Vancouvers Scott Tupper, 24, competed with the national mens field hockey team at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.
He scored in all five of Canadas games and brought in two hat tricks for a total of nine goals.
In the final, Canada met Argentinaa rival since 1975 when the two nations first met in the gold medal game. The two have bullied each other in the championship game ever since, with Canada winning on four of those nine meetings.
This year, a 3-1 loss to Argentina denied the Canadians gold as well as an automatic berth to the 2012 London Summer Games.
Q: What was your mindset before the gold-medal game?
Scott Tupper: My mindset was quite good. I was quite confident. I thought, although we might not have been the most experienced Canadian side thats gone to a Pan Ams and played in the final, I felt we had done really well throughout the tournament. Guys were really focused. It felt really good. I felt we had as good a chance as wed ever had to get the gold medal. Unfortunately, it doesnt work out but thats how it goes.
Q: It was a very emotional loss. Howd you react after the final whistle?
ST: It was extremely tough for me. As a field hockey player for Canada, you basically train to play in that game. Thats the top of the mountain for us. We recognize that were a smaller-scale nation worldwide in our sport -- its much more far-fetched for us to be looking at the Olympic podium -- but the Pan Am Games and the opportunity to qualify and get your gold medal is what Canadian players dream of and its what weve been training for for the last, for me, three years since Beijing.
And to be so close at half time being up and then letting it slip away from us, it was pretty devastating. I struggled for a little bit after that game and then, being with the guys and being with the group, we were able to get ourselves to together and enjoy the last day as much as we could, enjoy the company of each other.
Q: Were you fighting back tears?
ST: Definitely. I didnt fight too well. It was really tough. Its just a really emotional time when your dream and your goal has been to get back to the Olympic Games and you just see it fall away form you. Its tough to deal with because you know another Pan Am Games opportunity isnt going to come around for another four years.
Q: What did you do to move on? What did you do to cheer each other up?
ST: Well, we I cant lie! We did have a couple drinks. It was nice. We had a lot of parents who were down there and supporters came underneath the stands within the stadium and we had a gathering, a kind of social thing. Everyone was just hanging out and for me that was just really great, to have your mom and dad to lean on when youre at a pretty disappointed spot. That was really nice and I think it was good for everyone else.
We are quite a close team and so everyone stayed together and we went out to a bar, in Guadalajara, that a lot of athletes had been going to. They had it set up for it and so we got together. And so we enjoyed the last night.
For us, its not the end of the road. Theres another Olympic qualifying route that runs in probably February for us. Its going to be difficult but I think its doable. Were turning our minds to that and moving on.
Q: What have you learned from the teams veterans Rob Short and Ken Pereira?
ST: Those guys are really, really close friends to me and I think Ive been really lucky to have them to learn from. To learn what it takes to represent Canada and what type of competition level it requires every time you put on a Canadian jersey. Just the way they play and the pride they take to play for their country. They wont like me saying this, but at their age, which is older in our sport, they keep doing it and they keep doing it at the highest level. Its fantastic to learn from.
When I was just sort of stepping into the team in the 07 Pan Ams, they had me rooming with Rob. To learn from him and talk with him and listen to his stories was fantastic. I think its totally invaluable to have guys like that to lean on and to grow from.
Q: Tell me about your goal against Argentina. Howd the play develop?
ST: It was on a penalty corner, which is a big part of field hockey. When the defending team fouls in the scoring area, its called a penalty corner or a short corner. Its a set routine where the ball has to come out of the D, which is the scoring circle, and then from there someone comes in and shoots it. So, you can make, like, little passing plays but predominantly its someone coming in and shooting. Its called a drag flick. And so, thats how we scored.
Q: You scored using a drag flick. It must have been thrilling.
ST: It totally was. I was pretty nervous walking out because Im a defender and typically the forwards are in the penalty corners and so you sort of know its your time to have an impact on the game and you can step up. To be able to put one in was really nice. We only got one opportunity, which was too bad but at that point it made it 1-0 and to have the lead was, that was pretty awesome. It was a cool feeling.
Q: Is that the kind of positive feeling youll be hanging onto for the next six months through Olympic qualifying tournaments?
ST: Yeah, I think so. Perhaps its just a confidence [builder] to know when you do get an opportunity in an important game to have it in the back that you have scored. In those sorts of pressure moments, its something I can hang onto and use, especially going forward into another qualifier next year.
