Her main sport of interest had been hockey, however, not any more.
When asked if she was going to play next winter, she responded with a long pause and then "um, well, dunno . . ."
Not surprisingly, her enthusiasm had been killed by having rolled straight into the summer league, after having only just completed the proper winter version, and now having to play in the blazing summer heat.
So why did you choose to play? "I didn't, I just came home and Mum told me to quickly get my hockey gear on. I was like, what? Mum said, yes hurry up, you are in summer hockey! I didn't even know, she just enrolled me."
Unfortunately, there will be many cases where talented kids have lost the enthusiasm for the very sport they loved and had so much potential for.
In part it will be down to a parent's fear of missing out (FOMO), where these days we can look around and see other parents and kids seemingly doing everything.
Or furthermore, the parents' misguided belief, that unless their kids play year-round, they won't make the top team and won't reach their potential.
Part of what drives that thinking is a sport and education system issue. For example having rep teams at a young age (which some codes are moving away from), or even picking the "First Team" at primary schools for traditional inter-school fixtures, can fuel the early specialisation in sports.
Society in general has gone through massive changes over recent times and, year by year, there are more options available.
As a society we are learning as we go, with the kids as the guinea pigs – so sometimes we should pause and take stock, and really look at what we are doing.
The organised sport options have increased dramatically, which is great.
When I was at primary school it was just winter rugby, then later cricket emerged as a summer option, lifted by the profile and exploits of the likes of Hadlee and Lance Cairns with the new form of one-day cricket, and likewise with the rise of soccer after the All Whites' World Cup campaign of Spain 1982.
Aside from Saturday-morning sport, there wasn't much else on. But the challenge now with so many offerings, and the increasing pressures around performing, is how to hold the kids back – especially when they are so keen, and they want to engage.
Ideally they will be keen and hungry in their mid to late teens, rather than giving up the sport at that age – so sometimes less is more in the early years.
The irony that we sometimes miss is that an athlete may become better at a particular sport, by playing less of it at a younger age.
Some sports academies will, of course, prey on parents, and tell them the opposite, that they must enrol their kids into youth "high-performing" academies, where they constantly practise and play the same sport. And somehow if they don't, they are depriving their talented young kids the opportunity of fulfilling their dream.
In reality the programmes are sometimes more about generating funds for the code, than enhancing the experience for the child.
The sport-specific academy, if not handled properly, can sadly add to a gradual accumulation of psychological stress and expectations on the youngster.
The intensification and early specialisation in sports is becoming increasingly common, and can increase the chance of injury, lead to general burnout and disinterest, and deprives the opportunity for engagement in other activities that could develop a more rounded skill set.
Engaging in other sports will challenge them outside their comfort zone, develop other physical movement capabilities, and broader vision and decision-making skills.
Getting a taste of a range of activities is great – but ideally spaced out across the early years.
For example, dance, tennis, athletics, gymnastics, swimming, basketball, football can all touch on different demands, and not only better develop the youth for the sport they eventually focus on, but also importantly develop a broader skill set to call on later in life, with the ability to participate in a range of activities for general fun and health.
As a community of parents, coaches, schools and sporting codes, promoting a "balance is better" message de-emphasising the early selection and performance focus will enable more kids to develop more skills, with less pressure, for a longer, more confident engagement in healthy activity, and a greater chance of reaching their highest performance in the long run.
• Marcus Agnew is the health and sport development manager at Hawke's Bay Community Fitness Centre Trust and is also a lecturer in sports science at EIT.
