It will come as no surprise to you that people are always ready to take your money.

If this is the first time you heard that, welcome to earth.

Athletes are especially vulnerable, especially with college tuition costs through the roof and the possibility of athletic scholarships looming. And because I am not an expert in these matters, my advice is simple: be careful.

I've been receiving emails from NCSA—Next College Student Athlete. Basically they're promising to track the athlete's activity, involve the athlete in a recruiting network, and contact colleges. You may have noticed, these are all things you can do yourself with a smartphone or a laptop. I don't know what NCSA will charge, but I doubt if it's free.

I am not singling out NCSA, and I'm sure there are success stories associated with them and other organizations like them. But I'll repeat what I said earlier: be careful. Check things out, do the research, consider it a research paper for no grade but with a financial reward. Contact Mr. Farrell or me if something sounds suspicious. Make sure your parents are involved in any decisions you make. The NCAA website is filled with information about recruiting. Use it.

Oh, and by the way, be careful.