Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, FL, excelling in football, wrestling, and track & field. He earned All-State honors in two sports, and to this day, he remains ranked as one of the top 15 greatest football players in St. Thomas’ long and storied history.  Upon earning a Division 1 scholarship from the University of Kansas, Coach Tony continued his athletic prowess in college and became one of the greatest running backs in the NCAA. In fact, in his senior year, he set two NCAA records for most carries (58) and most yards (396) in a single game. This same year, in 1992, he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science.

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Following his exceptional career as a Division 1 running back for the Jayhawks, Coach Tony had a brief stint in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals. After that, he devoted his career to training elite athletes of all ages in speed, agility, strength, and conditioning. He worked as the Assistant Strength Coach for basketball and football at the University of Kansas. He has 25 years of experience training athletes across all sports and at all levels, from youth, high school, college, and up to the NFL. Coach Tony has earned the praise and respect of the best high school and youth athletic programs in South Florida, as well as some of the nation’s top Division 1 colleges and professional teams. He has helped train and develop athletes from across the spectrum, starting with many of them at a young age and developing them as they progress throughout their athletic life cycle from middle school to high school to college and beyond. 

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Most notably, Coach Tony has prepared countless male and female high school athletes in all different sports (football, basketball, volleyball, soccer, lacrosse, wrestling) to earn college scholarships. Every year, he has also performed combine training for selective NCAA players as they prepared for the NFL. In addition, he has trained and continues to train some of the best NFL players from various positions. Knowing firsthand what it takes to compete and succeed at the highest level, Coach Tony inspires and motivates his athletes to be their absolute best, both on and off the field. Tony currently holds certifications in NASM Certified Personal Trainer, NSCA Performance Enhancement Specialist, NSCA Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist, Fitness & Nutrition Certification, CPR & AED Certification, Certified Frog Fitness Instructor, Certified FitLight Specialist, Brand Ambassador for XBOLT, Neuro Training Certification, and Vertimax Certified.

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Given his knowledge and expertise, Coach Tony has been invited to serve as a special guest trainer at various collegiate and professional teams, including the Dallas Cowboys. He has also worked with several elite high schools: St. Thomas Aquinas (State Champs), Cooper City High School, Nova, Piper, Boyd H. Anderson, and Cardinal Gibbons High. He is also affiliated with the following cities: Ft. Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach, and Cooper City.

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Coach Tony brings passion, energy, and expertise to every one of his workouts. He understands, as well as anyone, the hard work and commitment it takes for any athlete to reach their goals and achieve real results, and he’s there to help develop you throughout your journey. In 2007, he teamed up with his wife to form a not-for-profit organization called “Sandsational Community Outreach Inc. (SCO).” SCO provides services to kids in the Broward County community and incorporates ex-convict Fathers back into the lives of their children. SCO’s motto is R.E.S.- Rebuilding, Encouraging, and Supporting our community one Kida at a time.

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In 2021, Coach Tony accomplished another goal, which was to promise his father that before he died, he would become an author and tell his story. His book “I Was Before My Time” is a book about his life from start to finish. Coach Tony wrote this book to help start the conversation of mental awareness with athletes on and off the field. In his books, he gives you a clear understanding of what it takes to overcome mental depression in today’s time.

 

Also, in 2021, Tony started another company called “Tony Sands Speaks Out”. Tony decided to use his platform and life experiences to motivate and help people. He gives his knowledge not only to athletes but also to mental awareness platforms. Tony Sands Speaks Out gives you a close and upfront experience to really see the passion that makes Tony Sands a great motivator, speaker, life coach, and community activist.