Start by filming some game footage. Some sports have an early fall season, such as women's soccer, and by the time a collegiate team is ready for try-outs and to start scouting a few players, your season may have ended. Game footage will play a large role in continuing your athletic career.
Keep a record of all your stats, awards, and accomplishments. Like game footage, this will also be another factor that can help improve your chances of being looked at by a scout or being asked to come to open try-outs.
Pick a few colleges or universities that have the sport you are interested in and that you would like to attend and check their website or call the athletic director and find out some info. Most schools will have some type of Athletic Questionnaire you can fill out to let them know you are interested in possibly playing there.
Finish your season strong and avoid injuries. A bad-timed injury at the end of your season could strongly affect your chances of being able to play in college. If a coach thinks you are injury prone, they may not be willing to take that risk with their scholarship money.
If you have heard back from any coaches or an athletic director from a school you have shown interest in, send in some game footage and a summary of your stats and athletic career. Include as much as possible that might put you over the edge against another player being considered.
If a coach invites you to try outs or to come practice with the team one day, make sure that you are in decent shape. It may be 3 months after your season has ended and you haven't touched a ball or ran a foot since your last game. Run a few extra miles and work on some touches or work on getting familiar with the skills again so you are not left looking like an amateur at the try out.
The level of play from high school to college is tremendously greater. In any sport, the game is more fast-paced, more skilled, and more competitive. It is completely different. Don't let that affect your game. You have made it to try-outs or farther, so the coaches obviously see something they can use. You deserve to be there based on your skills and ability of play.
Once you have been offered a scholarship or asked to play for the following year, you and your coach should set up an official signing date. This is where you will sign your intent to play your college career with the school. This is usually a big day with lots of photographs so dress nice and bring your parents along.
As the end of your senior year approaches, don't suffer from "senior-itis." Don't let your grades or attendance slack off. Your athletic scholarship is pending on your grades and graduation of high school.
The next thing you will need to do is talk to your guidance office about the NCAA Clearinghouse. All athletes that play any sport after high school must be cleared. They will give you the website address and possibly a code for your school. You will need to have good grades and attendance and a good standing to be cleared.
During the summer, most coaches will send you some sort of summer work out plan, or you might even leave for school early to have some sort of pre-season or "two-a-day" work outs. Most importantly, keep in shape. You will work harder than you ever did in high school so you need to prepare your body for the physical intensity that will be new to you.
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