The Crenshaw Cougars are used to success.  With major alumni such as Ice-T, Darryl Strawberry, "KGB" and a host of other professional athletes from MLB, the NBA and the NFL…we knew we were in the presence of greatness as we rolled onto their campus today. 

To see complete pics from this event, click HERE!

To see complete results from this event, click HERE! 

Long time Head Coach, Robert Garrett had this to say about his program and SPARQ Training being at his school, “I thought it was great.  It sets a standard for our student-athletes so that they understand how important training really is.  It shows them the numbers that they need to reach in order to be a better athlete.”

The Cougars were out to prove a point to cross-town rivals Dorsey High School.  Well, based on their performance today, that point was hammered into the minds of the Dons and all of their upcoming opponents.  This version of the always tough Crenshaw Cougars could be as good as any in recent memory.  There were some great performances out here today by a great group of guys.  These guys were full of laughs and had lots of character. 

After the jokes stopped and the testing began, we saw some outstanding athletes do their thing.  Junior RB, Desean Thompson led the Cougars with an amazing SPARQ Rating of 95.43.  He was followed closely by Junior LB, Hayes Pullard with a similar 95.37.

This team could be the Co-Stars of the next “Speed” movie as these guys can flat out fly!  13 guys broke the 5 second mark in the 40 YD Dash on SPARQ’s laser timer! 

Every movie and every team needs a star to take the lead role…in the next “Speed”, Sophomore RB, DeAnthony Thomas will be that guy.  Coming off  a year where he placed 9^th in the California State Track and Field Championships in the 100 Meter Dash as a freshman, this kid ran a 4.52 laser timed 40 Yard Dash today to take the top spot!  That is unreal for a young kid his age.  Great job D!  Keep up the good work and you know where we want to see you in 3 years!

The shuttle was another great event that showcased some serious speed and agility.  Desean Thompson stole the show as he went side to side quicker than you can say “Crenshaw Cougars gunnin for number 1”, which was a popular quote from these fellas today.  He burned a ridiculous time of 4.15 seconds to take the top spot in the Pro Agility Shuttle.

The “mile high club”, no not that one…was joined by a few cats out here today as these kids showed their hops off the Vert mat.  Jonathan Downard proved that “My bounce is way better than your bounce” as he flew off the mat like he was standing on hot coals and wound up with 34.5 inches on his scorecard.

The power of the Crenshaw team was also put to the test today.  Yeah, they passed, they got an A.  These kids have lots of power as their DB’s and WR’s were pushing the limits of the cones just like their lineman.  Of the many kids in the prestigious upper 30 foot range in the Kneeling Power Ball Toss, the top spot was shared by a couple of powerhouse ballers.  Bryan Gallegos and Hayes Pullard left their mark with huge tosses of 39 feet to edge out the rest of the competitors by the slimmest of margins.

These guys are straight ballers and they proved it today as the Cougars from Crenshaw High School put up a very impressive Team SPARQ Rating of 83.26!  That is better than the teams they called out as their main competition!  Great job fellas and keep working hard in the classroom, the gym and on the field.  We’ll most definitely be back to test you again and we’ll keep an eye on you guys this coming season.

We are now off to Pasadena tomorrow to test Legends FC and see what they can do in SPARQ Soccer Testing!  Until then, keep working hard and remember that the West Coast is the best coast and our hood is better than your hood!

Brandon Oliver

NSTC West

To see complete pics from this event, click HERE!

To see complete results from this event, click HERE! 

The Indians have had one of the richest traditions in the State if Wisconsin including playoff berths all through the 2000’s including a miracle run during 2004 that brought the Division 1 State Title to Mukwonago.  “That was a very special team we had in 2004 but with some hard work, I see a lot of resemblances to this team we have right now,” commented Coach Bill Schulte.

One player that is determined to help his team and also help himself to a breakout season, is Senior-to-be Andy Grossman.  As a WR in a run first offense, Grossman wouldn’t be considered a focal point in the Indian offense, however after testing he might have his coaches thinking other wise.  Grossman, who SPARQ Tested last season, took his 2008 SPARQ campaign by storm and left his teammates with jaws dropped after his nationally ranked 105.27 SPARQ Rating.  

