacrosse, volleyball and field hockey have been following and occasionally surpassing it, and other women’s and men’s sports are becoming involved each year when coaches realize a possibility of getting an edge.Precise numbers are difficult to come by, but an analysis done for by the National Collegiate Scouting Association, a company that consults with families on the recruiting process, shows that while only 5 percent of men’s basketball players and 4 percent of football players who use the company commit to colleges early — before the official recruiting process begins — the numbers are 36 percent in women’s lacrosse and 24 percent in women’s soccer.Berg at a recent tournament.CreditSarah Beth licksteen for The New York TimesAt universities with elite teams like North Carolina and Texas, the rosters are almost entirely filled by the time official recruiting begins.While the fierce competition for good female players encourages the pursuit of younger recruits, men’s soccer has retained a comparably relaxed rhythm — only 8 percent of N.C.S.A.’s male soccer athletes commit early.For girls and boys, the trend is gaining steam despite the unhappiness of many of the coaches and parents who are most heavily involved, many of whom worry about the psychological and physical toll it is taking on youngsters.“It’s detrimental to the whole development of the sport, and to the girls,” Haley’s future coach at Texas, Angela Kelly, said at the Florida tournament.The difficulty, according to Ms. Kelly and many other coaches, is that if they do not do it, other coaches will, and will snap up all of the best players. Many parents and girls say that committing early ensures they do not miss out on scholarship money.After the weekend in Florida, the coach at Virginia, Steve Swanson, said, “To me, it’s the singular biggest problem in college athletics.”The N.C.A.A. rules designed to prevent all of this indicate that coaches cannot call players until July after their junior year of high school. Players are not supposed to commit to a college until signing a letter of intent in the spring of their senior year.But these rules have enormous and widely understood loopholes. The easiest way for coaches to circumvent the rules is by contacting the students through their high school or club coaches. Once the students are alerted, they can reach out to the college coaches themselves with few limits on what they can talk about or how often they can call.Haley said she was having phone conversations with college coaches nearly every night during the eighth grade.‘It’s Killing All of Us’The early recruiting machine was on display during the Florida tournament, where Haley played alongside hundreds of other teenage girls at a sprawling complex of perfectly mowed fields.A Sunday afternoon game between 14-year-olds from Texas and Ohio drew coaches from Miami, Arizona, Texas and U.C.L.A. — the most recent Division I national champion. Milling among them was the most storied coach in women’s soccer, Anson Dorrance of North Carolina, who wore a dark hat and sunglasses that made him look like a poker player as he scanned the field.Mr. Dorrance, who has won 22 national championships as a coach, said he was spending his entire weekend focusing on the youngest girls at the tournament, those in the eighth and ninth grades. Mr. Dorrance is credited with being one of the first coaches to look at younger players, but he says he is not happy about the way the practice has evolved.Libby Bassett, an assistant at South Carolina, was among hundreds of college soccer coaches at a recent tournament in Sanford, Fla. Many were scouting eighth and ninth graders.CreditSarah Beth Glicksteen for The New York Times“It’s killing all of us,” he said.Mr. Dorrance’s biggest complaint is that he is increasingly making early offers to players who do not pan out years later.“If you can’t make a decision on one or two looks, they go to your competitor, and they make an offer,” he said. “You are under this huge pressure to make a scholarship offer on their first visit.”The result has been a growing number of girls who come to play for him at North Carolina and end up sitting on the bench.“It’s killing the kids that go places and don’t play,” he said. “It’s killing the schools that have all the scholarships tied up in kids who can’t play at their level. It’s just, well, it’s actually rather destructive.”The organizer of the Florida event, the Elite Clubs National League, was set up a few years ago to help bring together the best girls’ soccer teams from around the country, largely for the sake of recruiters. At the recent event, in an Orlando suburb, an estimated 600 college coaches attended as 158 teams played on 17 fields over the course of three days.Scouts were given a hospitality tent as well as a special area next to the team benches, not accessible to parents, to set up their folding chairs. Nearly every youth club had a pamphlet — handed out by a parent during the games — with a head shot, academic records, soccer achievements and personal contact information for each player.While the older teams, for girls in their final two years of high school, drew crowds of recruiters, they were generally from smaller and less competitive universities. Coaches from colleges vying for national championships, like Mr. Dorrance, spent most of their weekend watching the youngest age group.Despite the rush, there is a growing desire among many coaching groups to push back. At a meeting of women’s lacrosse coaches in December, nearly every group session was dedicated to complaints about how quickly the trend was moving and discussions about how it might be reversed. In 2012, the Intercollegiate Men’s Lacrosse Coaches Association proposed rule changes to the N.C.A.A. to curtail early recruiting. But the N.C.A.A. declined to take them up, pointing to a moratorium on new recruiting rules. (At the same time, though, the N.C.A.A. passed new rules allowing unlimited texting and calls to basketball recruits at an earlier age.)Marc Stein's NewsletterHe's covered Jordan. He's covered Kobe. And LeBron vs. the Warriors. Go behind the N.B.A.'s curtain with the league's foremost expert.