The Area Code Games in Long Beach California is an event for the top baseball players in the country. These players came out to play for scouts, former MLB players, parents and some colleges recruiters. But thats not all, they all also come out to get SPARQ Tested. The best of the best show off their stuff at Blair Field….

With hundreds of scouts watching from the stands, 6 teams from different parts of the United States competed against one another in order to see if they have what it takes to be a professional baseball player…

Baseball and Fastpitch players participating in an elite camp at Stanford University get SPARQ Tested!

Here’s one way to make a baseball monster: take the speed-blurred legs of Ichiro, the homerun snatching glove of Andruw Jones and the powerful hit-machine core of A-Rod, and hire yourself a deranged doctor by the name of Frnakenstein.

Here’s another way: take a kid with tremendous natural speed, talent, athleticism and motivation and use training to minimize any weakness and maximize his existing athletic potential.

Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury is this kind of baseball Monster. Ellsbury blasted a record SPARQ Rating as he prepped for the ‘08 season.

In March 2008, SPARQ Mag hooked up with Olympic decathlete Bryan Clay to see how he’d compare to some top rated athletes we’ve tested.

Athletes who train and compete to do the decathlon- the 10-sport track & field event that includes 110-meter hurdles, long jump, pole vault, and javelin, among others -are often dubbed the World’s Greatest Athlete. In a recent round of SPARQ Testing, the current world-champion decathlete, Bryan Clay, proved he deserves that lofty title.

Q: “I’ve always had a pretty good batting average, but never had good power. Any tips for improving batting power?”

Many athletes think they need to wait for college coaches to contact them, but athletes can contact college coaches at any time.

Sometimes in sports, you find a concept that’s brilliant in its simplicity: you can’t hit what you can’t see.

Todd Norman continues his series on strength training advice.

SPARQ Trainer Rick Scarpulla gives pitching-specific warmup tips and drills to help Baseball and Fastpitch athletes prevent shoulder injury.