"Can I go train now?" she asked and asked again, wiggling in her gymnastics suit. "Are we going to go on those bars? I saw them on TV. ... Those things that you walk on. Are we going to go on those?"

"She's been watching it on TV," said Mary Warner, Samantha's mother. "So when I said, 'Let's go do gymnastics,' she knew right away what it was and has been very excited to try it."

Warner is familiar with the enthusiasm the Olympics can rouse in a child. Her 9-year-old son tried to bobsled down the stairs after the 2002 Winter Olympics.

If you ask parents, young potential athletes and coaches around Hawai'i, the Olympic Games this year have raised enthusiasm and interest in competition in the sports on view. Some coaches theorize that the drama of the Games — the close calls and challenging successes in some sports — have played a role. Kids and parents say the athletes' prowess provides inspiration.

At Hawaii Academy Gym, where gymnastics classes and competitions take place, "the phones are ringing continuously right now, though we hadn't gotten a surge in the past Olympics," said director Max Vercruyssen. "Because the U.S. team had some challenges with the men's and women's artistic (gymnastic events), and they came from behind to win, it increases the visibility. I think we'll have more responses. The conquering hero syndrome seems to go a long way."

Jazmin Newton, 11, performs a somersault at Hawaii Academy Gym, where phones are "ringing continuously" from those interested in gymnastics because of the Olympics. Hickam Gymnastics center has also reported an increase in inquiries about classes. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

A few days ago, Zoe Loos, 9, persuaded her parents to buy blue reflective goggles and a dark blue swimming cap to match those of her Olympic hero, Amanda Beard. Zoe religiously watches the Olympics every night until her 8:30 p.m. bedtime, cheering on Beard and other athletes.

Last week, Beard claimed one gold and two silver medals in swimming events. This week, Zoe completed a feat of her own: She finished a first week of rigorous Manoa Aquatics swim practice.

"Beard is pretty much my inspiration," Zoe said.

For families like hers, the Olympics are a nudge to sign up for sports and move toward a more athletic lifestyle.

As America cheered for Olympians such as Michael Phelps, who won a record eight medals in Athens for swimming, managers at Pearl City District Park Pool, for instance, have fielded double the usual number of calls in recent weeks. During the Games, the pool office has been receiving up to 10 inquiries a day about lessons.

In addition, the Pearl City Swim Club has grown from around 30 swimmers to 51 swimmers in a matter of weeks.

"As soon as the Olympics started, even trials, we had increase from all over," said Ken Suenaga, chairman of the Hawaiian Swimming Local Community and head coach of Pearl City Aquatics Inc., which runs the Pearl City Swim Club. "When the high school (season) comes around, I'm pretty sure I gotta look for another pool for the high school."

Gymnastics and volleyball have seen a similar trend. Calls for classes at Hickam Gymnastics center rose an estimated 30 percent in the past few weeks, and managers reported receiving 15 to 20 calls each day.

Meanwhile, inquiries at ASICS Rainbow Volleyball Club have jumped from as few as two calls a day before the Games to as many as 10 calls a day during, according to Luis Ramirez, assistant club director and head coach.

Glenn Kajiwara, who supervises sports programs as overall manager of District 5, says parents are also noting that young athletes may win college scholarships or gain admission to top schools, and here again, the Olympic athletes may serve as role models. "That's a primary goal for some," he said.

Whatever the reasons, enthusiasm is certainly up. Last weekend, 85 percent of ASICS summer clinic participants were new to the sport — the highest ratio in the clinic's two years.

In some ways, this is nothing new. Many of the experienced coaches can identify a cycle of enthusiasm. It spikes with the blaze of the torch at Olympic grounds, and then flattens out during the following years until the next world games.

"It's always like that," said Kimo Keola, manager at Pearl City Pool. "Four years ago in Sydney, there were big increases in swimming and water polo. When there are swimmers like Michael Phelps, you don't have to say that he is good. There is no question. The kids idolize that kind of stuff."

The idea of sports is more than just fun and games, though. Parents and coaches are also taking advantage of the opportunity to establish a healthy lifestyle for their children, incorporating exercise as a natural component in the children's lives.

"You see these 16- and 20-year-olds and they're in such good physical condition," Warner said. "(The Olympics) really does make you think of your kid and what you want for them. As parents, it's important for us to have them at least try these things, and to have them see that physical fitness is important."

Parents know the physical effort is good for their children. "A sedentary lifestyle can really set you up for a lot of bad things,"said Waren Loos, Zoe's father, who is also a clinical psychologist. "Making changes earlier, so they become part of one's lifestyle, becomes critically important. We try to emphasize a balance. You want a balance of academics, exercise and spirituality."

This is not an unrealistic parental hope, Suenaga said. At his Pearl City Swim Club, the retention rate for swimmers is pretty good.