“The most frustrating piece is that we haven’t been able to get any traction with the N.C.A.A.,” said Dom Starsia, the men’s lacrosse coach at Virginia. “There’s a sense that the N.C.A.A. doesn’t want to address this topic at all.”In an interview, Steve Mallonee, the managing director of academic and membership affairs for the N.C.A.A., reiterated his organization’s moratorium on new recruiting rules. He said the new rules on texting and calling were allowed because they were a “presidential initiative.”Mr. Mallonee said the N.C.A.A. did not track early recruiting because it happened outside of official channels. He added that new rules trying to restrict the practice would be hard to enforce because of the unofficial nature of the commitments.“We are trying to be practical and realistic and not adopt a bunch of rules that are unenforceable and too difficult to monitor,” he said.Early CommitmentsThe National Collegiate Scouting Association helps athletes navigate the recruiting process. Here is the percentage of N.C.S.A. clients in each sport who received and accepted a scholarship offer before the official recruiting process began.Club Coaches in Key RoleThe early recruiting system has given significant power to club coaches, who serve as gatekeepers and agents for their players.One of the most outspoken critics of this process is Rory Dames, the coach of one of the most successful youth club teams, the Chicago Eclipse. In Florida, Mr. Dames kept a watchful eye on his players between games, at the pool at the Marriott where they were staying. As the 14- and 15-year-old girls went down the water slide, he listed the colleges that had called him to express interest in each one.“Notre Dame, North Carolina and Florida State have called about her,” he said as one ninth grader barreled down the slide.Another slid down behind her. “U.N.C., U.C.L.A. and I can’t even remember who else called me about her,” he said.Mr. Dames said that he kept a good relationship with those programs but that he generally refused to connect colleges with girls before their sophomore year in high school, when he thinks they are too young to be making decisions about what college to attend.Some colleges, though, do not take no for an answer and try to get to his players through team managers or other parents. After one such email was forwarded to him, Mr. Dames shot back his own message to the coach: “How you think this reflects positively on your university I would love to hear.”He did not hear back. Mr. Dames said that when his players wait, they find scholarship money is still available.Most club coaches, though, are more cooperative than Mr. Dames and view it as their job to help facilitate the process, even if they think it is happening too early.Michael O’Neill, the director of coaching at one of the top clubs in New Jersey, Players Development Academy, said that he and his staff helped set up phone calls so his players did not miss out on opportunities. They also tutor the players on handling the process.“You almost have to,” Mr. O’Neill said. “If you don’t, you can get left behind.”Once the colleges manage to connect with a player, they have to deal with the prohibition on making a formal scholarship offer before a player’s final year of high school. But there is now a well-evolved process that is informal but considered essentially binding by all sides. Most sports have popular websites where commitments are tallied, and coaches can keep up with who is on and off the market.Either side can make a different decision after an informal commitment, but this happens infrequently because players are expected to stop talking with coaches from other programs and can lose offers if they are spotted shopping around. For their part, coaches usually stop recruiting other players.“You play this goofy game of musical chairs,” said Alfred Yen, a law professor at Boston College who has written a scholarly article on the topic and also saw it up close when his son was being recruited to play soccer. “Only in this game, if you are sitting in a chair, someone can pull it out from under you.”Girls from the Players Development Academy, a New Jersey club, at the three-day event.CreditSarah Beth Glicksteen for The New York TimesMr. Yen said that colleges withdrew their offers to two boys his son played with, one of whom ended up in junior college and the other at a significantly less prestigious university. Other players who made early decisions went to colleges where they were unhappy, leading them to transfer.The process can be particularly tricky for universities with high academic standards.Ivy League colleges, which generally have the toughest standards for admission, generally avoid recruiting high school freshmen, but the programs do not stay out of the process altogether, according to coaches at the colleges, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the topic.Two Ivy League coaches said they were generally able to look at players