Nike SPARQ
Encyclopedia
Nike SPARQ is the name used under a marketing relationship between Nike and SPARQ, under which Nike sells a line of cross training footwear, apparel and equipment.
SPARQ was started in 2004 to create a standardized test for athleticism called the SPARQ Rating and to sell training equipment and methods to help improve athleticism focused on the high school
athlete (an "SAT" for athletes). 'SPARQ' is an acronym, standing for Speed, Power, Agility, Reaction and Quickness.
SPARQ's business is focused on the rating system and selling advanced functional fitness training equipment. SPARQ does not own any training facilities or have any one specific training method. They provide training videos and tips from a number of top speed, strength and conditioning coaches on the SPARQ website. SPARQ developed a SPARQ Training Network that is 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.
Some famous athletes who have recorded SPARQ Ratings are:
is the simplest activity; an athlete runs 40 yards down a track, and his/her time is recorded by a trainer or other method. This time is taken and put into "SPARQ Points", which are added to determine the athlete's overall rating.
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.
, an athlete must stand on a pad with some sort of compatible height measurer attached. The athlete goes into a balanced crouch with their arms behind them to help propel them, then they swiftly jump out into the air, out of their crouch, and the pad measures their height in inches based on the amount of time in the air, between the two points of contact. This then becomes SPARQ points to be added to the score.
SPARQ was started in 2004 to create a standardized test for athleticism called the SPARQ Rating and to sell training equipment and methods to help improve athleticism focused on the high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
athlete (an "SAT" for athletes). 'SPARQ' is an acronym, standing for Speed, Power, Agility, Reaction and Quickness.
SPARQ's business is focused on the rating system and selling advanced functional fitness training equipment. SPARQ does not own any training facilities or have any one specific training method. They provide training videos and tips from a number of top speed, strength and conditioning coaches on the SPARQ website. SPARQ developed a SPARQ Training Network that is 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 is a sport-specific assessment of athleticism. SPARQ has test protocols for six sports – football, boys’ soccer, girls’ soccer, baseball, fastpitch, boys’ basketball and girls’ basketball, as well as a test for general athleticism. The tests are designed to test the skills and athleticism demanded by each sport. In the past two years over 44,000 athletes have been assessed and received SPARQ ratings.Some famous athletes who have recorded SPARQ Ratings are:
- Reggie BushReggie BushReginald Alfred "Reggie" Bush II is an American football running back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
(93.38) - Tim TebowTim TebowTimothy Richard "Tim" Tebow is an American football player who is currently the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Broncos as the 25th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft...
(96.92) - Jonathan StewartJonathan StewartJonathan Creon Stewart is an American football running back for the Carolina Panthers of the NFL. He was selected by the Panthers in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Oregon.-High school career:Stewart is the career leading rusher in...
(97.54) - Jacoby EllsburyJacoby EllsburyJacoby McCabe Ellsbury ; born September 11, 1983) is an American professional baseball center fielder with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball....
(102.31) - Gold Medalist decathlete Bryan ClayBryan ClayBryan Ezra Tsumoru Clay is an American decathlete. He is the reigning Olympic champion for the decathlon and was also World champion in 2005.-Biography:...
recorded a football rating of 130.40.
Components
The SPARQ general athletic assessment test is composed of:- 20 Meter Sprint/40 Yard Dash (SpeedSpeedIn kinematics, the speed of an object is the magnitude of its velocity ; it is thus a scalar quantity. The average speed of an object in an interval of time is the distance traveled by the object divided by the duration of the interval; the instantaneous speed is the limit of the average speed as...
) - Kneeling Power Ball Toss (PowerHuman powerHuman power is work or energy that is produced from the human body. It can also refer to the power of a human. Power comes primarily from muscles, but body heat is also used to do work like warming shelters, food, or other humans....
) - Agility Shuttle (AgilityAgility* Agility is a physical trait of an animal or person, and a component of physical fitness. It is the ability to change the body's position and direction with speed and precision.Agility may also refer to:In Sport:...
) - Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test or YIRT (ReactionReflexA reflex action, also known as a reflex, is an involuntary and nearly instantaneous movement in response to a stimulus. A true reflex is a behavior which is mediated via the reflex arc; this does not apply to casual uses of the term 'reflex'.-See also:...
, Quickness, and EnduranceEnduranceEndurance is the ability for a human or animal to exert itself and remain active for a long period of time, as well as its ability to resist, withstand, recover from, and have immunity to trauma, wounds, or fatigue. In humans, it is usually used in aerobic or anaerobic exercise...
) - Vertical Jump (PowerHuman powerHuman power is work or energy that is produced from the human body. It can also refer to the power of a human. Power comes primarily from muscles, but body heat is also used to do work like warming shelters, food, or other humans....
)
40 yard dash
The 40 yard dash40 yard dash
The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time in the 40 can have a heavy impact on his prospects in college or professional football...
is the simplest activity; an athlete runs 40 yards down a track, and his/her time is recorded by a trainer or other method. This time is taken and put into "SPARQ Points", which are added to determine the athlete's overall rating.
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 kilogramKilogram
The kilogram or kilogramme , also known as the kilo, is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units and is defined as being equal to the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram , which is almost exactly equal to the mass of one liter of water...
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 5metre 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 Vertical JumpVertical jump
A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of raising one's center of gravity higher in the vertical plane solely with the use of one's own muscles; it is a measure of how high an individual or athlete can elevate off the ground from a standstill.-Types of vertical jump:The vertical jump is...
, an athlete must stand on a pad with some sort of compatible height measurer attached. The athlete goes into a balanced crouch with their arms behind them to help propel them, then they swiftly jump out into the air, out of their crouch, and the pad measures their height in inches based on the amount of time in the air, between the two points of contact. This then becomes SPARQ points to be added to the score.