Pat Glynn, a former top club hockey player in Auckland, introduced her daughter to the sport at the age of 4 and coached her from when she was 6 to age 15.
"Mum still follows me around and keeps my spirits high," Katie Glynn said in Dunedin yesterday.
"She gives me her personal opinion on how I played after each game."
Balme was "the nice mum who gives all the girls quote cards and books to read", Glynn said.
Balme said she liked to make things as easy as possible for the girls in the team.
"They are not professionals and sacrifice a lot to play for New Zealand," Balme said.
"I like to put a smile on their faces."
Both "mums" will be in Invercargill for the Oceania championships next week.
She proved her ability at the Junior World Cup in Boston this month when she scored seven goals and was the second-highest goal-scorer behind a Chinese player.
She was the leading scorer before the last round.
This is Glynn's first season for the Black Sticks and she has played three tests.
"I'm new to this level of the sport and it's been full-on this year," Glynn said.
"I still have a lot to learn."
In Boston Glynn became aware of the need to be more consistent.
It is an essential ingredient if she is to achieve her ambition of playing at the Olympics.
"It's been my goal since I've been old enough to understand what the Olympics is all about," she said.
She has been inspired by former international Tina Bell-Kake, who played 236 games for New Zealand.
"Tina was an amazing player," Glynn said.
"She has been my coach over the last few years."
Glynn scored three goals in a warm-up game against the Otago Boys High School First XI at the McMillan Centre in Dunedin yesterday.
Other Black Sticks to stand out were striker Charlotte Harrison, Emily Naylor and Kayla Sharland.
The Black Sticks led 3-1 at the break but took control in the second spell through superior fitness, better basic skills and more accurate play.
The Otago Boys side displayed patches of skilled hockey but were inconsistent and lacked finish.
Players to stand out for the schoolboys were Nick Elder in the midfield, Blair Soper with his covering and Jarrod Hewitt in the midfield.
The teams will play each other again today at 2.45pm.
