Behind the Scenes: Meet Mark Leffler

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Mark Leffler
Assistant Director of Sports Medicine
Years at Akron- 10
Alma Mater: University of Akron
B.S. in Athletic Training for Sports Medicine '07
M.S. in Exercise Physiology/Adult Fitness '09

What was the deciding factor that brought you to UA?
The opportunity to work as an athletic trainer in Division-I football in both my hometown and at the school I graduated from is a rarity in collegiate athletics. It was an exciting opportunity and one that I could not pass up.

How has your position changed over the years?
When I was hired in 2010 as an Assistant Athletic Trainer, I helped to provide healthcare to the football team and the women's golf team. In 2013, I was promoted to Assistant Director of Sports Medicine and Head Football Athletic Trainer. Since then, our department has transitioned from having seven full-time staff and six graduate assistants to having 13 full-time athletic trainers on our staff. We have continually worked to raise the bar for the level of healthcare that we provide our student-athletes. We now have many more resources than we did in 2010, including services for physical therapy, sport psychology, sports nutrition, a chiropractor, and the list goes on from there. From a staff perspective, we have grown our knowledge base to remain on the leading edge of sports medicine in order to provide great care to our student-athletes.

What are your current responsibilities?
On a daily basis, my main responsibility is to oversee all aspects of healthcare for the football team. This includes many different things that the general public is unaware of. From the time a student-athlete arrives on campus until they are done with eligibility and graduate, we help manage their healthcare needs. This includes things like injury prevention, evaluation and diagnosis, to referring athletes to team physicians or other specialists for evaluations and ongoing management. We also complete rehabilitations and return-to-play progressions with the help of our physical therapist and strength and conditioning coaches. In addition to football, I also have administrative responsibilities to assist in managing the operations of our Department of Sports Medicine for the healthcare of every student-athlete that we serve in athletics.

What have you learned during your time on campus?
My experience at UA is unique in that, with the exception of one year, I have been here since I graduated high school. I have learned and grown up here from my time as a student to my current role. Personally and professionally, I have experienced tremendous development.  Since I was hired full-time in 2010, I have learned that communication among support staff is key to our success and the success of our student-athletes. We rely on not only our staff in the Department of Sports Medicine, but all other units within Athletics and sometimes across campus to communicate in order to put our student-athletes in the best situation to achieve success.

Do you have a favorite memory to share?
I don't feel that I have one memory that stands out. Every win with football is special, because of all that goes into each game. Winning the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in 2015 was definitely a highlight. My time spent at UA with our staff in Sports Medicine has countless memories of the day-to-day interactions with the people I work with along with our student-athletes. We have a great staff, and I feel those interactions and relationships are the memories that that come to mind first and will last the longest.

What advice would you give to a college student who wants to pursue a career in collegiate athletics?
In collegiate athletics, every day you interact with people is part of your interview for future positions. The people you're working with are the ones who will be speaking on your behalf for future jobs. Those interactions and how you handle yourself can open countless doors for you as you pursue your career.

What makes you most proud to be a Zip?
Being able to learn, grow and achieve success at the university that I graduated from is special to me. Working at Akron and having the opportunity to contribute to the success of our Athletics Department in a meaningful way is something I am proud to be a part of.

Anything you'd like to add:
Some of my earliest memories of football revolve around Akron Football. I grew up in the Ellet area of east Akron, and we lived less than a mile from the Rubber Bowl. Going to Akron football games was a family affair– we would walk to the Rubber Bowl with family and friends to watch Zips football games. It continues to be a family tradition as my wife and kids are at most football games with our families, cheering for the Zips.

The University of Akron Athletics

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