with a grade-point average above 3.7 and a score above 2,000 on the College Boards — out of 2,400 — much lower than the standard for nonathlete applicants. Ivy League coaches can put their recruits on a list of preferred candidates given to admissions officers, who in turn help the process along by telling coaches in the summer after an athlete’s junior year whether the player is likely to be admitted — months before other applicants find out.Fearing a Toll on MindsAt the Florida tournament, many players said they had given up all other recreational sports in middle school to play soccer year round.A growing body of academic studies has suggested that this sort of specialization can take a toll on young bodies, leading to higher rates of injury.For many parents, though, the biggest worry is the psychological pressure falling on adolescents, who are often ill equipped to determine what they will want to study in college, and where.These issues were evident on the last morning of the Florida event, on the sidelines of a game involving the Dallas Sting. Scott Lewis, the father of a high school sophomore, said his daughter switched to play for the Sting before this season because her old team was not helping steer the recruiting process enough. He watched scholarship offers snapped up by girls on other teams, he said.“Is it a little bit sick? Yeah,” he said. “You are a little young to do this, but if you don’t, the other kids are going to.”A parent standing next to Mr. Lewis, Tami McKeon, said, “It’s caused this downward spiral for everybody.” The spiral is moving much faster, she said, than when her older daughter went through the recruiting process three years ago.Ms. McKeon’s younger daughter, Kyla, was one of four players on the Sting who committed to colleges last season as freshmen. Kyla spent almost 30 minutes a day writing emails to coaches and setting up phone calls. The coaches at two programs wanted to talk every week to track her progress. Throughout the year, Kyla said, she “would have these little breakdowns.”“You are making this big life decision when you are a freshman in high school,” she said. “You know what you want in a week, but it’s hard to predict what you’ll want in four years.”Kyla said that when she told Arkansas that she was accepting its offer, she was happy about her choice, but it was as if a burden had been lifted from her.“I love just being done with it,” she said.A version of this article appears in print on January 27, 2014, on Page A1 of the New York edition with the headline: Committing to Play for a College, Then Starting 9th Grade. Order Reprints| Today's Paper|Subscribe10 Great Ways to Win a College Scholarship (cbsnews.com)Last Updated Jan 31, 2011 11:29 AM ESTEvery year organizations award more than 1.5 million private college scholarships to students that are worth in excess of $3.5 billion.Want to increase your chances of winning some of this college scholarship money? Here are 10 ways to increase the odds that you'll win a scholarship for college students.1. Give the scholarship sponsor what it wants.A scholarship application often contains the sponsor's scholarship selection criteria, but dig deeper. Research the scholarship sponsor on the web. Look for the organization's mission statement, which you'll often find in the "About Us" section of its website.2. Get involved with your community.Students who volunteer enjoy a huge advantage with scholarship sponsors, says Marianne Ragins, who was featured on the cover of Parade Magazine in 1991, one of the most popular issues in the magazine's history, after winning more than $400,000 in college scholarships. Ragins, who conducts presentations on winning scholarships, says scholarship sponsors are looking for a long-time commitment to volunteering. This bias towards volunteering makes sense since many scholarship providers are nonprofits committed to helping others.3. Look professional.Google your name to make sure that you have a professional online presence, advises Mark Kantrowitz, the publisher of FastWeb and the author of the new book Secrets to Winning a Scholarship. Remove any inappropriate material from Facebook. And don't use a risqué email account. Keep it boring.4. Use a scholarship search engine.Using scholarship search engines will make your job easier. Here are some to check out:FastwebKaarme.comScholarships.comCollege BoardCOLLEGEData5. Don't ignore the optional questions.When supplying your background on scholarship search engines, answer the optional questions. Addressing these questions can generate about twice as many scholarship matches, Kantrowitz says.6. Learn more about scholarship odds.Read this post from CollegeStats.org: Which College Scholarships are Easy to Get? We Have the Data.7. Apply to every eligible scholarship.It's a numbers game and even among the most accomplished students, luck is a factor. Don't ignore the small stuff. Some scholarships worth $1,000 or less may only have 15 or 20 students applying, Ragins says.8. Look for essay contests.Students can be lazy and many will skip scholarship contests that require an essay. Applying for these scholarships could increase your odds of success.9. Be passionate.When you're writing a scholarship essay let your personal voice come through. Include lots of details in your essay that helps reveal who you are. It's usually a good idea to focus on a problem and how you solved it or overcame adversity.10. Think local.Ask your high school guidance counselors about local scholarships. Also check bulletin boards at libraries and outside financial aid offices. Local scholarships are going to be easier to win than regional and national ones.More on CBS MoneyWatch: 10 Most Prestigious Scholarships in America,How Rare Are Full-Ride Scholarships? Lynn O'Shaughnessy is the author of The College Solution and she also writes for TheCollegeSolutionBlog.Scholarships for college students image by Johnny Vulkan. CC 2.0.