TAMPA, FL – Following the tremendous success of our Central Florida event, NFL veteran and UCF Hall-of-Famer Shaquem Griffin is bringing his combine expertise to Tampa Bay with the SPARQ Combine Tampa Bay on May 18. This SPARQ Combine for all athletes between 15-28 years of age will be held at the state-of-the-art indoor practice facility of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, giving local athletes an exceptional opportunity to test their abilities in a professional environment and automatically forward their verified testing data to hundreds of collegiate and post collegiate sports opportunities.
Cash Prizes!
Four thousand dollars in prizes are on the table for the top performers across four groups.
Men 15-18, Women 15-18, Men 18+ and Women 18+.
What is SPARQ?
Originally developed in 2004, SPARQ, which stands for Speed, Power, Agility, Reaction & Quickness, is a comprehensive athletic rating system designed to measure sport-agnostic athleticism. The SPARQ rating comes from a series of common drills providing participants with a clear understanding of their strengths and weaknesses. Athletes must participate in each drill, including:
- 40-yard dash (measuring straight-line speed)
- 5-10-5 agility drill (testing directional change ability)
- Vertical jump (evaluating explosive lower-body power)
- Power ball toss (assessing upper body strength and coordination)
Athletes will get a minimum of two successful attempts at each drill, then your best result for each drill is used to calculate a single SPARQ rating. Elite athletes typically score above 85, with average ratings falling between 45-55. Shaquem Griffin scored a 96.69 in 2013 securing him many scholarship offers for Track and Football.
GMTM's (pronounced Game Time) longest standing parter, Team USA, uses the SPARQ score to identify 'Transfer Talent' - helping them make better selections for tryouts with sports like Flag Football, Cycling, Triathlon, Bobsled, Handball, Boxing, and many more unique sporting opportunities.
World-Class Venue
The Tampa Bay edition elevates the experience by hosting the combine in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' indoor practice facility. This professional-grade venue offers the perfect environment for accurate testing and performance assessment, regardless of weather conditions.
The climate-controlled environment ensures consistent testing conditions, while the professional setting gives participants a taste of what it's like to perform at the highest levels of sport.
How to Participate
Athletes interested in participating in the SPARQ Combine Tampa Bay with Shaquem Griffin can register through GMTM platform. The event is open to athletes from diverse sporting backgrounds, including those with disabilities, aligning with Griffin's commitment to inclusive athletic opportunities.
"This combine isn't just for football players - it's for everyone who wants to discover their athletic potential," emphasized Griffin. "We'll have athletes from all sports and backgrounds, because greatness comes in many forms."
For more information on registration, testing protocols, and event schedule, visit the official GMTM website.
Building on UCF Success
This Tampa Bay event builds directly on the success of GMTM’s combine held at UCF in November bringing together athletes of all backgrounds and abilities to showcase their talents and discover new sports opportunities.
"After seeing the incredible impact our UCF event had on so many athletes, I knew we had to bring this opportunity to the Tampa Bay community," said Griffin. "Our UCF combine proved that events like these can be transformative for athletes looking to reach the next level, whether in their current sport or in discovering new athletic pathways."
The UCF event featured Griffin's expertise as a combine record-holder, who famously recorded the fastest 40-yard dash by a linebacker in NFL history. Athletes received real-time performance data through innovative technology and personalized feedback from Griffin and other coaches.
About Shaquem Griffin: Shaquem Griffin is a former NFL linebacker who played four seasons in the league after being drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in 2018. As the first one-handed player in NFL modern history, Griffin set the NFL Combine record for the fastest 40-yard dash by a linebacker (4.38 seconds). A UCF Hall of Fame inductee, Griffin continues to break barriers and is currently training for the 2028 Paralympics in track and field.
About GMTM: GMTM (Game Time) is a digital platform connecting athletes with opportunities across multiple sports. Co-founded by former UCF football captain Joey Grant, GMTM provides tools for athletes to showcase their talents, receive professional evaluations, and discover new sporting pathways.
