Basketball is a game of rhythm and flow. When a player gets into a groove, everything flows naturally. Things become second nature. His mind is clear, the hoop seems larger, and every shot he puts up hits nothing but bottoms. Groove is so important that when a shooter goes cold, most coaches encourage him to keep shotting until he is right back in it.

At the University of Texas, getting into a groove isn’t just about shooting - it’s about movement.

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.

Come train to be a disciple of NBA superstar Kobe Bryant. Basketball players from Shenyang, Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai answered the call to try out for a spot in the 6-Part Chinese documentary “Kobe Mentu” which literally translated means “Kobe Disciples.”

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.

Explosiveness can be built. Find out how!

When you stop conditioning you become more prone to injury. Rick Scarpulla explains why you must continue to work at speed and strength in order to maintain the gains you have made.

Ladder drills are simple and effective, and extremely easy to modify. One drill can be done in many different ways by simply adding extra steps, adding a ball toss, or by going in a different direction.

In Part 2 of this article, SPARQ Trainer Rick Scarpulla shares tips No. 6 thru No. 10 for becoming faster and more explosive.

Big numbers command attention. So when four members on one team score SPARQ Ratings of above 83.00, we notice. Or when a kid in Georgia puts up an individual SPARQ Rating of 89.50, we notice.