Grossman who improved in each of the 3 SPARQ events that are repeats from last year, also proved that the power ball toss was no match for his superior strength.  Grossman not only placed his name on the national map, but also did what only a few kids have been able to do during testing this summer- and that is make a clean sweep in each of the 4 events. 

Grossman posted the fastest, best, most powerful, whatever you want to call it in each event.  I call it domination.  Grossman's individual titles in the sprint, shuttle, power ball throw, and vert were highlighted by a scores of 4.82 seconds, 4.22 seconds, 41 feet and 33.7 inches respectively.  I asked Andy what he liked most about the event, except for the fact that he dominated, and he commented that, "the competitive atmosphere you get from coming out to something like this is really great.  It makes you really want to do better when you see your team our here competing in a fun way."

Also joining Andy, as an elite Indian athlete was Junior-to-be Andrew Straszewski.  His 76.53 was good enough for second best and at only 16 years old, and motivated as all hell to be the best, don’t be surprised to see Straszewski’s name atop the Indian leader board next season.  Straszewski who also tested last year was another player who improved in the sprint, shuttle and vert from last season.  His improved scores include a .2 second faster 40 to a 5.07 second dash, a .05 jump in the shuttle to a 4.22 (tied for event best), and 3 inches in the vert to a 27.9 inches.  "I used weighted vests a lot to improve my vert," mentioned the Indian RB.  Straszewski who was also new to the power ball, felt comfortable in the new event with his 36 foot toss.  

Three other players posted scores in the 70’s to round out the top 5 overall scores of the day. 

Indian player’s Chuck Holtz and Nick Yaeger were basically neck and neck throughout testing and their scores reflected that as they finished 3rd and 4th with 71.89 and 70.98 respectively.  Besides the 40, where Yaeger edged Holtz 5.03 to 5.18 seconds, Holtz held strong in the shuttle over Yeager 4.34 to 4.37 seconds and in the vert 27.6 to 27.2 inches.  After a hard fought battle the two finished of the power ball with equal tosses of 37 feet. 

Cody Kave was one of a few representatives from Waukesha North High School, and he represented well with his 70.14 SPARQ Rating which was good enough for 5th overall.  Kave's best event was the coveted 40, as he posted the second fasted time with a 4.9 second showing.

Well I believe Coach Schulte when he thinks this team will have a far better showing next year.  If this SPARQ Test was any indication of what the Indians are going to bring to the table next season, I’m already a believer.  On behalf of the Central Truck I would like to thank all the athletes who came out to test today and also congratulate all the athletes on their excellent SPARQ Ratings.  You know where you stand now ,and hard work will only keep you standing tall.  Keep it up fellas and good luck next fall.     

Skyler Ashbaugh     

NSTC Central

We had players aging from 12-17 but most were 12-13, both guys and girls.  Because of the late schedule, the older kids didn’t have the time to participate in the Yo-Yo recovery test but still joined all the other athletes in the 20 meter sprint, arrowhead agility drill and the vertical jump.  

The kids showed excellent excitement during testing as one group of athletes would run straight to the “How Do You Rate” board after each event to see how they matched up with some of the nations best soccer players.  Surprisingly some athletes found their scores on the board, which is a great feat for kids that are not event in middle school or will just be going to middle school in the fall.

One highlight of the event was a family that sent three kids through the testing before challenging their dad in a sprint contest.  The father had a few people cheering him on, but believe it or not his young son posted a faster 20-meter sprint by almost a tenth of a second.  Kind of embarrassing, but has to be worth the smile.  

I hope the kids enjoyed testing as much we enjoyed coming out to test.  It’s always a good break to get some of America’s youth out testing early and get them on the path to becoming amazing athletes.  I would like to thank Mike Tabor who hooked up the event on such short notice.  To all the young players that came out to test, keep up the hard work and enjoy the rest of summer.  Hopefully we will see some of you in the future as we continue our travels around the country to find the best athletes.
    