© 2011 CBS Interactive Inc.. All Rights Reserved.10 Easy Scholarships - College GreenlightNicholas A. Virgilio Memorial Haiku CompetitionThis competition is for students in grades 7 through 12 who are enrolled in school as of September 2014. To enter, applicants must submit up to three haiku poems. All haiku must be previously unpublished, original work, and not entered in any other contest or submitted elsewhere for publication.Odenza Marketing Group ScholarshipTo apply for this scholarship, applicants must submit two small essays, one related to travel, and the other on why they deserve a scholarship.ERCA Community Contribution ScholarshipThis scholarship is for high school students who are legal residents of the United States. To qualify for this scholarship, applicants must have recognized a need or problem in their community, have determined a way to address this need or solve the problem, have developed an action plan, and have worked to put the action plan in place so as to address the need or solve the problem. The action plan must be a unique project developed by the student, not a project developed by an established group of which the student is a member.Potential Magazine Countdown to College ChampionshipThis scholarship is for college-bound teens. Upon signing up for Potential Magazine’s free weekly eNewsletter, students will be entered to win an $1,000 scholarship.National Achievement Scholarship ProgramThis scholarship is for African American high school students. To apply for this scholarship, applicants must complete the PSAT/NMSQT exam and indicate on the test answer sheet that they wish to compete for the Achievement Scholarship.Elizabeth ChereskinHow I Became a Straight-A Student By Following These 7 Rules

Freelancing is on the rise and for a good reason. With more people deciding to leave the 9-to-5 for remote work, the demand for freelance job sites has increased greatly.You don’t have to brave the traffic every day when you can do all your tasks in the comfort of your living room, thanks to technology making remote work so accessible.Even before this sudden surge in the availability of freelance professionals, freelance job sites were already around to help freelancers find clients and earn from freelance work.Check out our most recent podcast episode:Here are the best freelance job sites you’ll find work onBelow are the top 64 freelance job sites you can go to should you decide to join the gig economy.1. Flexjobs.Flexjobs makes a great effort to screen all the telecommuting gigs it offers freelancers, giving everyone the assurance that the projects they’re applying for are all legit.This freelance job site offers an array of projects ranging from freelance to part-time gigs. They also provide freelancers access to useful resources like webinars, skill tests, and freelancing tips to help them brush up on their skills and land clients more easily.2. SolidGigs.SolidGigs is an excellent alternative for finding freelance gigs on freelance job sites. Unlike many of the other freelance job sites, SolidGigs does the work for you by finding all the best freelance jobs available and sending them directly to your email. How easy is that?Starting as little as $13 a month (and cancel anytime), it’s such a small fee for the amount of time you’d save from doing it yourself. With most freelance jobs focused on designers, marketers, developers, and writers, the list includes opportunities from well-known companies worldwide.3. FreeeUp.FreeeUp is an up and coming freelancer marketplace that prides itself on connecting clients with the top 1% of freelancers in the market today. With its extensive 5-step interview process, clients are assured of getting high-quality, pre-vetted freelancers who specialize in ecommerce, digital marketing, and virtual assistance, among others.With a massive roster of pre-vetted freelancers located in different parts of the globe, clients will enjoy the easy and quick hiring process that this freelance job site offers. FreeeUp also offers above-average compensation to freelancers while still offering reasonable client rates, making the platform a win-win for freelancers and clients alike.4. Upwork.No freelance job sites list will ever be complete without the one that started it all. Considered the biggest freelance job site on the internet today, Upwork offers just about any kind of freelance work there is.With over 1.5 Million clients under its belt, Elance and Odesk’s lovechild is definitely a haven for just about any type of freelancer due to the wide range of skills it supports.5. GURU.With over 3 Million freelancers in its pool, GURU is considered one of the largest freelance job sites today, right up there with Upwork. It’s a good place to showcase your talents and past work while gaining access to new jobs every day.GURU also provides freelancers information on how much a company has spent on the platform, helping you decide if the client is a good fit or not.Just like other freelance job sites, GURU lets you choose between hourly or fixed project types as well as location and other filtering options.6. Toptal.If you are an experienced software developer or designer, Toptal is the best freelance