A chinstrap is a simple device that may help you keep your mouth closed while you sleep. A chinstrap loops around the top of your head and under your chin, and is usually fastened with Velcro. If you find a chinstrap effective but uncomfortable, stick with it for a while. You may grow accustomed to wearing it with time. A chinstrap may be especially helpful for people who use a nasal-mask-style CPAP machine when they sleep. You can find a chinstrap at most major retailers. Plastic mouth guards designed to prevent mouth breathing, called vestibular shields, are plastic coverings you put in your mouth before sleep. A vestibular shield will force you to breathe through your nose. A mouth guard can also help prevent snoring from the mouth during sleep. Any mouth guard marketed as a device that can help prevent mouth snoring may help. These devices can be found at most pharmacies and large retailers. You may be sleeping with your mouth open because the airways in your nose are blocked or too narrow, making it difficult for you to breathe through your nose. If this is the case, you can wear a device called a nasal dilator while you sleep to help keep your nose open. You can find these nasal dilators over-the-counter at most pharmacies. There are four different types of nasal dilators: External nasal dilators are placed on the bridge of the nose. Nasal stents are inserted into each nostril. Nasal clips are placed over the nasal septum Septal stimulators put pressure on the nasal septum help open up nasal passages.

Summary: Strap on a chinstrap to hold your mouth closed. Wear a mouth guard to prevent mouth breathing. Use a nasal dilator to hold your nose open.

. For most guitarists, the easiest way to do this is with a guitar tuner. These devices are available at most music stores. Set your tuner according to the string you are tuning, play that string, and the tuner will indicate whether you are sharp or flat. Adjust the tuning peg by twisting it to raise flat notes and lower sharp notes until your tuner indicates the note is in tune. You can also use a tuning fork, a pitch pipe, or some other instrument that is already in tune to tune your guitar. Play the instrument of each string and tune the strings one at a time until they are perfectly in tune with the note played by the tuning fork, pitch pipe, or tuned instrument. In reggae, the strumming generally is on the offbeat. The offbeat is on the "and" that occurs in between the beats of a 4:4 time signature song. So if you're counting the beats "1... 2... 3... 4," imagine an "and" in between each main beat. This is the offbeat. A simple reggae strum pattern uses a down-strum on the "and" like "1 (and) 2 (and) 3 (and) 4 (and) 1..." Your first strum should be a down-strum. There are some exceptions to the "play on the offbeat" rule. Music is largely about conveying a sense of feeling or getting into a groove. The strumming of the strings is referred to by many different names in reggae. Some call it a "chop," "skank," or "bang." This is the second most common strum pattern in reggae music. Once you down-strum on the offbeat, draw your hand back across the strings upwards in an up-strum. Once you are more experienced with reggae, you may be able to alternate between playing down-strums and down-up strums, but while learning it may be easiest to stick with one at a time. Another common strum pattern is to single strum on the first offbeat and then do a down-up strum on the second offbeat. Use firm pressure with your left hand on the fretboard to lessen the sound produced in the strings while strumming. This will create a quality of sound that's called "chicken scratch" in funk music. By muting the strings and focusing on the strum pattern, it's likely you'll pick up the groove of reggae music more quickly. Pick one of your favorite reggae songs and listen to it to get a feel for the rhythm. Then play the song a second time, only this time strum in time with the chords that are played in the recording. Don't worry if you don't know the chords that are being played. This exercise is just to help you get a feel for the rhythm. Again, you may find it easiest to strum along with the song you have chosen by muting the strings with firm pressure in your left hand across the fretboard. This way, you won't be distracted by the sound and can focus on matching the rhythm.

Summary: Tune your guitar Play the chords of your reggae song on the off beats. Use a down-up stroke on the offbeat. Mute the strings and practice strumming. Strum along with a song.

Once a coach has identified potential recruits, they begin reviewing these athletes more closely. They will verify your highlight reel and your statistics with your club and high school coaches. They will also verify your high school transcript with your school. At this stage it is important to have all of your information organized. Coaches want to see that potential recruits are taking this process seriously and are able to follow up with them with the information that they request. This is the stage where coaches or the recruiters they work with will come to watch you play. They may invite you on official or unofficial visits of the university and contact your family members. Coaches want to see that you are an upstanding young person who is responsible, a team player, committed to soccer, and interested in their university. During this time, you will need to spend time visiting the schools and meeting other players on the team. Continue to build your relationship with the college coach and emphasize that you are very interested in playing for them. Coaches that are interested in offering you a scholarship at this stage will extend verbal or formal written commitments. Depending on the school, you may receive this offer through your high school or club coach. You may have room to negotiate the terms of the offer but you should review them carefully. Read over each offer very carefully with your parents and coaches. There may be terms for the offer, like maintaining a certain grade point average or participating in a training camp before school starts, that you have to understand and follow. Unless you are a top recruit at one of the best Division I schools, you will probably be unable to negotiate any offer you receive. If there are some specific terms that you can negotiate, proceed cautiously. Teams have been known to pull offers from athletes that they believe to be too pushy or disrespectful. If you receive multiple offers, you may be able to leverage one offer against another. Keep in mind that some schools will offer a scholarship for a specific amount, like $20,000 each year, or a percentage, like 50% of tuition. A coach that offers you the highest amount, even if it is not a full ride, is unlikely to up their offer when they hear that schools are offering you less money. Congratulations! You've received a soccer scholarship from a team that you're interested in. At this point, you will sign with the university and accept their soccer scholarship. This is essentially a contract between you and the college agreeing that you will play on their soccer team when you enroll in the school.
Summary: Make it through preliminary evaluations. Have secondary evaluations. Receive offers. Negotiate your offer, if possible. Accept your offer.