Tony Marra: Athletic Trainer Helping Student Athletes Thrive On and Off the Field

March is National Athletic Training Month, celebrating the incredible athletic trainers at UF Health Jacksonville. These champions in health care provide ongoing support for all school sports, offering injury care and rehabilitation throughout the year.

Their hard work and commitment make them an essential part of our health care team, and we are grateful for their role in keeping our community's athletes safe and healthy.

Tony Marra, MS, LAT, ATC, is one of four athletic trainers working for UF Health Jacksonville. He’s been working at UF Health for two years, and is currently the athletic trainer for West Nassau High School. We asked him to share some aspects of what it’s like to be an athletic trainer.

Q: Tell us about your background and how you got into athletic training.

A: I played sports in college on scholarship in New York. I got injured my sophomore year to the point where I needed physical therapy, rehabilitation and orthopaedic services.

I became interested in the orthopaedic surgeons and the athletic trainers working together as a cohesive team to get me and other injured athletes back on the field. Upon graduation, I got a graduate assistantship position, not only as an assistant lacrosse coach, but also as an athletic trainer at Long Island University Southampton.

Two years later I completed my graduate assistantship and started a master’s program in sports medicine and athletic training at Long Island University Brooklyn.

Q: What does a typical day look like for you as an athletic trainer?

A: I work different hours depending on the day, including being at every home and away football game at West Nassau High School. Some days I'm doing rehab, post rehab and pre- and post-surgical rehab with our athletes. Some days I’m calling parents to remind them about their child’s doctor or physical therapy appointment.

Other days I’m scheduling meetings with school administration. I also have daily meetings with my athletic director to go over the specific details of the day.

I also make sure our inventory is well stocked with products in our athletic training room. I make sure that all daily EMS equipment is in good working order for usage, and I even ensure the batteries are charged in the golf cart I use on the field

Q: Are you the athletic trainer for all the sports at West Nassau High School?

A: Yes, I’m the sole athletic trainer for all sports at the school. This is different versus the college or pro level, where their athletic trainers may have assistants, graduate assistants and student athletic trainers.

Q: Do you have to be at every single game, whether it’s football, basketball, baseball, or any of the others?

A: Florida State law states that we have to be at every single football game, whether it's a home game or away. For an away game, I have to prepare sideline equipment for travel — hydration systems and water bottles, medical supplies, crutch kit, fracture bag, AED, sideline treatment table, medical exam tent and more.

I also have to be at every home game for other sports, such as tennis, flag football and baseball. Due to the multiple games scheduled in one day, I have to rotate to our events to make sure the home and visiting athletes are taken care of, with the precedent in the order of collision sports versus contact sports versus non-contact sports. I try to give every coach and athlete the ability to be seen by me.

My personal conviction is that I travel with all my teams during playoffs, whether it’s home or away.

Q: What are the most common injuries you treat?

A: I treat most sports-related injuries, such as contusions, fractures, lacerations, abrasions, concussions, sprains and strains.

Q: What do you do to help prevent injuries from occurring?

A: I conduct lectures with our coaching staff regarding emergency action plans and the prevention of common injuries through stretching and flexibility. I also have preseason talks with the athletes on our teams regarding flexibility, nutrition and prevention.

Q: Can you share a memorable moment or success story that highlights the impact of your work?

A: During my first year at West Nassau High School, I had a football player who sustained a really bad fracture and dislocation on the field. As a result of the preseason emergency action plan meeting I had with the coaches, everybody at the game knew exactly what they were supposed to do — from crowd control to calming the parents to calling the ambulance. If we hadn’t had this meeting, there may have been total chaos on the field, with people bumping into each other as they were reacting to this player’s serious injury.

Q: In what ways can athletic trainers help reduce stress and anxiety in athletes, especially during competition?

A: I have an open-door policy at the high school, and I've learned to be a good listener. Sometimes, when an athlete reassures me they are feeling 100% to play while speaking in front of their teammates, I may take the athlete off to the side and ask them what’s really going on to give them a chance to share any health concerns in confidence. The trust between myself and the athlete is imperative for their health and safety on and off the field.

Visit UFHealthJax.org/rehab for more information on our expert team of professionals.