website to find freelance work. This freelance site only accepts the top 3% of candidates using a strict and extensive interview process that assures clients that they are getting the cream of the crop.The platform also prides itself in giving freelancers above-average compensation and an impressive client list that includes the likes of JP Morgan and Airbnb, among others.7. Fiverr.While it’s common for freelancers to apply for projects on freelance job sites, Fiverr does it differently. Instead of applying for projects, freelancers market themselves to get hired.Freelancers post their gigs in different categories and just like a buffet table, clients come to choose which one fits their needs and budget.All freelancer gigs start at $5 (thus, the name Fiverr) but can go up depending on the requirements and complexity of the project.8. People per Hour.People per Hour works a lot like Fiverr in terms of the selection process, though they do offer higher pay. The gigs you’ll find on this freelance website are diverse but mostly require graphic design, coding, writing, and SEO.Founded in 2007, this UK-based company is considered one of the most popular freelance job sites today. In 2012, the company was named one of Europe’s 100 Hottest Startups by the science and technology magazine, Wired UK.9. SimplyHired.Whether you are a sales rep, a graphic artist, or a construction worker, this freelance job site will surely have something for you. With over 24 countries and 12 languages to choose from, this freelance site has so much to offer no matter what skill you might have.The SimplyHired freelance website also has a blog that provides hiring tips and location-based searches to make the job-hunting process a lot easier.10. iFreelance.Just like the other freelance job sites, iFreelance covers pretty much the same type of freelance skills like coding, graphic design, writing and social media. What makes the platform different is that unlike the others that have fees and varying rates, freelancers are allowed to keep 100% of their earnings making it an attractive choice for freelancers worldwide.11. Aquent.Apart from providing freelancers opportunities to work either remotely, onsite, or do contract to hire jobs, this freelance job site helps you hone your skills with free online courses and trainings that freelancers can access at anytime.To find jobs or projects that match your skills, simply search with keywords or provide a location. You can also browse for all of the current job postings in your area to make job hunting a breeze.12. The Creative Group.Working under the motto “It’s Time We All Work Happy,” The Creative Group, now known as Robert Half, is a huge agency that helps freelance professionals find work in the fields of marketing, graphic design, copywriting, and many more.Through their freelance job site, freelancers are given the option to choose between fulltime employment and contract to hire. The company seeks to make both the client and the freelancer happy with the services they provide.13. FindSideGigs.com.What sets Index of / apart from other freelance job sites? Its unique approach to providing freelancers with work and projects. The company sends you information on all the latest gigs you’ll find on freelance websites as well as tips on how you can land each of them by becoming one if its free subscribers.Getting a premium subscription gives you an advantage over free subscribers because you’ll be receiving the same information a week ahead, giving you headway in landing the gigs you’re looking for.14. Crowded.Founded in 2015, this freelance job site is now home to more than 11,000 freelancers and over 500 clients. By collecting all freelancing opportunities from other websites and advertisements, it helps freelancers find the latest gigs in one place instead of jumping from one freelancing website to another.Crowded’s primary objective is to fix the supply and demand problem for freelance opportunities, which explains its individual approach.15. Crowdsource.Considered one of the largest freelance job sites in the market today, the company’s specialty revolves around content creation and monitoring for media companies and publishers, and more.The platform’s singular approach of breaking larger tasks down into smaller ones sets it apart from its competitors. It also has a reward system that gives freelancers who do a great job added perks like increased compensation and access to more jobs.16. Freelancer.Freelancer provides freelancers the option to apply for jobs either on an hourly basis or via contests, which is unique to this freelance job site.With millions of projects and opportunities available at any given time, the site is no doubt a great place to start your freelance career.17. Freelance Writing Gigs.If you’re a writer, blogger, editor, or copywriter, this is the freelance job site made especially for you. The site provides updated writing-related job listings about an array of topics that involve health care, photography, personal development, and recipes (plus many more).18. Krop.If your talents are on the creative side, then Krop is one of the best freelance job sites for you. Krop is considered to be a Creative Industry job board and a portfolio-hosting website that helps freelancers land clients from some of the world’s most trusted brands.The company also has a hand in promoting its talented freelancers to companies in need, apart from providing a platform where creatives can search for jobs.19. Contena.Similar to Freelance Writing Gigs, Contena is another freelance job site dedicated to writers. What makes it different, however, is that it collects every writing opportunity you can find on the internet in one job board, making the job hunting process easier.The freelance website offers free membership as well as Gold and Platinum options that offer additional features like trainings and free coaching.20. 