Team Canada

For some sports the Pan-American Games are but an afterthought. Sports like rowing, track & field, and even swimming send their "B" Team to these games, preserving their best athletes for the World Championships while giving development athletes a chance at international competition.

For field hockey, water polo, diving, synchronized swimming, triathlon, dressage, handball, modern pentathlon, shooting, table tennis and canoe/kayak the Pan-American Games are a direct ticket to the Olympic Games. And based on what has transpired in Guadelajara Mexico, Team Canada will be have a much smaller presence in London than it did in Beijing.

Canada's Men's Water Polo and Field Hockey Teams qualified for the 2008 Olympic Games by winning Pan-Am gold in Rio de Janeiro Brazil in 2007. In addition, Canada qualified teams in soccer and softball. Some four years later initial observations are that Canada might not send a single team to London.

The sports of softball and baseball are no longer part of the Olympic movement. The men's basketball team has already being eliminated from Olympic qualification. The women's basketball team has been relegated to a last chance qualifier. Our Field Hockey and Water Polo teams (men and women) have their work cut out for them after falling to win gold in Guadelajara.

And while it is noted that soccer and volleyball have not yet had their Olympic qualifier(s) yet, evidence is mounting that Canada will be lucky to send 1 or 2 teams to the 2012 Olympic Games; a significant reduction from only four years ago. A sad state indeed.

Nathan Kotylak

No one in amateur sport was more controversial this past year than Nathan Kotylak. For those who don't remember, Nathan was an up and coming Water Polo player who was photographed lighting a police car on fire in the riots after Vancouver's loss in game #7 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

In confessing his actions to local authorities Nathan immediately created a fire storm in amateur sport circles, with many calling for a lifetime ban from sport. Adam Kreek - an Olympic Gold Medallist in the sport of rowing and now a sport activist posted a message on facebook questioning the rationale of a lifetime ban. The message lit up social networking sites with athletes former and current weighing in on the subject; some of who (including Nicole Forrester - an athlete rep) suggesting that athletes are ambassadors and should be held to a higher standard.

Perhaps, but Dany Heatley was convicted of vehicular manslaughter and both Hockey Canada nor the COC did anything about it. He would go on to win Olympic Gold for his country. Ditto for Todd Bertuzzi who is currently being charged for aggravated assault. How about Theo Fleury? There is Chris Pronger who has been found guilty of driving under the influence; He has 2 Olympic gold medals to his name. Craig Mctavish has not only played but coached for Canada despite pleading guilty to vehicular homicide.

So, why in August of 2011 did Water Polo Canada impose a 2 year competition ban on Nathan Kotylak for his actions in June? There is little doubt that the crime was serious and the man if guilty should be punished by the law, but why is Water Polo Canada taking action against the man? Hockey Canada did not, and it's athletes are much greater ambassadors than any Water Polo player that I know.

RMR: Rick Learns Gymnastics with Kyle Shewfelt

Changing Time

Canada has lofty ambitions in the sport of Track & Field at the 2012 Olympics. They have set a target of winning two Olympic medals in 2012. Dylan Armstrong appears to be a strong bet fresh off a silver medal performance at the Championships and being crowned shot put champion in this year's Diamond League. But after Dylan the cupboard appears empty.

Gary Reed has retired, as has Tyler Christopher. Adam Kunkel - a threat for a world championship medal back in 2007 hasn't been able to to find his form since tearing his achilles tendon some 4 years ago. Perdita, a fan favourite in the sport has relocated to Calgary, but she is on the downside of her career after failing to final in Daegu. Pryscilla Lopes Schlepp is hoping to return in 2012 after having a baby this year but only time will tell if she can regain her form.

With many of Canada's best athletes in the sport either retired or nearing retirement it is becoming evident that Track & Field is on the downswing here in Canada. In Daegu, only 3 Canadian athletes qualified for a final (Dylan included), and the names that once dotted the sports landscape - Bailey, Chalmers, McKoy, Williams are almost absent from the sporting scene here in 2012.

And despite it all, the cast of characters who lead the program remains largely unchanged for the past dozen years. Athletics Canada might it be time for a change in leadership?

Pan-Am Hope?

Has anyone noticed. The world's second largest sporting event is currently underway but is anybody following it. The media isn't. Canada's daily newspapers are void of any commentary regarding the games, and trying to find coverage of the games on television is akin to finding an ethical banker on wall street. However, maybe Canadian sporting officials want things to stay this way.

For anyone keeping track, Canada entered the games hoping for a third place finish in terms of overall medals. Thus far Canada is in fifth place behind world powers, Mexico and Brazil. And while it is acknowledged that Canada typically does not send its best athletes to these games, don't let anyone tell you that the games are not important. They are. More so for our pentathletes, field hockey and water polo players and for countless others because these games are qualifiers for the Olympic Games.

For a sport system that has seen its men's basketball teams fail to qualify for the 2012 Games, a women's basketball team who has been relegated to a second chance qualifier, a women's soccer team that finished a disappointing 16th at the world championships and then see its coach - Carolyn Morace resign a day later, Canada needs some good news stories in amateur sports. Lets hope our Pan-Am athletes provide some good news