Nike’s SPARQ training program tests athletes in five key athletic criteria: Speed, Power, Agility, Reaction, and Quickness. It’s the basis of the SPARQ Combines, the proving ground for elite high school football players. But up until recently, the drills were about the numbers they could put up on a stopwatch. Nike asked us to bring SPARQ to the modern age. We created an indispensable digital platform that helps high school players in every aspect of their football life.

Players registered and set a goal for the Combine. When they showed up, their profile and goal were waiting for them, a reminder and final motivator before their tests. As players completed the drills and received their SPARQ rating, they could see how the competition was faring on a jumbo-tron leader board. A custom app breaks down a player’s performance and their probability of winning an athletic scholarship. They could see how their performance compared to others in his class, position, even current NFL players who recorded SPARQ ratings when they were in high school. Players who couldn’t make the event could test themselves anywhere on BOOM, Nike’s free training app. SPARQ ratings have become such an important part of the game that they are now a key criteria for selection in the Team Builder feature of NCAA Football 12 for Playstation.

Nike SPARQ has equipped high school football players with an indispensable tool kit: one that lets them see where they stand, broadcast their results, and map out a plan for improvement. Now, SPARQ is the standard for athletic measurement.