SPARQ Training
 | |
| Company type | Private (2004–09) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports equipment |
| Founded | 2004 |
| Defunct | Template:End date and age |
| Fate | Acquired by Nike in 2009, becoming a brand of it |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | United States |
| Products | Athletics gear |
SPARQ was an American enterprise established in 2004 with the purpose of creating the 'SPARQ Rating,' a uniform test measuring athletic performance, alongside marketing specialized training products aimed at high school athletes. The acronym represents Speed, Power, Agility, Reaction, and Quickness. Through a collaboration with Nike, the "Nike SPARQ" brand provided cross-training footwear, clothing, and equipment across the United States.
Based in Portland, Oregon, SPARQ maintained a distribution hub in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin until its acquisition by Nike in 2009; Nike continued operating this facility until March 2010 before fully integrating SPARQ’s functions into its own operations.
The company's inventory featured items such as medicine balls, agility drills, parachutes, slidesteppers, and hurdles. Its business strategy revolved around the proprietary rating system paired with sales of innovative functional fitness tools. While SPARQ did not possess its own training centers, it offered instructional videos and guidance from top-tier speed, strength, and conditioning experts. The firm developed a network exceeding 750 Certified Trainers nationwide—comprising independent coaches and professionals affiliated with performance centers like TopSpeed Strength & Conditioning (Kansas City), Michael Johnson Performance Center (Dallas), Athletic Evolution (Massachusetts), CATZ (Competitive Athlete Training Zone), and Velocity Sports Performance. A significant partnership existed with Velocity Sports Performance to deliver certified SPARQ Testing at their facilities.
Assessment
The SPARQ Rating functioned as a sport-tailored evaluation of athletic ability with specific testing protocols for six disciplines: american football, boys' and girls' soccer, baseball, fastpitch, boys' and girls' basketball, in addition to a general athleticism assessment. These evaluations gauged the essential skills pertinent to each sport. To date, over 44,000 athletes have undergone assessment.
Prominent athletes with documented SPARQ Ratings include:
- Reggie Bush (93.38)
- Tim Tebow (96.92)
- Jonathan Stewart (97.54)
- Jacoby Ellsbury (102.31)
- Olympic Gold Medal decathlete Bryan Clay holding a football rating of 130.40
- Mike Mitchell—linebacker for Ohio State, Texas Tech, and Southeastern University—who holds the national record with a score of 154.47
Components
The general athletic evaluation within the SPARQ system incorporated:
- 20-meter sprint / 40-yard dash (measuring Footspeed)
- Kneeling Power Ball Toss (assessing Power)
- Agility Shuttle (testing Agility)
- Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test or YIRT (evaluating Reaction, Quickness, and Endurance)
- Vertical Jump (gauging Power)
40-yard dash
The 40-yard dash consists of an athlete sprinting 40 yards, with the elapsed time recorded. This timing is then translated into "SPARQ Points," which contribute toward the athlete’s cumulative rating.
Kneeling power ball toss
Participants begin in a kneeling position and propel a 2 or 3 kilogram medicine ball forward, finishing in a push-up stance. The distance achieved is recorded and translated into SPARQ Points.
Agility shuttle
This drill involves sprinting 5 yards to touch a designated mark, then running 10 yards in the reverse direction, followed by another 5 yards back to the starting point. The completion time is noted and converted into SPARQ Points.
Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test (beep test)
The Yo-Yo test evaluates both aerobic capacity and the ability to change direction quickly. Athletes run 20 meters timed by a beep, return on the subsequent beep, then rest for 10 seconds before repeating the sequence. The intervals progressively decrease until the participant receives two warnings for missing the timing; the total time completed is recorded.
Vertical jump
Athletes perform a vertical leap from a crouched position onto a measuring pad that determines jump height based on airtime. This measurement is then converted into SPARQ Points contributing to the overall score.
External links
- Official website (archived, 23 Jun 2004)