99designs.As the name implies, 99designs is a freelancing site specifically made for designers. Unlike the usual freelance job sites which allow freelancers to apply for jobs, 99designs lets designers compete in contests with the prize being a contract with a client.Clients are responsible for outlining all of the requirements for the project, then designers from all over the world have the option to take part.21. Craigslist.Craigslist is not just a place to find properties and household appliances. It is also a good place to look for freelance jobs. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for an office job or remote work, the site offers information for both.The site has received a bad rap for the scams reported over the years, so freelancers need to be extra careful. Always conduct in-depth research on clients before meeting them for an interview.22. LinkedIn Profinder.We all know what LinkedIn is all about as a social media platform—every professional who aspires to be known has a professional LinkedIn profile available for everyone to see. But LinkedIn has become more than just a social media platform now that it has dipped its toes into the market of freelance job sites.Profinder aims to help freelancers find projects just like the other freelance job sites. With its massive database of users, connecting with clients and other professionals is made easier and less complicated.23. Design Hill.Design Hill is another virtual marketplace for creatives specializing in digital work. The platform prides itself in allowing clients to provide real-time feedback, giving users a more productive interactive experience.The freelance website allows freelancers to create their own portfolios to show off their skills and hold contests that freelancers can compete for by contributing to clients’ projects.24. Remote.Remote makes freelancing simple and straightforward by connecting freelancers with clients directly. Clients looking for a certain skill set just send a job request to freelancers who match their needs.Freelancers are given the freedom to choose which clients they want to work with. If the client is interested, the freelancer can then initiate setting up the contract’s terms.The freelance job site allows clients and freelancers to communicate with each other, send documents and files, and receive payments all in one place.Remote also helps freelancers get reviews for jobs completed, helping them build a profile and improve their credentials.25. Local Solo.With Local Solo, freelancers are more in control compared to other freelance job sites. With no commission fees and a totally free service, freelancers only need to create profiles to attract clients.Once a client finds the freelancer that matches his or her needs, they can work directly on setting up the contract, rates and payments.26. Writers Work.If you’re struggling with questions like how do find writing gigs, what to charge for them and where to actually get started – then Writers Work is the perfect place for you. These guys scour the web to find the best writing gigs and deliver them straight to your dashboard.Writers Work connect freelance writers with clients to enable a hassle-free match. The platform is a perfect starting point for newbie writers but also provides great opportunities for seasoned writing professionals as well.27. ServiceScape.As a global marketplace for service-related commerce, ServiceScape is one freelance job site you want to check out. Whether you’re a company looking to hire a freelancer, or want to become part of their team of freelancers, they cover both sides of the spectrum.With a heavy focus on writers, translators, and editors, each freelance professional has their own profile with a breakdown in their capabilities, costs, and reviews. This makes for an easy process in deciding who is right for your project.28. Remote.co.Remote Work: Jobs, Companies & Virtual Teams - Remote.co is a resource for companies that see remote work as an opportunity, from hiring to training to managing distributed teams. Which means their clients are always looking for talented freelancers to join their remote teams.29. Angel.co.http://Angel.co lets you apply privately to thousands of startup jobs at some of the most notable companies in the world. While many jobs are full-time opportunities, some high-quality freelance gigs pop up every once in a while.30. Smashing Jobs.Brought to you by the folks at Smashing Magazine, this job board features design and development jobs almost exclusively. For freelance opportunities, click the button to filter by “Part-time” jobs.31. Digital Freelancer.Digital Freelancer allows you to tap into their collection of pre-vetted freelance jobs and get straight to doing what you’re good at – selling your value. While the companies on this list tend to be lesser-known, there’s a lot of variety and frequent updates.32. Indeed.There are definite pros and cons to Indeed, one of the biggest jobs sites in the world. The good? there are literally thousands of jobs posted every hour by companies of all kinds. The bad? There can be a lot of garbage and it’s difficult to find remote, freelance work. But it’s there if you’re willing to dig. Or sign up for SolidGigs