Skyler Ashbaugh
    

NSTC Central

Holtsville be forewarned- here comes the Nike SPARQ Team Challenge!  We were in Holtsville, New York at the PAL Sports Complex to test the high school football program of Sachem East H.S.  There is not a lot of time left for athletes and high school football programs to make their presence known around the country by posting extraordinary feats of athleticisim.  Sachem High School was looking to do just that, lets take a look-see at how their top three SPARQ-letes did…

To see complete pics from this event, click HERE!

To see complete results from this event, click HERE! 

Dan Cancro's overall SPARQ Rating of 55.53 put him in third place.  A 5.24 40-Yard Dash helped him on his quest to a top three rating, and a thirty-two foot Powerball Toss was one of the better ones all day.  Dan can jump too, his highest jump in the Vertical Jump test was a 25.1 which goes to show he is rather explosive.  Dan dropped, stopped, and changed directions in the blink of an eye, as he clocked in at 4.85 seconds in the Shuttle Agility course.

Drew Javetski  would have rather been the first place athlete on his  Sachem High School football team, but today he got second place which is plenty of reason to be proud.  What with a 4.98 second 40-Yard Dash (the fastest forty today) this kid has more than enough to brag about.  Drew jumped 26.8 inches in the Vertical Jump before heading off to the Powerball Toss where he threw for thirty feet.  At the end of the day Drew made his mark know at the Shuttle Agility course where he finished the day with an incredible 4.35 second run for an overall SPARQ Rating of 58.47.

Ultimately Jesse Scanna would be crowned the ultimate athlete on the Shachem football team.  A 29 inch Vertical Jump made that painfully clear.  Then he threw for thirty-five feet in the Powerball Toss and he was simply nice with the Shuttle Agility test where he completed the course in 4.59 seconds before running the 40-Yard Dash in 5.12 seconds for an overall SPARQ Rating of 64.14. 

And the Sachem High School Football team thanks all three of these athletes for the extraordinary performances that all contributed to a Team Rating of 55.84.

Until next time.

Yours,
Bruke Getachew

The SPARQ Northeast truck rolled through Smithtown today to test the football team of Smithtown West High School.  With a mere three weeks left on the Nike SPARQ Team Challenge calender, there are few opportunities for high school athletes to make a lasting impression and for teams to catch up with the leading teams in the nation.  As usual my eyes serve as laser beams pinpointed on the illest athlete in all the land.  Today is no exception, can anyone impress me?…We shall see.

To see complete pics from this event, click HERE!

To see complete results from this event, click HERE! 

Tom Mistretta's overall SPARQ Rating of 37.98 was good enough for third place.  A Vertical Jump of 25.3 inches anchored his performance and proved his explosive potential. Tom took to the running test quite well recording a 5.15 second 40-Yard Dash and completing the Shuttle Agility course in 4.81 seconds.  It ain't easy to throw a 6.6 pound medicine ball, but Tom managed to throw for twenty-seven and a half feet in the Powerball Toss.

Second place went to Chris Anzalone, the five foot nine inch 170 pound athlete made his teammates jealous with a blazing fast 4.62 second Shuttle Agility run.  It took Chris only 5.36 seconds to sprint down the 40-Yard Dash and he threw for twenty-eight feet in the Powerball Toss.  Chris's Vertical Jump, 25.8 inches, ensured him one of the best overall SPARQ Ratings of the day at 40.23 overall.

This team has a lot to look forward to in freshman Zachary Naja.  Zach worked hard to steal first place from his commrades and teammates who were not that stunned (apparently when you got it, everyone knows it).  Zach had the fastest 40-Yard Dash of the day which turned more than a few heads, he clocked in at 5.14 seconds before he garnered even more respect at the Shuttle Agility course by completing the test in 4.72 seconds.  The Powerball? Oh dem na compete wit dis boi- he threw the farthest in that event with his thirty-three foot toss.  Zach completed his day by jumping 25.8 inches in the Vertical Jump for and overall SPARQ Rating of 53.13.  And Smithtown West ended up getting an overall Team Rating of 39.58.

