“I just really wanted to be a kid,” she said.
“I was blessed to play . . . but it negatively impacted my social development. I did teenager things.
“It was just too soon.”
Returning to the sport after a break, Andrews couldn’t make the squad that tried, unsuccessfully, to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics but has had an outstanding career ever since.
She advocates a holistic approach to sport and well-being and is a Balance is Better ambassador for Sport New Zealand.
Andrews, White Ferns cricket all-rounder Sophie Devine and Sport New Zealand talent consultant Alex Chiet were guest speakers at a Sport Symposium hosted by Sport Gisborne Tairawhiti last week.
The symposium brought various codes into the same roomThe symposium brought various codes into the same room, enabling them to learn from each other and take in a couple of compelling stories.
Andrews was raised by her grandparents in Petone, Lower Hutt.
Attending a bilingual school in Maori and English, she found reading and writing difficult but was a quick learner in sports such as badminton, netball, touch and hockey.
“I thought I was a bit dumb,” she told the gathering of sports volunteers and administrators at Gisborne’s Waikanae surf club.
“But I just learned differently from my peers.”
Her talent in softball was her ticket to tertiary study at Itawamba Community College in Tupelo, Mississippi, then the University of Delaware, near New York.
Captain at Delaware for three years, she graduated with a bachelor in human development and family studies.
Training her mind, she became a better athlete, she said.
Andrews was signed by the Pennsylvania Rebellions in the National Pro Fastpitch league in 2014.
Her master’s was about parental involvement in organised sport and children’s well-being. Her doctorate, about a year off completion, examines parental behaviours and attitudes that affect children’s confidence.
“Moderate parental involvement in sport is probably the best for children to grow in confidence,” Andrews told The Gisborne Herald.
Involved, but not too involved.
“Just enjoy seeing your kids play sports,” she said.
“I saw a lot of pressure put on young people through my journey of playing sport.”
Uncomfortable with children being asked to focus on one sport earlyAndrews is also uncomfortable with children being asked to focus on one sport early.
That’s a bugbear for Devine as well.
“Early specialisation is something that makes my blood boil,” she said.
“Growing up, I just wanted to play outside as much as possible. I was fortunate to have a really competitive and active group of friends who always wanted to beat each other no matter what the sport was, so that was a big driver to getting out on the park.”
Devine, 29, was raised in Tawa and her sports included basketball, tennis, squash, cricket and hockey.
She made the Wellington cricket side as a 14-year-old and debuted for the White Ferns at 17.
She earned three caps for the Black Sticks women’s hockey team in 2009 and was unlucky to miss the 2012 London Olympics — the toss of a coin sealing her non-selection, she was told.
Devine now has an enviable reputation as a boundary hitter on the cricket field.
In 2015, she hit the fastest T20 international half century (from 18 balls) and two years later she became the first player to hit nine sixes in a one-day-international women’s match.
But not everyone wanted to see her play in the early years.
“The only thing I found off-putting was when people denied me opportunities to play with my mates,” she said.
“There was a bit of a process to get me to be able to play boys’ college cricket. All I wanted to do was play with the same group of boys I’d played with for a number of years.”
Competing in at least two sports, she had to communicate with coaches, trainers and her school to explain her training programme and make sure she had enough break time.
“Being able to get key people in the room with the athlete can help get a better understanding of the athlete’s situation and workload,” she said.
“It’s absolutely critical that the athlete is involved.
“Ultimately, each code have to put their interests aside and put the athlete front and centre.”
Sport Gisborne Tairawhiti chief executive Stefan Pishief said codes faced many challenges in running organised sport and bringing them together at the symposium was valuable.
Sport creates happier and healthier people and better-connected communitiesIn a wide-ranging presentation, Sport New Zealand’s Chiet said sport created happier and healthier people and better-connected communities.
“The value of sport is powerful but a lot of kids aren’t getting it today,” he said.
Officials and administrators are wary of New Zealand’s talent base getting too narrow, too quickly, with too much riding on age-group rep selections.
Among Sport New Zealand’s messages are that it’s better to play the long game — encourage athletes to pick up a range of skills and focus on their development, in sport and in life. The nation needs a high participation rate and the best athletes need to be extended.
“Childhood success is not a reliable predictor of future success,” Chiet said.
Andrews put the emphasis on the whole person — mentally, physically, spiritually and academically.
One thing they did well in the States was recognise talent and support it with resources.
She said her story allowed young people to conclude “she was just a normal kid like me”.
“Maybe I was, on the outside, mature,” Andrews said, reflecting on her 15-year-old self.
“I did not have the mental assistance I needed.”
Her break behind her, Andrews had a fresh perspective, she worked hard and made the most of her opportunities.
“I learned a lot from that experience. It made me want it more.”
