New Zealand's made a promising start to the women's World Youth Water Polo Champs in Auckland, thrashing South Africa in the opening match.
It's a tournament the hosts are hoping will be a springboard to bigger things.
These are very much the minnows of the world championships being held in Auckland - on the other side of the pool the USA are training - their star player Aria Fischer is already an Olympic champion.
It's all the motivation the Kiwi's need.
"It's our time to prove that we're not just some small country at the bottom of the world that takes everybody's grief. We're ready to play hard and so everybody what we've got," said Mikayla Eruera
The hosts comfortably beat South Africa 21-5 on Monday night but it only gets harder from here, with Spain up next.
For goalie Antonia Young, that means facing up.
"You don't get hit in the face that often but I have had a few," notes Young.
"it's fine you get used to it."
Water polo players are phenomenally fit - swimming over a kilometre during a match.
And under the surface there is a whole other game being played - and it can be brutal.
"There's a lot of kicking punching scratching, you name it - everything happens," says Eruera.
However the youngster gives as good as she gets.
"Yeah, I have to be low key about it, but I get away with a bit because I'm smaller."
Good impressions are important as for many of these players, the tournament is the best chance of scoring an overseas scholarship or professional contract overseas - the downside of New Zealand's shallow pool.
Newshub.
