It was big deal for the expatriates in the US because playing cricket at school or club wasn't an option.
That changed when they moved permanently to New Zealand although they did attend the camps here during their southern hemisphere summer holidays in Taupo where they settled.
Tataurangi, 44, of Cockle Bay, Auckland, has no qualms about Kahurangi gravitating towards cricket.
The year 11 St Kentigern College pupil is an eight handicapper in golf.
"That's [handicap] has come down a little bit in the past few years because he's getting bigger and stronger and learning a bit more," says his father.
In fact, Tataurangi relishes playing golf alongside Kahurangi and his friends as "it takes me back to my youth, for sure".
The grinning father reveals his son has made a six-month bet to beat him in golf but the professional plays just enough these days to stay ahead of him.
Cricket is Texas-born Kahurangi's No1 sport and he has immense passion for it.
"It sits really well with me because I love cricket from the time I was at his age and even younger."
Right into sport in his heyday, Tataurangi yearned for all-day codes and for that reason developed a jaundiced eye for cricket and golf.
"Usually it wasn't enough so you want to do it more," he says, reflecting on how he opted for an individual code but also had got his fix from the tactical aspect of cricket and its propensity to mould characters.
Kahurangi is a right-hander but bats and swings a club left-handed, including baseball.
"Everything two-handed he does left and everything one handed he uses his right," he explains, as the teenager claims a wicket amid vociferous acclamation from his elated teammates.
The middle-order batsman doesn't get enough crease time in his competitive school team so the camp here is an ideal opportunity to do that.
When they lived in Taupo, Kahurangi embraced triathlon, basketball, table tennis and football, to name a few.
As parents, Tataurangi says they encourage their children not to be too narrow in their choices.
"We're really proud of him as parents of a kid and not necessarily what he's achieving in sports."
As a professional athlete, Tataurangi was lucky to see Kahurangi play cricket during summers but endured the pain of missing out on his winter codes.
"Now that I've stepped away competitively, it's nice to be a parent.
"You live and work to give your children the opportunities. My parents did that and now it's kind of nice to be around - our daughter's into netball as well," he says of 11-year-old Talia.
For the Tataurangis, coming to the Bay over the camp has been "part of the summer staple", not just to watch cricket but also dutifully replace their divots on the fairways here.
It pleases him the cricket camp "isn't really a tourney per se".
"I think the role the camp plays is about development.
"It's not about winners and losers - which happens in individual games - but it's about friendships ... and all those other things off the paddock."
