SPARQ Training
Company type | Private (2004โ09) |
---|---|
Industry | Sports equipment |
Founded | 2004 |
Defunct | 2009 |
Fate | Acquired by Nike in 2009, becoming a brand of it |
Successor | Nike |
Headquarters | , |
Area served | United States |
Products | Athletics gear |
SPARQ was a
SPARQ's headquarters was in Portland, Oregon, with a distribution center in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, until its sale to Nike in 2009 (Nike kept the distribution center open in Oconomowoc until March 2010). After the purchase, both the headquarters and distribution center were incorporated into Nike's operations.
Some of the products by SPARQ included medicine balls, agility drills, parachutes, slidesteppers, and hurdles.[3]
SPARQ's business were focused on the rating system and selling advanced functional fitness training equipment. The company does not own any training facilities or have any one specific training method. They provided training videos and tips from a number of top speed, strength and conditioning coaches on their website. SPARQ developed a training network made up of over 750 SPARQ Certified Trainers located throughout the country who are both independent coaches and trainers at chain performance centers. Some of the more well-known independent facilities include TopSpeed Strength & Conditioning in Kansas City, the Michael Johnson Performance Center in Dallas and Athletic Evolution in Massachusetts. National training companies include CATZ (the Competitive Athlete Training Zone) and Velocity Sports Performance. SPARQ has formed a broad, non-exclusive partnership with Velocity Sports Performance to provide certified SPARQ Testing at all of their centers.
Assessment
The SPARQ Rating was a sport-specific assessment of athleticism. SPARQ had test protocols for six sports โ
Some famous athletes who recorded SPARQ Ratings are:
- Reggie Bush (93.38)[5]
- Tim Tebow (96.92)[6]
- Jonathan Stewart (97.54)[7]
- Jacoby Ellsbury (102.31) [8]
- Gold Medalist decathlete Bryan Clay recorded a football rating of 130.40.[9]
- Mike Mitchell, a
Components
The SPARQ general athletic assessment test was composed of:
- 20-meter sprint / 40-yard dash (Footspeed)
- Kneeling Power Ball Toss (Power)
- Agility Shuttle (Agility)
- Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test or YIRT (Reaction, Quickness, and Endurance)
- Vertical Jump (Power)[12]
40-yard dash
The
Kneeling power ball toss
In the Kneeling Power Ball Toss, an athlete must kneel with both knees on a flat surface while raising a 2 or 3 kilogram medicine / power ball over their head. They must proceed to thrust outward, landing in a push-up position. The distance in inches is then turned into SPARQ Points to be added to the final score.
Agility shuttle
The Agility Shuttle is a shuttle run in which an athlete must run 5 yards, touch an object or mark, proceed to run 10 yards in the opposite direction and touch a second object or mark. Finally, they must switch direction and run another 5 yards to the starting point. Their time is measured in seconds and transferred into SPARQ Points.
Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test (beep test)
The Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test is a test measuring an athlete's aerobic power and execution upon the changing of direction. A recording is played, giving instruction, and the athlete(s) must proceed to run 20 meters at the sound of a beep. At the sound of the second beep the athlete must run back to the starting line, after which the third beep sounds a 10-second recovery period the athlete jogs or walks in a 5-meter zone before resuming position back to the starting line, for the next beep. The time in between each beep (bar the constant 10second recovery) decreases gradually. If the athlete does not reach the start line in time, a warning is given, and the test is completed when two warnings are given. The total time taken until the two warnings are given, i.e. the test is completed, is what is measured.
Vertical jump
During the
References
- ^ a b "What Is Sparq? - SPARQ Training". SPARQ Training<!. Archived from the original on 2010-01-25. Retrieved 2010-01-14.
- ^ "Media:Press Releases:2008:Sparq". Nikebiz. 2008-03-10. Archived from the original on 2011-06-08. Retrieved 2010-01-14.
- ^ Products on Sparq website (archived, 2004)
- ^ "Nike SPARQ Training Ignites a revolution". Reuters.com. 2008-03-10. Archived from the original on 2008-09-15. Retrieved 2010-01-14.
- ^ "Rivals.com - SPARQ launches Pro Rating at NIKE Camps". Studentsports.rivals.com. Retrieved 2012-07-09.
- ^ "UF Asks company to take down Tebow's image". Blogs.orlandosentinel.com. Retrieved 2010-01-14.
- ^ Ronnie FloresRivals.com Football Recruiting. "NFTC to NFL Draft". Collegefootball.rivals.com. Retrieved 2010-01-14.
- ^ "Nike SPARQ News - Green Monster". Inside.Nike.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-14. Retrieved 2012-07-09.
- ^ "SPARQ Magazine: Is Brian Clay the world's greatest athlete?". Viewer.zmags.com. Retrieved 2010-01-14.
- ^ Fredericksen, Brady. "Mike Mitchell, former Ohio State, Texas Tech linebacker, at peace at Southeastern". The Ledger.
- ^ Kelley, Mason (6 July 2012). "Mike Mitchell owns top SPARQ rating". ESPN. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
- ^ "Athletic Assessment Protocols - SPARQ Training". SPARQ Training<!. Archived from the original on 2010-01-03. Retrieved 2010-01-14.
External links
- Official website (archived, 23 Jun 2004)