Junior Call Day, June 15

Junior Call Day 

June 15th after sophomore year is a huge day for any basketball player. June 15th, or Junior Call Day, at 12 midnight is the first time that college coaches can reach out to the prospects directly. Before that all communication has to go through a third party (often the high school or AAU coach). Finally, on June 15  it is ok for them to reach out directly to the player and their parents. The anticipation is huge but as you don’t really know who will reach out it can be a little nerve wrecking. Therefore, managing expectations is huge before this date. A great game plan is to before June 15th sit down as a family and talk it through. Talk through expectations, how you plan on managing the day and what your goals are with the day.

As with everything, preparation is key. Sure it is ‘only’ a call but that call can determine a lot and as we know, it is often the first impression that counts. The coaches will reach out to countless recruits so to be as prepared and ready as possible will make you calmer and hopefully make that great first impression.


What to expect
Coaches might call 12:01 so be ready! If you are a highly recruited player the calls might continue through the night and next day. Make sure your phone is charged and on. This is not the day to have your phone on DND. As some calls might have to go to voicemail make sure your phone is set up for that and that your outgoing message represents you.

Some coaches call, some text, some Facetime and some DM you. Not all calls will end with an offer, this is specifically true for the high major D1 schools. The goal for the coaches is to start getting to know you and your family and let you know that there is interest from their end. They are also trying to get a feel for how interested you are in them.

As each coach is different each call will be different. Some calls might be the assistant coach, some the head coach. Remember through it all that this is as much a time for you to get a first impression and start to get to know the coaches and their staff.


What to do
Have your phone charged
As you don’t know how many coaches will call, make sure your phone is charged and also have the charger handy if you need to charge while talking.

Take off DND
Make sure the coaches can reach you. This is not the day for your phone to be on DND.

Voicemail set up
Make sure your voicemail is set up just in case someone wants to leave a message. If yours is already set up check it to make sure it is not full.

Set a spot where you can talk
It might not be possible to always do this but try to have a spot where you can talk on the phone where it is quiet and you can focus on the call with not too many distractions.

Prepare questions
Have some default questions that you want to ask the coaches. For these initial calls it can be generic questions that you can ask any coach from any program. Have them in your notes so you can easily pull them up during your calls. Asking the coaches questions shows them that you are invested and interested in their program and that you want to learn more about them.


Take all calls & reply to all texts
Seems like D1 is the goal for most players; however, if a coach or program reaches out to you , regardless of the level, you should take that call or reply to that text. Even if you don’t have intentions to attend that particular college at this time, there are few reasons why you still need to take the call or return the text: the college coach world is small and they all talk. You don’t want to be labeled as the kid who doesn’t take calls. Another reason is that with the fluidity of the college coaches and them changing jobs you don’t know where that particular coach will be next year or in a few months. So take all calls and reply to all texts! Also, at the end of the day you don’t know for sure where you will end up so let’s not burn any bridges.

Set time limits

If you are a high prospect you can set a time limit for each call so you won’t spend all your time on one college call. You can respectfully let the coach know you have X minutes time to talk.

As most of the coaches have a long list of prospects to call that day they are also on a time crunch so it often takes care of itself.

Take notes
Take notes on who calls/texts. You might think it is easy to keep track of and remember but it might not be as easy to remember as you think, especially that first day and week. Some quick notes about special things the coach said/shared are great things to mention the next time you connect with them, it shows that you listened.

Save the coaches’ numbers
Make sure you save the number as soon as you are done speaking to the coach. You want to be able to call them with questions and also when they call next time you want to know who it is.

Be yourself
This call is for the coaches to start getting to know you so make sure you show them who you are. Be yourself!


What’s the end goal?
The goal for the coaches who are calling you is to start building a relationship with you, get to know you and your family. They are starting the investment of time and hoping it will give ROI (Return On Investment) in a few years. That first call is just a start on sometimes a long period of time where they get to know you and your family.  The end goal for them is to find the perfect players for their program.

The goal for you is to find the perfect college for you to call your home. So start the process with that in mind.

It might be an intense few days or even months. Make sure you have your phone close for the days they can call and stay focused on the journey.

The process  can be stressful to juggle the calls, or maybe not get as many calls as you had expected so carve out some time where you can check in with a mentor or maybe parent and talk about the process.

Most importantly enjoy the moment! Having coaches call and text is what you have been working towards for years! This is a testament to your value as a player and this is merely just the start. Now you have been contacted by coaches who obviously think you are worth pursuing, so now starts the real work!  Make sure you continue to work hard on and off the court and show the coaches you are worthy of their continued calls and ultimately a committable scholarship offer. 

To parents
Our support is more important than ever during this time. Some players will not get ‘the’ call they were looking specifically for, some might not get too many, some might be overwhelmed. Even though this is your child’s process, make sure you are there, check in, talk and make sure he/she knows that you are there to support in any way.

In many cases the coaches will call you as well. All the above tips go for you as well. If you have a job so you can’t talk, have an outgoing message on your phone letting them know to leave their name and number and you will call back when you can.

This is a great time for you as a parent, to see your child getting recognition for all the hard work he or she has put in as well as actual interest from college coaches is amazing! Make sure you celebrate and take it in as chances are that your child wouldn’t get these calls if you had not been there to support them.

These first calls are important and hopefully one of them will lead to you and your child building a relationship with a coach, their staff and a school where your child will play in a few years.

Happy Junior Call Day!