See Ya'll next year. Peace!
Bruke Getachew

In one of the most anticipated 7 on 7 events this summer, the Central Truck was in Bolingbrook, IL for arguably the biggest passing league in the State of Illinois at “The Brook” High School.  We’ve got about 44 teams present and hundreds of players.  We’ve got Nike cleat test trials, Nike SPARQ Elite test trials, a play station set up for athletes to take on the new NCAA Football 09, and to wrap it up we obviously had SPARQ Testing.  Now for the kicker, it rained about as hard as it has rained when we left Portland.

To see complete pics from this event, click HERE!

To see complete results from this event, click HERE! 

After setting up in the rain, we decided to move our drenched SPARQ staff, cones, lasers, vert pads and power ball mats and into the Bolingbrook HS field house to test indoors.  Because of the poor weather and busy schedule of the one day tournament, most player didn’t show up to SPARQ Test, but the ones that did show some serious commitment to excellence as they filtered in with tired faces, wet shirts, muddy shorts and cleats that looked like they had just walked through a swamp.  No matter, we had the best of the best from around Chicago and the State of Illinois, and the 63 players that did make it through testing represented well.  

The teams that were represented during testing were host Bolingbrook, Aurora West, Chicago Bogan, Lockport, Naperville North, Oswego,  and Oswego East.  Oswego took home the top overall team score with a 66.76 Rating while Bolingbrook and Chicago Bogan took second and third with 65.59 and 61.80 ratings respectively.  

Pacing host Bolingbrook’s team score were Top Rated athletes John Seigler-Hill and Maurice Armstead.   Seigler-Hill killed every event.  Despite some soreness from power lifting competitions he trains for and competes in, Seigler-Hill posted the 2nd best score in 3 of the 4 events, so his naturally it would make sense that his outstanding 79.23 overall SPARQ Rating was second best on the day.  Seigler-Hill warmed up with a speedy 4.78 second  40, before he set his eye on the prize for the fastest shuttle time, which he came up 4 hundredths of a second short with a remarkable 4.22 second performance.  He posted his 3rd 2nd best score in the vert with sore legs and all as he soared 33.3 inches off the digital calculating vert pad.  Seigler-Hill rounded off his SPARQ display with a 30 foot 6 inch power ball toss.  Oh ya and one more thing about those power lifting competitions, he partakes in.  Do the math, he weights 165 and he told me that his “combined bench press, squat and dead lift is 1200 pounds.”  That’s ridiculous.  

Maurice Armstead posted a tremendous all-around performance en route to his 71.88 SPARQ Rating.  The 6’1” 186 lb. DB had his best showings in the shuttle as he darted through the 20 yard event in 4.38 second and the power ball as he launched the 3 kg med ball an event best 36 feet 6 inch.  Armstead finished polished off his SPARQ resume with a 5.1 second 40 and a 27.6 inch vert.  

Now to our top dog- and once I saw him come through registration, I knew he was going to be alone atop the leader board.  Junior-to-be Richard Painter of reigning state champion Naperville North, showed SPARQ a portion of what he was really all about a few days ago.  Less than a week ago, Painter joined his Husky teammates in the team challenge, and despite testing in tennis shoes on grass he was still able to post an elite 80.28 SPARQ Rating.  This kid is so big and athletic his coaches don’t even know where to play him and he’s so good he could play multiple positions, now that’s a special player.  

Well, change the conditions and the atmosphere, and this stud transformed.  “I was really nervous last time I tested because I think me teammates expect a lot out of me and I tested with the younger group.  Today I was by myself which made me more confident and I tested with a great group that motivated me to do better,” mentioned Painter.  (Painter tested with the Bolingbrook group and earned their respect quickly.) 

Naturally you would expect Painter to increase his 40 time, which he did by two tenth to an event best and stupid fast 4.65 second and easily improved his shuttle from a 4.8 to a lightning 4.38 seconds. He dropped a bit in the power ball and vert but still posted outstanding scores of 34 feet and 32.4 inches.  Chalk it up as some bragging rights for Mr. Painter, he is the proud owner of an outlandish 92.16 SPARQ Rating, an event best and new high score for Naperville North.  

