Unlike most, his family members actually knew what they were doing. Certainly his father did.
You might remember him as "Rocking Rod" Latham - the robust Canterbury and New Zealand all-rounder who gave the ball a decent nudge at the top of the order.
He was part of the New Zealand side which reached the semifinals of the 1992 World Cup and he also played 33 games for the Canterbury rugby team in the 1980s.
It can be an intimidating experience in the middle of a media scrum and in the glare of the camera. But Latham, a slightly-built chap with a broad smile, has taken his rapid rise in his stride.
The former New Zealand under-19 wicketkeeper-batsman is still establishing himself in the Canterbury team and suddenly he is preparing for an international.
He seems well-equipped to cope with the pressure. There is not much room left for nerves when you are bursting with excitement.
"As a kid, growing up, it is your dream to play for your country and to get the call from Kim Littlejohn was a dream come true, really," Latham said.
"[Dad] was the first person I called. He was out on the golf course and was just as proud as punch and couldn't stop texting me for a while.
"Mum was the same. She was in the driveway when I got home and gave me a big hug."
While Rod was instrumental in helping inspire Tom, he took a back seat in the development of his son's career.
"He hasn't really done the coaching side of things with me. He has just been there as a mentor, really.
"He always texts me before a game and says, `Back yourself and just believe' and all that sort of stuff. That has been really nice and he has been there and done that. He has been where I want to get to."
Rod had a Kookaburra bat cut down for Tom to play with when he was younger and he still has it at home. He used it in the backyard battles with his older brother Matt (21), who plays indoor cricket for New Zealand, and his father, of course.
"We used to have some good battles in the backyard and it was a lot of fun.""Fours and sixes were the only way to get runs" at the family home in Burnside.
"Dad made those rules up."
Tom was also a promising rugby player and made some Canterbury age-group representative sides before giving up to concentrate on cricket.
He made his first-class debut for Canterbury last season and in nine games has scored 300 runs at an average of 25. But it has been in the one-day game where he has made his mark, scoring 407 runs in 10 games at an average of 50.87, including an impressive 130 last month.
Latham squashed speculation he might relieve Brendon McCullum of the wicketkeeping duties to allow McCullum to concentrate on leading the side and scoring runs at the top of the innings.
"I don't think so. I think I'll be left to concentrate on batting, unless something happens to Brendon."
