University of Central Florida Wrestling Submission Confirmation
THANK YOU!
-Please Read Below-
UCF Wrestling – “A Winning Tradition that Begins with Opportunity”
Head Coach: Jason Balma Assistant Coach: Johnny Rouse Assistant Coach: Stephen DeAugustino
Website: www.ucfwrestling.net
Dear Potential UCF Wrestler,
I would like to begin by thanking you for your interest in the UCF Wrestling Program. We are pledged to offer an outstanding college wrestling program in the state of Florida. As we celebrate the completion of our 11th season in the National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA), our mission of providing college wrestling in a state that offers no NCAA wrestling while remaining a premier program in the in NCWA, has been maintained and now you can be a part of carrying forward that mission.
Next, I would like to congratulate you on completing the high school wrestling season. Many Florida student-athletes leave the state of Florida to pursue wrestling in another state in the NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA, or NCWA. While I commend those who choose to wrestle out-of-state, I have seen a great number of those student-athletes return home after a semester or two. I would like to encourage you to really think about where you choose to attend college. Ask yourself the following questions: Does the university or college have my choice of academic program? How many degree programs are similar to my academic program in the event I decide to change my major? How much does it cost to attend the university or college? If a scholarship is being offered, what is the end of the year cost of the school? Is the college or university located in a city where I would like to live? How far is the university or college from my home? How successful is the wrestling program? These questions are critical in deciding which college or university that you attend. It is my hope that this letter answers these questions regarding the University of Central Florida.
As you explore the possibility of attending UCF, I want to tell you a little bit about the university, the wrestling program, and the coaches. I encourage you to read this letter, talk with current and former UCF wrestlers, and visit the websites at the end of this letter. Also, do not hesitate to call or e-mail any of the coaches with additional questions or clarification.
Since UCF’s founding in 1963 (then “FTU”), the student population has grown from 1,948 students to 58,587 in 2011 and ranking the 2nd largest university in the United States! UCF offers 91 undergraduate programs and 124 master, specialist, and doctoral programs. UCF’s ranking, in terms of enrollment size, of top 12 undergraduate programs include: Psychology, Elementary Education, Finance, Hospitality Management, Nursing, Marketing, Liberal Studies, Business Management, Accounting, Political Science, Criminal Justice, and Molecular Biology/ Microbiology.
Although UCF is a very large university, it maintains a high academic standard for incoming students. Of the 24,827 freshman applicants to UCF for the Fall 2011, 10,500 were accepted and 3,657 were enrolled. As of the Fall 2010, the incoming freshman average standards included:
For freshmen, the mid-range (middle 50%) of our Fall 2011 entering class was:
GPA : 3.6 – 4.1 (recalculated weighted academic core)
SAT : 1180 – 1310 (reading and math)
ACT : 25 – 29 (composite)
For students who are near or below this average, we recommend taking the following steps: 1) apply as early as possible (UCF offers rolling admissions, meaning you can apply at any time) 2) provide strong letters of recommendation 3) take both the SAT and ACT multiple times 4) apply for UCF’s summer term. Although UCF sponsors an NCWA wrestling program, there is often very little assistance that we can provide for students who fall below the academic average. We also encourage students to consider attending Valencia Community College (4 miles from UCF) and train until they are able to gain acceptance to UCF. We do support the Valencia Community College students who compete in some tournaments as an “unattached wrestler.”
Although UCF is a very competitive college program, we do not currently offer wrestling scholarships. However, most of our Florida athletes are on the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship which now covers between 45%-60% of tuition and fees. UCF anticipates the annual cost (both fall and spring semester) for a Florida resident who is taking 12 credit hours will be:
1. Tuition and Fees: $4,467.12 (Bright Futures – FMS or FAS covering either $1,824 or $2,424)
2. Books: $924
3. Room and Board (on-campus): $8,574
A Non-Florida resident payment schedule is broken down as:
1. Tuition and Fees: $16,850.64
3. Room and Board (on-campus):$8,574
*Florida Bright Futures FAS & FMS programs pay $76 or $101 per credit hour. The cost of attending UCF is $186.13 per credit hour.
High School Graduation Year
SAT
ACT
Florida Academic Scholars (FAS)
2011-12
1270
28
2012-13
1280
2013-14 and thereafter
1290
29
Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS)
980
21
1020
22
1170
26
While UCF does not offer wrestling scholarships, we do offer an outstanding college wrestling program at no cost to the athlete. Our program is funded by both the university as well as private and corporate sponsorships through our 501(c)3 “Not for Profit” status. Also, because we are not an NCAA program, we do not have any roster limitations. This season we started with just over 50 wrestlers! We accept all interested athletes provided they maintain all requirements for attendance and training.
