Fresh off the plane from Vancouver, sixteen-year-old hockey player Aaron Wong is excited to be starting his first year at Podium, the Calgary school for top teen athletes. Aaron has to make friends and fit in at a new high school, while also adjusting to a new home and a family with a different culture than his own. Luckily, he finds a tight-knit group of friends who are elite athletes in their own sports to help show him the ropes. Things seem to be going well for the rookie - but the hockey team captain has it in for him. Aaron's world is turned upside down when the captain makes him the target of a brutal hazing at the team's first party. To turn his year around, Aaron has to overcome his embarrassment about the incident and confide in friends and coaching staff.

Toronto synchro swimmer Carrie Munroe is Podium Sports Academy's team flyer and the school's best prospect for making it at the upcoming Vegas tryouts—fulfilling her dreams of being in a glitz-and-glamour professional show. Carrie feels there's only one thing holding her back—the weekly poolside weigh-ins. Her coach agrees, and Carrie is put on a special diet to control her weight. But the pressure to succeed while also dealing with troublesome family members back home lead Carrie to make some very risky decision about her health and eating habits. To come out on top, Carrie will have to accept that although she may not have the typical swimmer's body, she has the strength to be the best—but only if she takes care of herself.

Of all Podium Sports Academy's attackmen, Calgary native Nathan Moore stands the best chance of getting a lacrosse scholarship at a U.S. college. But at 5'10" and 125 lbs, Nathan's told by the scouts that he has some filling out to do before he can take the hard hits. Waiting for his body to catch up to his dreams isn't an option, so Nathan takes drastic measures to build muscle fast—steroids. Nathan quickly sees the effects on his body, but just as fast the drugs start to affect him in ways he can't control . . . ways that also have a game-changing impact on his Podium friends.

Podium Sports Academy's star goalkeeper wants nothing more than to play on Canada's National Team. Parmita works hard at school and on the pitch, so if it seems like she's avoiding boys, she hopes everyone will think it's because she wants to be the best, and not because she's secretly attracted to girls. The team's new assistant coach may actually have the pull to get Parmita a National Team tryout, but Parmita is uncomfortable with her coach's constant flirting and accidentally-on-purpose touching. After the coach guesses her secret about her sexuality and corners her in the locker room, Parmita has to decide how far she'll go to get a tryout.

Aboriginal snowboarder Jax has it made. He's in his last year at Podium Sports Academy and he's got a sponsorship from a big snowboarding company in the bag. But then his older brother, always the troublemaker in the family, shows up in Calgary unexpectedly. Suddenly Jax's sponsorship is threatened when the police come asking questions about a break-in at the house where he lives. He wants to help his brother, but will it cost him his future as a professional boarder?

Playing ball is what keeps Podium Sports Academy's basketball captain going when things get rough. When there's trouble back home, Allie turns to basketball. Ditto when her relationship is in trouble or when she's at odds with her friends. But then tragedy strikes when an old knee injury resurfaces and Allie is told she might not be able to play again. With her hope of a future as an elite basketball player gone, Allie is overwhelmed with dark thoughts and feels she has nothing left to live for. That is, until unexpected support comes from two unlikely sources: her folks back home and her friends at Podium, her home away from home. [Fry Reading Level - 3.0]