SOUTHEAST IDAHO 2013

SPARQ TESTING BLOG

Our third and final day at Canyon Ridge HS in Twin Falls, ID brought us perhaps our most intense and focused group of softballers yet. The Class of 2013, though the youngest we worked with all week, showed that youth is more of an asset than previously thought. Local rising stars from the Southeast Idaho region all joined together for a fun-filled day of SPARQ testing and showcasing their more-than-impressive talent. Whether it was due to the fact that they have never been to a showcase before or just were too young to be nervous or intimidated, this Class of 2013 group was by far the least social and outgoing we've seen. Don't get me wrong, these young ladies were friendly, courteous and love to play the game, but their attention and thirst for new knowledge was at another level. Absorbing all little tips and pointers, whether it be related to training or game-play, these girls were ready to put every advantage they learned to good use.

We noticed this trend was no more prevalent than when SPARQ testing took center stage. Rarely do you see athletes improve from their first try to their second at each event as much as these young ladies did. Over half of the girls ran the 20-yard dash in 3.16 seconds or faster, over half had a shuttle time of 5.28 seconds or faster and over half of them had vertical jumps over 20.6 inches. And not surprisingly, most of these dazzling test scores were put up on their second trial, after they had already tried it once and really listened to advice for improvement. Though the youngest group of the week, the top five SPARQ ratings today averaged out to a boast-worthy 70.12 score, easily the best top-five average of any older group we worked with here in Idaho.

Though every athlete had skill and athleticism worth mentioning, it was Skyline High School's Mackenzie Jackman and Erica Dick from Boise who really made a splash. Jackman posted top scores on the day with her 37-foot powerball toss and explosive 22.6 inch vertical jump, en-route to her unbeaten 82.92 SPARQ rating. This 5'5" sophomore-to-be from Idaho Falls claims her primary position is catcher but her talent is so well rounded at every position that she should just call herself an "athlete." At least that's what it looked like as she accumulated hit after hit during the live scrimmage and ran the bases like Usain Bolt. Erica Dick was our tallest player of the day at 5'7", and she definitely refutes the stereotype that shorter people are faster as she posted top scores today in both the 20-yard dash (3.12 seconds) and the shuttle run (5.09 seconds) to earn a solid 76.53 rating. You can see Erica display her talents on the Boise Blast this summer. She’ll be the one crushing the ball over outfielders' heads like she did all day during batting practice. These two ladies headlined an entire group of up-and-coming fast pitch athletes from the area, and if this is any indication of what the Class of 2013 has to offer around the state, the future looks very promising.

Article written by Colin Fahey (Athletic Trainer).