Nike SPARQ Test

Sept. 4th, Naval Base San Diego Softball Field - There is a certain perception that members of special operations teams train harder than any other group of people. I tend to agree with this perception. However, this level of intense training brings a high probability of injury. Thus, the Special Operations Tactical Athletic Program was assembled to help warriors avoid injury while maximizing their training intensity. The staff is comprised of top tear individuals from the world of professional sport, ranging from sponsored Crossfit athletes to prior members of Olympic training teams. Several of these members administered  the Nike SPARQ Test to us during our first training session.

The most difficult portion of the assessment was the yo-yo test, more commonly known as the "beep test". This is carried out at most college level training camps. It requires you to run a certain distance and back before a beep sounds. The time between beeps starts decreasing, forcing you to run faster as you become more tired. No matter how much you train for tests like these, there is no way to come away without feeling completely exhausted. 

The members of the Tactical Athletic Program recorded our scores and set off to compile them so we could rate ourselves individually and as a team against athletes of all levels around the world. We will likely see our results in a week or so. As training came to a close we were left with gratitude for having the opportunity to work with such professionals and a strong itch to touch a soccer ball.