Brian Derby's Offensive Linemen Camp

Nike event gives athletes taste of life at a combine Tuesday, August 01, 2006 By Lawrence Kreifels The Hillsboro Argus The Argus BEAVERTON - Hillsboro High School's Richie Snyder admits it - he needs to hit people. We're talking football here, so don't worry, you're safe. Unless, of course, you're lining up on defense across from the 6-foot, 205-pound center. "I want to go to college, study math," said Snyder, who will enter his senior year at Hilhi with a 3.6 grad point average. "But I really want to make sure I go to a college where I can still be active and play a sport. I really want to play football because there's a lot of hard hitting and it will help me release a lot more energy." Snyder was one of three Spartans taking part in Friday's Nike SPARQ Team Challenge at FIve Oaks Middle School in Beaverton. The mini-combine of sorts allowed athletes to test and receive a rating based on four common drills - 185-pound bench press, vertical jump, 40-yard dash and 20-yard shuttle. The SPARQ crew was there for the final day of the annual Brian Derby Offensive Lineman Camp. SPARQ (which stands for speed, power, agility, reaction, quickness) is the first-ever system designed to measure sport-specific athleticism. Created to capture the key aspects of athleticism, these tests are combined and weighted in a unique proprietary formula. While many believe athletes are born "fast" or "slow," SPARQ officials feel science has proven conclusively that a training program focused on retraining muscle fibers and neurons to react more quickly and accurately can greatly increase an athlete's speed, agility, and explosiveness. Jesse Vincent, a SPARQ field representative and Beaverton High School graduate, said the key value of the SPARQ Rating is that it provides athletes with an invaluable tool for staying motivated, measuring results, focusing training, and maximizing their success on the playing field. Vincent said the system includes a sophisticated on-line program that allows athletes to see where they stack up against their peers. "From there they can make their own recruiting page, with game film, pictures, stuff like that," Vincent said. "It's really good for college recruiting." Snyder said he's looking at continuing his education and athletic careers at Linfield, Oregon State, University of Oregon or the College of the Redwoods, among others. The star of Friday's show, which included nearly 40 athletes from across the state, was future Oregon Duck, Myles Wade. The 6-foot-3, 310-pound Central Catholic lineman, made child's work of the bench press, grinding out 38 repetitions. He outjumped everyone in the verticle, and held his own in the dash and shuttle. Snyder isn't in Wade's class - not many are. But the Hilhi standout said he gained valuable information and motivation by training for and taking part in the SPARQ event. "I feel good about the sprints and the bench," said Snyder, who wakes every morning at 5 a.m., runs two miles and is on his way before most people even stir. "The verticle - I need to work on that. And the shuttle, I did horrible. I need to work on transferring the weight. But I feel pretty good." For more information on SPARQ Training, visit sparqtraining.com. ©2006 The Hillsboro Argus