Mr and Mrs Nelson and daughter Alice, 12, have recently returned from Tahiti where son Dan played for the All Whites in the Oceania Football Federation (OFC) men’s under-16 championship.
Dan is a member of the Wellington Phoenix Football Club Academy, attending St Patrick’s College, in Silverstream, where he boards at the school’s hostel and trains with the club after school.
Mrs Nelson said it was hard to describe the experience.
"I was really emotional.
"When they won — wowsers.
"It was quite overwhelming watching your boy play."
Mr Nelson said after driving Dan to games for years and supporting the growth of his game, it was "magical" to see that bear fruit.
The family did not get to see Dan play as much now and noted how his game had improved.
"He played really well.
"It was a whole new level for us as a family."
The family did not spend much time with Dan during the two weeks they were in Tahiti as he was mostly with his team.
Alice said although she had been taken to her brother’s football games for years and played on her scooter on the sidelines, she enjoyed watching her brother play on a "tropical island".
The atmosphere at the games was "way more colourful" than in New Zealand with people singing.
The family missed the first game against Vanuatu but watched the rest of the games against Fiji, Cook Islands, the semifinal against New Caledonia and Fiji in the final.
In pool play, New Zealand beat Fiji 7-1.
However, Fiji scored first which had never happened before.
"It had given them a bit of a rocket.
"Once they found their rhythm they came back no trouble," Mrs Nelson said.
The score was much tighter in the finals.
New Zealand scored first early in the game and had lots of shots at goal which missed.
Then Fiji scored from a free kick.
After halftime New Zealand came out strong and were dominating the attack but then a "milieu" or fight broke out.
"The game had been quite physical all along to be honest," she said.
A player from each team was sent off.
It refocused the New Zealand team and they scored twice to win the game 3-1.
The team had qualified for the FIFA under-17 World Cup in Qatar next year and it was likely most of the squad would be chosen for the tournament, Mrs Nelson said.
The family were hoping to attend the tournament also, they said.
Dan said it was a great experience playing international football.
"I enjoyed playing with a different set of players from around the world, and learning different styles of football.
"I also learnt a lot off the pitch about playing in a more professional environment, such as interactions with media and the expectations of a visiting national team."
