There is an argument making the rounds that the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics changed Canadians in a fundamental way and no longer are we satisfied with bronze.
It seems to have rubbed off in Summer Olympics sports, as well.
"We are going for gold in 2016 at Rio," said Nikola Maric, the Canadian U-16 boys' water-polo head coach.
Several of those potential future Olympians were on display at Saanich Commonwealth Place over the weekend at the Canadian U-16 championships, won by Maric's Vancouver Pacific Storm club with a 7-3 victory in the championship game Monday over Montreal CAMO.
"These players practise six times a week and give up a lot of outside life, such as partying, to play at this level," said Maric, showing that the new Canadian sporting ethic is more than just talk.
"That is what you need to do to be a champion."
The top 40 players from the national tournament - including goalkeeper Ben Tolson and forward Byron Huang of the host Saanich Water Polo Club that placed seventh among the 15 teams - will now take part in a three-day selection camp at Commonwealth Place to pick the Canadian U-16 team that will tour Holland and Croatia this summer.
"These are the players who will be representing Canada in the future," said Saanich team coach Denton Grose.
Huang hopes to among them.
"My goal is to make the national team and I know I have to train harder and get faster," said the SMUS student.
The U-16 Canadian water-polo championships may have been the poster event for a broader challenge.
The Canadian Sports Centre-Pacific kicks off its Podium Search campaign Wednesday at Belmont Secondary, with Olympic medallist rower Barney Williams speaking to the students to highlight non-traditional activities as a way for aspiring athletes ages 14-22 to get on Olympic stream in crossover sports they may not have previously considered.
Sports such as water polo.
"I believe our sport can expand across Canada," said Maric. "It's an Olympics sport and a beautiful sport."
Or maybe field-hockey - Canada's 2016 Rio women's prospects will be on display today at 12: 30 p.m. on the UVic turf against the London 2012-bound U.S. team. Another option is the newest trending Summer Olympics sport, rugby sevens, which was featured over the weekend at Bear Mountain Stadium with hundreds of youngsters taking part in the Langford Sevens tournament.
The crossover poster boy for Podium Search is Jerry Brown, a former CIS football offensive lineman from McMaster and father of one who had never been in a rowing shell until three years ago but who is now headed to the 2012 London Summer Olympics as part of the medal-favoured Canadian eight.
There will be a Podium Search open house Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence on the Camosun College Interurban campus for any all-round young athletes.