and we’ll do the digging for you.33. Freelance Wave.Freelance Wave compiles remote and freelance jobs from companies around the web. And because they charge the companies to post to their job board, they’ve got a built-in filtering system which means less work for you.34. SkipTheDrive.SkipTheDrive tries to simplify the job search process by providing pre-filtered job listings that allow for work-from-home opportunities.35. RemoteOK.The goals of RemoteOK is to help you find a job that you can do from anywhere in the world. It’s from the makers of NomadList and other resources for freelancers and independents who want to live and work from anywhere in the world.36. NoDesk.The NoDesk Remote Job Board is all about digital nomads and remote work. They’ve been around since 2015 and been described as a “better Google” for nomad entrepreneurs and an encyclopedia for the remote worker.37. Authentic Jobs.Since 2005, Authentic Jobs has connected thousands of creative professionals with great companies and outstanding work opportunities including at companies like Apple, NPR, Squarespace, Facebook and more.38. Escape the City.Escape the City started as a small email to a few friends containing the “top 10” opportunities to “escape” your day job. They’ve now grown to over 250,000 subscribers and have become an excellent freelance website for finding remote & freelance jobs anywhere in the world.39. Virtual Vocations.As a 100% telecommute company, VirtualVocations understand the unique challenges job-seekers face when looking for virtual work because they’ve been there. Their mission is to help you find legitimate telecommuting jobs quickly, easily and safely.40. F6S.F6S is home to over a million tech founders, 800k startups and more than 10,000 startup programs globally. Which means a lot of people and companies looking to hire talented freelancers.41. Hubstaff jobs.Hubstaff offers a free marketplace for connecting freelancers and employers. While there are lots of opportunities on their every-growing list, many of the gigs can be a bit low in terms of compensation. But every once in a while, you’ll find a gem.42. Remotive.io.Remotive helps remote workers find great gigs with their job list and also has compiled a list of 500+ startups who welcome and celebrate remote work, most of those are actively hiring.43. The Muse Jobs.The Muse is an online career resource that offers a behind-the-scenes look at job opportunities with hundreds of companies. They believe that you can and should love your job—and be successful at it—and they want to help you make that happen.44. Working Nomads.Working Nomads curates lists of the most interesting remote job offers in many professional career areas. They connect professionals who want to work remotely with innovative companies offering independent positions.45. We Work Remotely.We Work Remotely helps you find jobs that aren’t restricted by commutes or a particular geographic area. Many, but not all, are freelance or contract opportunities.46. Problogger jobs.Part of Darren Rowse’s legendary Problogger community, this job board is almost exclusively catered to writers & bloggers. While there aren’t a ton of listings, when the listings come through, they are pretty good opportunities.47. Coroflot.Coroflot claims to have the largest and most active site specifically targeted for the hiring needs of companies. Which means a lot of quality freelance and contract work added to the site each week.48. Bonsai.Join the private Bonsai gig list and get the latest design, development and writing gigs from the best companies, once a week, straight to your inbox.49. College Recruiter.College Recruiter is a freelance job site specifically made for recent graduates as well as currently enrolled students of colleges, universities, and graduate schools.Established in 1991, the company currently has 10 million students and 7 million graduates listed in their database. With more than a hundred thousand job postings and hundreds of Fortune 1000 companies as clients, the opportunities to land a first gig is almost limitless.50. Production Hub.Production Hub is a freelance job site that caters to the film and video production industry. The company provides its clients a platform to hire staff and crew for a certain period of time. A cameraman for a week, a video editor for six months, or even a full-time producer depending on the need.Launched in 1999, Production Hub offers an extensive list of both crew gigs and permanent positions. Freelancers are free to go over its job listings without paying a fee but if you want faster results, there’s a monthly option for a basic profile ($4.99) and featured profile ($59.99).51. ZipRecruiter.ZipRecruiter prides itself as the #1 rated job search app for both Android and iOS. With over 7 million active monthly jobseekers and more than a million employers under its belt, the company is considered one of the biggest thriving marketplaces that cater to millions of people around the United States.The app works similarly to that of other freelance websites. It allows employers to post jobs and view candidate resumes to help them narrow down their search. The service is free for job seekers and for employers for four days as part of the trial period.52. Red Hat.Unlike other freelance websites, Red Hat generally deals with higher level clients and employs a pool of skilled freelancers who provide a myriad of services. From something as technical as software development to the more general ones like sales and customer service, there’s practically a freelancer available