Next, we would like to provide some information about our wrestling program. As mentioned early, UCF is a member of the NCWA and has been a member since 2001. In our program’s 10 year history, UCF has finished 8th, 4th, 1st, 1st, 4th, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 1st, 3rd, and 8th at the NCWA National Tournament of over 140 programs throughout the United States. During the 2011-2012 season UCF finished 8th place in what was the NCWA’s strongest year as many NAIA programs who are transitioning to NCAA DII temporary joined the NCWA. UCF has also boasted 73 NCWA All-Americans and 9 National Champions! UCF has also accumulated a 11 year 122-38 dual meet record against NCWA, NCAA, NAIA, and NJCAA programs.
Our philosophy towards remaining a top program in the NCWA is “competition breads success”. We believe that exposing our wrestlers to a large amount of competition at all levels will ultimately yield success at the end of the season. Throughout the competition season, we travel all over the United States to both provide a neat experience for the athletes as well as get athletes a large number of matches. We travel to competition in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Michigan, California, and others. On average a starting wrestler can expect between 30-50 matches. For example, our 157 lbs. wrestler, Santiago Martinez, ended his season with a 39-7 record and earned an NCWA National Tournament runner-up finish. We also believe in traveling to competition with multiple wrestlers in each weight class. A second or third position wrestler can expect between 20-30 matches. In the NCWA, each athlete is granted 4 years of eligibility, however, unlike the NCAA, there is no clock or limit to complete those 4 years.
During the wrestling season, we practice Monday – Friday from 4:00-6:00pm on campus near the Recreation and Wellness Center. Our roster number ranges between 30-50 athletes. We also hold team lifting and running practices throughout the day to accommodate for different class schedules. Home competitions are hosted in UCF Recreation and Wellness Center or the UCF Arena. A complete practice and competition schedule, campus map, roster and other information can be found at www.ucfwrestling.net.
The current coaching staff proudly consists of all former UCF wrestlers. Head Coach Jason Balma was a 2001 graduate of Fort Myers High School and 2005 graduate of UCF as a tw0-time NCWA All-American. Balma received his master’s degree from UCF and worked as an assistant coach to Johnny Rouse. In 2008 Balma took the reigns as Head Coach. Balma also works in Orange County as a high school social studies teacher.
Assistant Coach Johnny Rouse was UCF’s (F.T.U.) first heavyweight and graduate assistant coach. In 1982-83, Rouse was the head coach of UCF’s NCAA Division II wrestling team. After leaving UCF, Rouse taught and coached at the high school level for 27 years before retiring from teaching and returning to UCF wrestling in 2001.
Assistant Coach Stephen DeAugustino joins the coaching staff as a 5th year senior and former UCF team captain. DeAugustino is the all time UCF career wins leader with 152 college wins and was a 4x NCWA All-American and Academic All-American. DeAugustino brings a wealth of wrestling knowledge, passion for the sport, leadership, and academic excellence.
Although there is more information needed to have a complete picture of the UCF Wrestling program, we hope this letter serves as a beginning informational guide to our university, wrestling team, and coaching staff. Again, we thank you for your interest in our program and hope that you will choose to call UCF your college home and the UCF coaches and athletes your college family. We would also like to make ourselves available to answer any questions at the phone numbers and e-mail addresses below. There are also some important links to moving forward with your interest and application to UCF.
Yours in Wrestling,
Jason Balma – jasonbalma@gmail.com / (321)662-5344
Johnny Rouse – rousej3@comcast.net / (407)247-4902
Stephen DeAugustino – deaugustino@gmail.com
NCWA Website: www.ncwa.net
UCF Website: www.ucf.edu
Request Information to Your Home: http://www.admissions.ucf.edu/
*Click on “Request Information”
Apply to UCF Online: http://www.ucf.edu/apply_to_ucf/
Plan a Tour to UCF: http://admissions.ucf.edu/visit/Please notify the coaching staff on your tour date as we will include a meeting with you and your family about the wrestling program.
UCF Cost Breakdown: http://admissions.ucf.edu/cost/
UCF Financial Aid: http://finaid.ucf.edu/
UCF Academic Information: http://www.ucf.edu/academics/
Florida Bright Futures Scholarships: http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org/SSFAD/bf/
