Schreiner University in Kerrville, TX has just added both Men’s and Women’s wrestling programs.  NB Elite Club Coach and Team Texas Coach Troy Jewell is the Head Coach.  Below is a little information from Coach Jewell.

The plan is to have both teams begin in the fall of 2018. It is a very exciting time for wrestling around here for sure. The addition of the program gives our high school wrestlers another option that is a fairly centrally located within the state. The women’s team will compete in the WCWA conference, and the men’s team is still a little bit up in the air as we continue to weigh out our options. The main concern for us is being able to offer wrestling scholarships and giving our program the best chance to grow and succeed. Currently Schreiner is a NCAA D3 for most of our athletic programs, yet the school is adding many other sports over the next few years. The possibilities are either starting out in the NCWA conference or D2, which is most likely the future for our program. Again, we are still doing our homework before making that decision, but plan to have it done soon.

Our wrestlers will be encouraged to continue wrestling in the off season, in USA wrestling events, encouraging them to achieve goals in both styles. Whatever goals our wrestlers have with the sport, we want to see that they get every opportunity possible to achieve them, hopefully taking what they want from the sport before they are done.

Schreiner University is an excellent four year private college. They have many degrees to choose from with outstanding faculty and personnel. With a little over 1,400 students and an average class size of 23, there’s plenty of focus on the students and their goals. Along with an outstanding nursing program the school has about a 95% success rate of getting students into med school.

Our goal with the wrestling program is to see that these athletes achieve their goals both on and off of the mat. We are looking for “student athletes,” and definitely in that order. We want wrestlers with goals in the classroom as well as goals on the mat. That is the culture we want around our wrestling team and one we will be recruiting for.

We understand the importance and relevance of this time for these young student athletes.

As well as the magnitude of this opportunity that stands before all them. There is a much bigger picture for them now, and it is our job to help them see it. It’s a special time for these kids, setting new goals in life and hopefully achieving some old ones. Not only do we want to send them out with college degrees, but more importantly with the tools and knowledge it will take to be successful in this world.

There are many factors that our high school student athletes need to consider when choosing the right college.

-Does the college offer the classes and degree that I am interested in?

– Is the college located in an area where I will be happy living for the next 4 years?

– Do I like the coach and will his style of coaching complement me?

– Did I like the people around campus, both faculty and overall personnel?

-Will the school work for me financially?

– Can I see myself being successful at the school?

– And last but not least, is it an overall good fit for me?

All very important questions these kids need to ask themselves before choosing a college. Bottom line, in order for them to be successful they need to be happy, like where they are, and what they’re doing, pretty important with college as well as life in general.

For those that are not familiar with Schreiner University it is a very beautiful campus in Kerrville which lies in the TX hill country. The campus sits on 211 acres and just about smack dab on the Guadalupe River, which is right out the front gates. The area, including the school itself, is heavenly populated with deer and other wild life, surrounded by hills, oak trees, and lots of rivers. There are plenty of areas for the kids to fish, barbecue, and swim. For those that enjoy hunting and fishing it’s like Disneyland around here.  Also in the nearby town of Fredericksburg is Enchanted Rock, the largest piece of granite in the world and a premier place to hike. Not too far off is the town of Gruene, a great traditional music town that sits on two of the most popular floating rivers in the state. In nearby towns like Hunt and Bandera, you can get to a rodeo about every weekend. There is plenty to do with downtime in the area for sure.  We are about an hour west of San Antonio and about two hours southwest of Austin. Not too far from the city yet just far enough away from it. There just isn’t a more beautiful place to live in the state than the Texas Hill country, and Schreiner University happens to lie right in it.

This wrestling program is a big step for Texas wrestling. It is a huge opportunity for Texas wrestlers and a program that we hope everyone can take pride in and call our own. Hopefully we will see more college programs popping up in the near future within the state. Having two young boys in the sport and being very involved at many levels it personally means a great deal to me, and I am beyond proud to be a part of it. The growth of the sport within the state is something many of us have worked hard for. To watch it grow at the college level right smack in the middle of the state is just awesome. We hope everyone will embrace it, take some Texas pride in it, and help strengthen it.

Our goal will be to build and grow the program substantially over the next few years in the direction of a winning team.

Troy Jewell

Schreiner University Wrestling Coach

Cell: 830-688-1310

TJewell@Schreiner.edu