I would personally like to thank all the kids that took time from their busy schedule to come in show why Illinois has some of the best athletes in the country.  I had high expectations after the stories I heard from last year and my expectations were met, and exceeded.  I look forward to following these players that tested next year in their pursuit of greatness.  Keep up the hard work gentleman, and never settle.  Test, train, compete!!    

Skyler Ashbaugh
  

 NSTC Central

Finishing the day by SPARQ Testing another school, the southeast Nike SPARQ Team Challenge truck made its way to test South Atlanta High School.  Starting this event just 3 hours after finishing up Allatoona kept the blood and energy flowing as we tested more great athletes.  As we pulled up to start the event, the athletes were already waiting in anticipation as the temperatures rose past 95 degrees. As the final kids rolled in, we got everybody warmed up and had a t great SPARQ event.

To see complete pics from this event, click HERE!

To see complete results from this event, click HERE!

Kicking off the event with a speedy shuttle in just 4.40 seconds, and running the 40 in a speedy 4.80, Derrick Murray was well on his way to a SPARQ Rating of 80.16.  As he kept focused, Murray also threw the Power Ball to an explosive mark of 35 feet. He also launched himself 32.5 inches in the air to show his teammates that his hard work is paying off.  The SPARQ Staff looks for Murray to do big things in his senior year at the safety position.

Coming in close behind Murray was his teammate Webster Foreman, a fellow defensive back who was able to achieve a SPARQ Rating of 78.03.  He did this by jumping into the clouds off of the vert mat to a height of 36.8 inches, maneuvering the shuttle in a speedy 4.63, and owning the Power Ball Toss by throwing to a distance of 33 feet.

With only one event left, Foreman knew that he was going to have to unleash some unreal speed to keep his spot on the leader board. As he lined up for the 40 Yard Dash with determination in his eyes, we knew right then and there that he was going to have the best time of the day. Ready…Set… and he took off kicking grass and dirt behind him, clocking a quick event-best 4.78. Great job Webster, keep training hard!

Now, make way for the defensive lineman Josh Davis.  SPARQ Rating a 77.01, Davis showed his teammates that linemen are great athletes too. Running the 40 in 5 seconds flat opened the eyes of his teammates.  Not realizing how athletic he really is, his teammates started talking him up after he ran a quick shuttle in just 4.69 seconds. Not only that, but Davis’s Power Ball Throw to a length of 34’6” was the best throw of the day for the whole South Atlanta team.

Rounding out the event with a vertical jump of 35.8 inches was all Josh needed to stay in the top three. When we asked Josh how he has obtained such an explosive upper body, he said, “I just always try to push my body to the limit every time I lift. I never take a set off.” This is one defensive lineman who is going to cause quarterbacks a lot of trouble next season.

As we wound up our final two power cords, we took a second to talk about our day. Two great schools had a chance to go through SPARQ Testing and get an idea of where they are, and where they need to be in time for the upcoming season.  With great athletes going through the testing all day long, it was great to have a small group at South Atlanta High School to interact and have fun with.

I would like to thank the coaches at South Atlanta for their help during the event. I would also like to wish South Atlanta the best of luck during their upcoming season. I’m out of here for now, but keep checking back to www.sparqtraining.com for stories, pictures, and videos of our events in the Southeast.

I’m Kyle Tolzman, and I’m on my way to Alabama.

Some big-time high school football programs gathered at East Los Angeles College this weekend as Nike Football and others helped to produce a great event over the past two days.  In addition to the heated football competition, well over 200 of the players took the time and energy to get SPARQ Rated in between games. 

To see complete results, click HERE!

To see complete pics, click HERE!

Many traditional Los Angeles powerhouse programs were in the building as they gathered to see whose skilled players could show the most game in this 7-on-7 tourney. 

“This is awesome.  It’s a great opportunity for these kids to see something different.  A lot of kids from this area don’t have a chance to do anything like this.  For Nike and SPARQ to be out here to support this event and give the kids a look at something new is just a blessing.” Said George Zinther, an ELAC employee and athletic supporter.

