NAPLES Derek Touchette, sports performance director at Velocity Sports Performance in Naples, today announced that two Naples athletes were in the top 10 national winners of the Nike SPARQ Training “My Better” Championship. More than 65 local athletes participated in the Collier County event last month, although any local athlete over the age of eight can contact Velocity Sports Performance in Naples and request a free training session.
Over 3,000 high school athletes across the nation turned out to take part in the event, which included a series of five specific tests of general athleticism and Air Jordan 23s a corresponding SPARQ Rating to serve as a measure of achievement.
The local winners were Kyle Huff and Shawn Normil. According to Touchette, these top performers will be flown to the Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon to compete at the Nike SPARQ Training “My Better” Finals July 23 and 24, 2008.
Number 5 in the nation, Huff is a current sophomore football running back/quarterback attending Gulf Coast High School who has been training with Touchette for the past 18 months. Normil, also a sophomore at Gulf Coast High School is a wide receiver and defensive back. Both athletes are two sports athletes ()football and track).
In addition, Brittany Reid, a basketball player at Barron Collier High School, the top female athlete from Collier County, rated number 15th in the nation.
“We are extremely proud of the athletic ability of our local athletes to represent Naples at the “My Better” Championships in Oregon this summer,” says Touchette. “The event Air Jordan 11s was great opportunity to identify the best athletes in our market,” he adds. The category was introduced to consumers through a multi media campaign called “My Better.”
SPARQ stands for Speed, Power, Agility, Reaction and Quickness. It offers dynamic performance training designed to make young athletes better on game day. In the last two years, more than 44,000 athletes from 2,000 teams across 38 states were SPARQ tested. A “SPARQ Rating” enables athletes to track their progress, measure improvement and benchmark against other athletes worldwide. Since 2004, more than 200,000 official SPARQ Ratings have been registered.
“Nike SPARQ Training is a quantum leap forward in helping athletes perform better in their Air Jordan 1s chosen sport,” reports Touchette “Young athletes can set goals, rate themselves and track their progress. At Velocity Sports Performance, we believe we are transforming the Air Jordan 14s sports landscape with these new products and comprehensive training experiences,” he adds.
In the last two years, more than 44,000 athletes from 2,000 teams across 38 states were SPARQ tested. A “SPARQ Rating” enables athletes to track their progress, measure improvement and benchmark against other athletes worldwide. Since 2004, more than 200,000 official SPARQ Ratings have been registered.
To develop Nike’s SPARQ product lines, designers worked closely with Nike athletes such as World Series Champion Red Sox outfielder, Jacoby Ellsbury, to create the ultimate in versatile training products.
In addition, a complete line of performance training equipment includes the innovative SPARQ Agility Web. It is a newly designed modular ladder system that will transform how athletes train for speed, and an integral product to help all athletes train to become quicker and more explosive.
The Nike SPARQ Training Network, made up of over 750 certified trainers, was created to enable athletes at all levels to get SPARQ Ratings, which lead to more customized training programs and better results.
SPARQ Master Trainers and Consultants include industry leaders in the field such as Touchette who has more than 10 years of training experience with pro and Olympic athletes.
“Nike is the clear innovator in the training space. Its premium products, aligned with SPARQ’s expert trainers, programs and athletes, creates a 360 degree comprehensive training program,” says Touchette. “For anyone who wants to train like the pros, Nike SPARQ Training can help build a better athlete.”
Founded in 2004, SPARQ, Inc. is a performance training company based in Portland, Oregon, that provides testing and training services for passionate athletes through media and grass roots experiences. The SPARQ Rating, referred to by many as “The SAT of Athleticism,” is a proprietary method for evaluating athletic and functional ability.
SPARQ has tested over 200,000 athletes in high school, college and professional ranks in the past four years. SPARQ has implemented testing and measurement technologies at the 2006 USC and 2007 USC, Texas, Ohio State and LSU ProDays. The SPARQ Rating was also a central element in assessing the athleticism of the competitors in ESPN’s hit series, “The Contender.”
Velocity Sports Performance, the industry leader in providing advanced sports performance training Air Jordan DMP for athletes of all skill levels and ages, was founded in 1999 by world renowned coach Loren Seagrave, a five time NCAA champion coach, who trained Olympic, professional and major college athletes.
At Velocity Sports Performance, athletes of any skill level from age eight through adult can realize their potential through advanced training programs taught by degreed and certified coaches, scientifically designed to increase speed, power and agility, while reducing the risk of sports related injuries.