for every skill set required53. All Indie Writers.Now known as All Freelance Writing, the site caters to freelance writers who are looking for writing jobs. The service is free and all a freelancer needs to do is go through the posted jobs until they find the right match.What makes the site effective is its user-friendly navigation, with jobs displayed according to dates and even pay ranges helping freelancers easily sort and decide which jobs they are willing to take54. Media Bistro.Media Bistro is a freelance website that allows freelancers to search and apply for a variety of jobs under different categories like writing, marketing, and creative gigs.The company prides itself in having some of the most recognized brands as clients, with the likes of HBO, CNN, Bloomberg, and NBC hiring freelancers under them.55. CloudPeeps.CloudPeeps is a relatively new freelance job site that focuses on marketing and social media. The site uses the same model as that of other freelance job sites where a client posts a job, receives a proposal, and hires once they’ve found the right match.Launched in 2015, CloudPeeps is considered a bit more exclusive and requires above average skills for a freelancer to join. It’s easier to get jobs, however, once you’ve been accepted into the marketplace.56. Blogging Pro.Despite its name, BloggingPro isn’t limited to blogging jobs at all. It’s basically a freelance writing job site where writers can apply for jobs that include content writing, proofreading, technical writing, copywriting, and editing, among others.The site also provides tips and strategies that will help you improve your blog if you have one; and above all, using the service is absolutely free.57. Journalism Jobs.Founded in 1998, Journalism Jobs makes it easier for freelancers to search for gigs by curating all available journalism-related jobs in one big dashboard, eliminating the need for you to jump from one website to another.Some of the top companies who use the service to outsource jobs are National Geographic Magazine, ESPN, Time Magazine, MSNBC, and The New York Times.58. Freelanced.Freelance Jobs | Freelancers | Freelance Social Network - Freelanced.com dubs itself as the “freelance social network” with its website’s homepage layout resembling Facebook in more ways than one. Beyond the looks, the site does function as a social media site too with features that allow you to add friends and follow other people.The site provides a huge array of skills to choose from covering multiple industries like Marketing, Television, Arts, and Entertainment just to name a few.59. Design Crowd.Relatively similar to 99 Designs, Design Crowd is a freelance job site made especially for designers. The freelance website offers a variety of design jobs with categories like web, logo, graphics, and shirt design, among others.A typical project begins with a design contest where hundreds of designers from around the world vie for a chance to win it by sending the client ideas and designs they can choose from.60. Rent A Coder.The name of the site says it all. Rent a Coder is a freelance job site for clients who are looking for developers, programmers, and even designers depending on the need. The site is unique and specifically caters to programmers be it for the web, mobile, or desktop.61. Codeable.Codeable is a freelance job site specifically made for WordPress. In fact, it dubs itself as the #1 Outsourcing Service for WordPress because it only caters to clients who need an expert in WordPress.The hiring process is pretty much straight-to-the-point. A client needs to communicate his website needs or problems, an expert reaches out for questions and estimates, then the client decides which one matches his requirements and hires them.62. The Creative Loft.Unlike the more general freelance job sites, The Creative Loft is a job site solely for photographers. The job posts are categorized into specific project types like fashion, interior design, or event planning and can be either freelance, part-time, or even full-time.To begin, all you need is to create a profile and upload your resume with no additional costs. Once you’re in, you’re free to go through the different job postings until you find the project you’re looking for.63. Hireable.Hireable | Homepage is another freelance job site that provides clients with a platform to hire freelancers to help them grow their businesses.Based out of Irvine, California, the company allows clients to post jobs for freelance job seekers to search and apply for. One of the site’s best features is its ability to send personalized recommendations for job seekers by notifying them of job openings they may be interested in applying for.64. Belay.Belay separates itself from other freelance job sites by offering mainly virtual and personal assistant services to clients. Jobs offered on the site are generally remote and offers other services like bookkeeping and website management.The company also provides clients with a relationship manager to help onboard the newly-hired virtual assistants to make the transition smooth and hassle-free.65. MotherWorks.Catered towards Moms, this freelance job site looks to provide new opportunities with flexible hours. With part-time, remote and freelance job listings, you’ll find resources and tools to help you land new work.Becoming a freelancer and working anytime, anywhere is no longer the risky move that it was a few years ago. With freelance job sites like the ones mentioned above, individuals have plenty of options to find gigs and clients to work with safely.