Ryan Sparks

"Rowing is about community. Community helps us define who we are and who we will become."

Ryan remains forever fascinated by the intersection between culture and human potential. After a painful initial undergraduate, he followed his passion for rowing to New Zealand before transferring to finish his degree at Bates College. The experience created a fascination with the connection between culture and performance for him. He went on to study cross-cultural communication and coach with the national team and at Yale prior to starting his business.

“There isn’t a universal culture that catalyzes athletic, personal, or intellectual development,” says Sparks, “That said, every team has a culture. The question is whether it’s going to meet the athlete and encourage their potential.” He spent his initial post-graduate years coaching in Canada, New Zealand and Germany - then as a collegiate coach at Bates, Wesleyan, and Yale Universities.

Ryan started Sparks as a college counseling firm for rowers after considering the impact of culture on athletes' development. Observation of culture led him to the opportunity to build culture in rowing camps. He saw an ability to address needs while combining his interests camps led to further study in experiential design.

Sparks now runs rowing camps on four continents for hundreds of athletes each year. In 2020, Ryan completed a book with co-author Nate Rooks titled Collegiate Rowing Recruiting: A Handbook for Parents, Students, and Coaches. Ryan completed a second book in 2022 with co-author Leigh Carroll titled Coxswain Development & Recruiting.

In his spare time he enjoys dogs, running, books on teamwork, and forever learning as a private pilot.