Holly Patterson has a lot on her plate but the lure of the Olympic Games is keeping her motivated. The year 13 Waikato Diocesan School for Girls student was recently invited to trial with the New Zealand women's football team for six weeks, with the chance to make the 18-strong squad for next year's Games in London.
Patterson, 17, is the only player invited to trial, after she received an email three weeks back from Football Ferns coach John Herdman, who is this week stepping down to coach Canada.
"We went up to a meeting with Tony Readings, who's the assistant coach, and he just said that they liked my attacking flair and ability to score goals and stuff," Patterson said.
While the opportunity is one to behold, it means the right winger has to trek up to the North Shore for training on Monday and Wednesday afternoons after school.
That makes getting school work done tough, but Patterson knows it is a commitment that could be well worth it. Last week she had her first training, which included a game against the New Zealand under-20 women's side.
"It was a big step up," said Patterson, who admitted she was a bit nervous but felt fairly comfortable because she knew many of the other players from playing alongside or against them. If she gets the nod for the squad she will continue training with the side right up until the Olympics.
So does the youngster feel the pressure of trying to make the grade? "Yeah of course, there's always pressure but I'm quite used to it after being in the under-17s last year. You sort of have pressure to perform every time you're training."
Being in the starting lineup for that under-17 team's three matches at last year's World Cup rates as Patterson's best achievement after she, almost reluctantly, took up the sport as a six-year-old.
"To be honest, because both my brothers played rugby, I always wanted to play rugby but dad said I couldn't play rugby so he took me down to the soccer club instead, so that's kind of where I got started."
Patterson has also spent the year turning out for Dio's 1st XI, the Claudelands Rovers women's team and the Waikato-Bay of Plenty national youth league side.
Instead of idolising one player in particular, she looks up to the Japanese women's team, who this year won the World Cup for the first time. "They're exceptional. They play the ball round real well, and I guess that's just the way I like to see myself playing in the future."
Next year Patterson is looking at the possibility of going to the United States and getting a football scholarship, which would see her start there in August and stay for three to four years.