Zinther continued by saying, “SPARQ is a real cool thing.  Some of our coaches, as well as other trainers and coaches I know…they all support SPARQ and use the equipment and the training tips.  Giving these young kids a chance to participate in this type of testing is a great experience for them.”

There were many kids who came by to check SPARQ out, but who simply didn’t have the time or energy after the fast and rough competition out on the athletic fields here at ELAC.  For the 200+ kids who did participate…here is their story. 

The top two SPARQ Ratings of the day went to Darius Turner of Dorsey High School and James McConico III from Compton High School.  They turned in SPARQ Ratings of 84.93 and 82.83 respectively.

Ben Gonzales from Roosevelt High School came out twice to try his luck and test his stamina.  He had a good run at it on Friday night with a SPARQ Rating of 73.68, which was up from the 44.63 he got back in the spring.  Then, in between games again on Saturday, Ben came out again, but this time he threw an extra foot on the Power Ball, and shaved .05 seconds from his Shuttle to receive a 76.68.  He obviously rolls just like SPARQ…Test. Train. Compete.  He just keeps getting better.

The top burner among the many speed demons was Ferny Magana from Southeast High School.  He revved it up and put it down as he shot through the SPARQ cones in a time of 4.69 seconds. (Amazingly, this ties his Shuttle time as well – he’s that fast!) A total of 17 players broke the 5-second laser timed mark in the 40-Yard Dash - in tough conditions too.

The Pro Agility Shuttle was also very competitive as the aforementioned Darius Turner (Dorsey HS) effortlessly went side to side and hit the line in 4.21 seconds.  That is mad quicks for a LB!  He’ll be terrorizing QB’s and RB’s from sideline to sideline this coming fall.

The highest flyer in the L.A. skies was my man again, James McConico III from Compton “sky” High.  This guy took a huge leap of faith and reached for the clouds as he soared to an incredible 35.7 inch mark to take the top spot in the Vertical Jump.

SPARQ’s test of a football player’s power, the Kneeling Power Ball Toss, was another competitive hot bed out here today.  An O-lineman (which is standard) and a cornerback (which is rare and very special in the power event) tied for the top spot!  Anthony Lattibeaudiere of Dorsey and Miguel De La Rosa of Bell High School put on big time power performances with each guy tossing the 6.6-lb. ball 40 long feet!

On the whole, SPARQ, Nike and all of the schools involved here had a great time and saw some big time things happen out here.  From upsets on the field to great performances in the SPARQ arena, these 2 days were special all around.

The Dorsey Dons took home the title of SPARQ Team Champions for this event as they topped the charts with a nice Team SPARQ Rating of 68.46!  Great job to them and all of the other teams who participated out here.  Good luck to each of them this coming season!

This truck keeps plugging along and our team is better than your team’s best.

Brandon Oliver

NSTC West

Athletes who train at Athletic Evolution in Woburn, Massachusetts are introduced to the latest and greatest evolution in athletic training- and SPARQ Training is a fundamental part of their daily exercise.  We were there for a high school football combine, six high school teams in the Wodburn area were present.  Several young football athletes were set out to impress us.  Naturally I'm looking for the Top Rated SPARQ-letes, and I think I've found them in Salem High School and Winchester High School.  Here's how it went down.

To see complete pics from this event, click HERE!

To see complete results from this event, click HERE! 

Second place goes to Mr. Smooth aka Melikke Van Alstyne of Salem High School.  Melikke excelled at every test station today and made quick work of both timed events as evidenced by his Shuttle Agility time of 4 seconds flat and his 40-Yard Dash time of 4.62 seconds.  This five foot nine inch athlete contributes to his team by playing both sides of the game at the running back and defensive back positions.  Melikke launched the Powerball, all 6.6 pounds of it, a solid thirty feet before he turned heads and caused a clamor at the Vertical Jump with his 31.3 inch jump into the lower stratosphere.  In the end Melikke's overall SPARQ Rating turned out to be 91.00 which is good enough to cause colleges around the country to inquire over his availability in fall 2010.

