Meet Brandon Sparks | Passionate professional excited to solve challenges in the sports

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brandon Sparks and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brandon, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I was born in lovely Detroit, Michigan. When I was a teenager, we moved to a then farming community in Northern Michigan called Traverse City. Come to find out Traverse City has an incredible rugby culture there. This is because of a group of passionate Americans who learned about the game from being exposed to it aboard and the incredible group of South Africans who run the vineyards.

The environment that I grew up in greatly shaped who I am today. There were a lot of lessons learned and examples of what I could and didn’t want to be like. I’m still very much a work in progress but I’m incredibly proud of the person I am today. A lot of that is due to my role models and mentors provided to me through sports. I feel strongly about creating these same feelings and opportunities for others.

What should our readers know about your business?
Prep Rugby Watch (PRW) is my attempt to capitalize on the penny stock that is rugby in America by creating a free-to-access recruiting database that ranks players’ talent on a 1 to 5-star rating.

Rugby, especially women’s rugby, is quickly gaining traction at the collegiate level, with 2-3 new varsity programs starting every year. However, the recruitment market hasn’t kept pace with the game’s growth. So, we saw an opportunity to create a database that would help both players and coaches connect. PRW has only been around for 14 months, but we have over 500 players in our database and an average 18 sign-ups a week.

We are incredibly proud to say that this is a free service to the players. With the current pay-to-play model that exists in America, we feel passionately about eliminating a cost barrier so all players can be seen and have an equal chance at recruitment.

Starting this business was challenging because we are battling the tweed jacket and Guinness culture of rugby. We try to make our brand exciting, engaging, and relevant to those who engage with social media. We are excited to be the conduit that helps kids get recruited and we love being a disruptor in the market.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oh, great question!

I love a good coffee so I’m always looking for a mean flat white. I enjoy Aviano Coffee, especially the one on Detroit Street in Glendale.

You can’t beat fat sully pizza, then some High Point Creamery ice cream.

I also believe if you want the best cultural experience in any place, it is to visit a local tiki bar. There is always a cast of characters, and a visit always leads to a good story. You can’t be Adrift for that. Also, how cool are the puffer fish light fixtures?

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
This is a great question!

First and foremost it would be my wife and kids for allowing me to dedicate myself to growing the sport of rugby in America. It is a passion of mine and I appreciate them giving me the room to pursue some crazy ideas.

The group I would dedicate my shoutout to would be the disruptors in the American rugby landscape. There are more and more of us emerging but the current group that is thinking about the sport in the ‘American way’ and not in the traditional ‘tweed jacket and Guinness’ way is so inspiring. Their entertaining social media strategy, engaging and unique events, and purposeful missions make them pioneers on the journey to make the American public notice rugby.

Website: https://preprugbywatch.com

Instagram: Prep Rugby Watch

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bsparks1

Twitter: preprugbywatch

Facebook: Prep Rugby Watch