Robert Earl Sparks (born September 11, 1947) is an American former

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the g ...

player who competed in the

1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and commonly known as Munich 1972 (german: München 1972), was an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. ...

and in the

1976 Summer Olympics Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phi ...

. He was born in

Jersey City, New Jersey Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.Clark, New Jersey Clark is a township in southern Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 15,544 an increase of 788 (+5.3%) from the 2010 census count of 14,756, which had in turn increased by ...

when he competed at the 1972 games in Munich, as one of two New Jersey residents on the U.S. handball team. Sparks had been a pitcher on the baseball team at St. Mary of the Assumption High School in Elizabeth, and hadn't picked up the sport of team handball until 1970, when he attended a clinic run by U.S. team coach Peter Buehning Sr..Staff
"Handball Player to Represent Area in Olympics"
''Rahway News-Record / Clark Patriot'', June 1, 1972. "Bob Sparks of Clark will play for the United States at the indoor team handball competition.... Sparks, who was a star pitcher for the St. Mary's High School baseball team of Elizabeth in 1965, as introduced to team handball in October 1970 in Fort Sam Houston, Tex., where Dr. Peter Buehning of Short Hills, coach of the United States team, operated a clinic there." In 1972 he was part of the American team which finished 14th in the Olympic tournament. He played all five matches and scored three goals. Four years later he finished tenth with the American team in the 1976 Olympic tournament. He played all five matches and scored four goals.

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1947 births Living people American male handball players Olympic handball players for the United States Handball players at the 1972 Summer Olympics Handball players at the 1976 Summer Olympics People from Clark, New Jersey Sportspeople from Jersey City, New Jersey Sportspeople from Union County, New Jersey {{US-handball-bio-stub