Martin Hyppolite is a brauny kid from Winchester High School, and his overall SPARQ Rating of 95.00 guaranteed him second place.  Martin sped through the 40_Yard Dash in extraordinary fashion and recorded a time of 4.77 seconds; it took him only 4.03 seconds to complete the Shuttle Agility course and in the Powerball Toss a burly thirty-three and a half foot throw ensured Martin would have a tremendous day.  The six foot 206 pound athlete finished his day by disregarding gravity and lifting his frame 29.6 inches.

Big thanks to Erik Kaloyanides and his well trained staff at Athletic Evolution, they helped me and my co-workers immensely over the course of the weekend.  See Ya'll next time

Yours,
Bruke Getachew

Another warm day in Georgia brought the southeast Nike SPARQ Team Challenge truck to Allatoona High School in Acworth, GA. As we showed up to the high school, we noticed that there was a lot of construction going on around the school. Opening its doors this fall, Allatoona is a brand new school with a brand new football team.  

To see complete pics from this event, click HERE!

To see complete results from this event, click HERE!

The buccaneers are dominated by freshman and sophomore athletes, and have absolutely no seniors for the ’08-’09 season. SPARQ Testing was a great opportunity for the new coaches to figure out what kind of athletes they have.

The highest rated athlete on the day was incoming sophomore Jordan Cain.  SPARQ Rating a 57.60, Jordan used his speed to push himself past the rest of his new teammates. By running the 40-Yard Dash in a quick 5.15 seconds and maneuvering the shuttle in 4.39 seconds, Jordan showed his coaches that he wants the starting job this fall.  Tossing the Power Ball to a length of 30 feet and vertical jumping 29.3 inches in the air sealed the deal for Jordan.

To put it simply, Jordan was extremely excited about his performance. When we asked him about the upcoming season, he said, “I think we are going to do a lot better than people expect. All of my new teammates are working extremely hard to have a successful year.” We believe him! With that kind of attitude, Allatoona is going to be a school to watch out for in coming years.

Following right behind Cain during the event was junior safety Dimitry Mcalpin. With great quickness and unreal speed, Dimitry was able to achieve some great times in the shuttle and the 40-Yard Dash.  His 4.45 shuttle and 5.25 40 really motivated Mcalpin to take on the Power Ball Toss with a full head of steam. Hurling the Power Ball to a length of 32 feet showed the SPARQ staff that Dimitry had great dynamic upper body strength.

Rounding out the event with a vert of 25.1 inches, Dimitry achieved a SPARQ Rating of 50.43. Great job Dimitry, we look forward to reading your name in the local newspapers as you come up with big plays for the Buccaneers.

Third in the overall SPARQ Ratings, Michael Sumrall was right on the tail of Dimitry with a SPARQ Rating of 50.28. A 40-Yard Dash in a speedy 5.26 seconds and a Power Ball Toss to a distance of 31 feet put Michael at the front of the pack from the get-go, but vertical jumping to a height of 29.9 inches and running the shuttle in a quick 4.56 was all Sumrall needed to stay in the third spot on the leader board. (The only athlete with higher ups than Sumrall was Adrian Lyons and his 30.3-inch jump, the only 30+ jump of the day!)

The Southeast SPARQ truck wishes Michael the best as he makes his way into the starting lineup for the Bucs.

An excited group of kids made for an exciting day for the southeast Nike SPARQ Team Challenge truck. As we pulled up, you could see the excitement in the eyes of not only the kids, but also the parents and coaches in attendance. Later, as the hot dog stand shut down, and the SPARQ cones were put away, it was great to talk with coach Varner about his team and how important the SPARQ Testing was.  “SPARQ is a great way to motivate your athletes. Once they see that they are improving, they just keep on working harder and harder.” Said Coach Varner.

The SPARQ Staff would like to thank all of the coaches at today’s event for their help, and we wish their team the best of luck.

From Acworth GA, I’m Kyle Tolzman, and it is dinner time here in the South.