What to expect when says says call him he wants to talk scholarship?

When my son went through this he found that honesty was best. IMO- If you still need time to make sure that this school is the best fit, let the coach know that. If he gives you a timeframe to decide, let him know if you can meet that timeline. If he wants you to decide right then and there, maybe it is not the right place for your son, and do you want him to play for someone like that?

playball - First...congratulations.  Exciting and big first step! 

I would be surprised if the coach wants an answer on the phone call or even that day.  I suppose he might(?) if your son is a 2014 as the signing day is approaching.  Otherwise, I doubt it.

I do think the coach will give your son a timeline.  Make sure your son has a pencil and paper to take notes and ask him to write down everything (more or less) the coach says, in particular with regards to the offer and timeline.

In my view, your son, no matter what the offer is...should respond graciously and appreciatively and ask what the next steps are.  If he's disappointed in the amount, he shouldn't reveal it (yet at least).  He should tell the coach that he needs to discuss it with his parents.

Have you visited this school yet?  If not, he should ask when a good time to visit would be.

I also agree with birdman, he should be honest.  That doesn't mean he has to divulge every detail of other schools' interest even including who if he/you don't want too.  But sometimes the "who else" can be helpful in letting this coach know he has a little competition.  Use common sense to decide how much you want your son to reveal and discuss it before the call.

One question our sons were asked, "How much did the other school offer?"  Their answer? "My parents asked me not to give that information but they have told me that its enough such that they can afford it and I am free to choose that school if I want." <--That is if thats an honest response.  In other words, don't play "chicken" if you can't back it up.

Good luck!  Let us know how it goes. 

a big +1 to what justbaseball and birdman said, be honest and don't hesitate to ask questions.  I can say for sure in my sons case, the "who else" factor played a decision in him getting an offer now rather than being told, we like and and we'll be in touch.  My son handled everything on his own, with only a little guidance from me.  He was always up front, and honest and all coaches, especially the low level D1 school that was after him.  When my son called that coach to let him know he received a good local offer, that Coach was very appreciative of him letting him know and wished him the best of luck and told him he would offer him in the future.

Best of luck to your son and congrats on the offer.

You say "first experience". That leads me to believe your son is not a 2014 and that he doesn't have another D1 offer yet.

I think the best way to say "interested" is to ask a lot of questions about the program.....roster, schedule, fall season, winter workouts, summer placements, academic program, academic support, for example.

Regarding money, for the first call, I would keep it simple. Something to the effect that money is important, but son wants to make sure everything else fits before he gets down to details about that.

Thank the coach for the call, ask what the next step is, and follow up on son's end of that next step.

We were at the beginning of the process of looking at schools when my son got an offer.  We were taken aback and not expecting it when we visited the campus.  We were honest and told the staff that we were "early in the process" and still checking out schools to find the right fit.  We were lucky and they didn't give us a timeline - in fact my son had his offer for 9 months until he decided.  And after 9 months of checking out other programs, visits, road trips - the original offer was the one he accepted.

However some coaches aren't so generous to keep an offer open for that long.  I've heard horror stories of 24 hours...a few weeks.

Good luck!  My suggestion - if it doesn't feel right don't jump.  If you take your time your son will end up where he is supposed to.  It may not seem obvious at first (as in our case) but one day it will be crystal clear what the right fit is.  At least I hope it will be for you!

Don't let an early offer force him to rush to an important decision.