Biology major
Hometown: Olmsted Falls, Ohio

The University of Findlay seems to attract enthusiastic, hard-working and sincere people. Tyler Sparks is no exception.

A biology major and psychology minor from Olmsted Falls, Ohio, Sparks was recruited by coaches Ron Niekamp, Charlie Ernst and Dan Shardo to play basketball at Findlay.

“I was immediately drawn to their enthusiasm for their careers as well as their sincere and caring attitudes. When I visited the campus and met with other faculty members and students, I realized that these characteristics were very common here at Findlay,” said Sparks.

Ranked No. 1 in the preseason polls, there were big expectations for the Findlay men’s basketball team during the 2008-2009 season.

“We knew that we couldn’t get too arrogant about the No. 1 spot because it would be taken away if we lost. In order to keep it, we needed to forget about it altogether, work hard and try to improve,” said Sparks. “As the season went on, the team grew closer and closer until we eventually knew each other’s strengths and tendencies inside and out.”

The team went undefeated and finished the year by winning the 2009 NCAA Division II men’s basketball national championship.

“People might think that there would be a lot of pressure on a team going into postseason ranked No. 1 and undefeated, but as a team, we really didn’t think about it too much. We focused on each game individually, never looked past an opponent and never looked back on the year we had had,” said Sparks. “When a team is able to play that well together, they are hard to beat.”

As both a student and an athlete, Sparks has had a tremendous amount of opportunity during his four years at UF. Winning the national championship was a highlight of Sparks’ athletic career, though he notes that the relationships he built on campus were the backbone of his success academically as well as athletically.

Not surprisingly, Sparks put a lot of time into his development, both on and off the court.

“Staying after class and talking to professors is one thing that I made a point to do whenever I had questions or could not understand a topic,” he said.

Sparks advises incoming freshmen to do the same: “Get off to a good start. Take advantage of the benefits that a small school like Findlay has to offer. Get to know your professors and take time to talk to them about any struggles you are having.”

In addition to being a four-year member of the men’s basketball team, Sparks is also a member of the University’s Mortar Board Honor Society.

Sparks attributes his successes, in part, to the guidance he received from his academic adviser, Bethany Henderson-Dean, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of biology. She helped map out a four-year graduation plan for Sparks, which is quite a feat for a student-athlete to accomplish.

Sparks also acknowledges his other professors as well, “I really appreciate any extra time my professors took to help me better understand class materials.”

By Elizabeth Scarff