But that has not stopped a couple of Gore teenage siblings from making an impact on the sport of hoops and mallets.
Max Philpott, 17, and his sister Emma, 13, won the silver medal at the just completed New Zealand Secondary Schools Golf Croquet Championships.
The duo, representing Māruawai College, headed to Auckland for the event over the secondary schools winter tournament week earlier this month and did well enough to make the final.
After round-robin play, the duo won their quarterfinal and then got the better of a pair from Kaitaia to win the semifinal 7-5.
The siblings then faced a team from Taranaki in the final but could not quite get across the line, going down 7-3.
Max, a year 13 pupil, said it was a good tournament and they had both played well.
He was introduced to the sport about four years ago when a student at Mt Hutt College in Methven.
A teacher’s son was playing and he decided to join in.
Emma, a year 8 pupil, started playing this year.
The family had moved to Gore at the start of last year.
Max said croquet was seen by some as a game for older people but there were more and more young people getting into what is traditionally a summer game.
Initially he had to endure some teasing about playing the game but once he started gaining some success that stopped, Max said.
There was no secret to the game, he said — just hit the ball straight, and get it through the hoop when needed.
Father Pete helped coach at times but "practice makes perfect" was the way to improve.
During the season they played as often as they could, though Emma also plays netball and Max skis when he can and also hops on his mountain bike.
Middle brother Billy, 15, has not caught the croquet bug yet.
