Southern men's hockey coach Dave Ross had to dig deep into his pockets to help send his son, Nick Ross, to the world junior hockey championships in Singapore.
But he is just one of the Junior Black Sticks' parents who had to shell out up to $7000 to ensure New Zealand was represented at the inter-national tournament.
With New Zealand Hockey not in a position to fund the trip, the parents were forced to front up with a cheque or face their disappointed sons.
The latter was the worst of the two options, perhaps, and the parents and team rallied.
"The boys did what fund-raising they could," Ross said. "But in the limited time, and with the training they had, it was mostly down to the parents."
Despite a shoestring budget, the team has produced Rolls Royce results, reaching the final eight for the first time.
It upset Pakistan 4-2 earlier in the week and had a crucial match against Australia last night.
A draw in that game would be enough for the Black Sticks to make the top four.
The Australians boast a strong squad, are well-resourced and have enjoyed a good build-up that probably did not involve sleeping on the floor.
"When they [the Junior Black Sticks] were in camp [in May for two days], they slept on the clubhouse floor and parents were coming in with big bowls to feed them breakfast. It was all pretty primitive stuff."
The adventure seems to have built a good team spirit and hardened its resolve.
While at the tournament, the players have a "daily reminder of where they've come from".
"They buy their own food from the market and cook it themselves. It helps keep the costs down and it is a constant reminder."
The Midlands Hockey Association helped raise about $1600 for its three juniors, including former Otago Boys High School pupils Nick Ross and Hugo Inglis.
The team boasts a third former Otago Boys High School pupil, Blair Tarrant.
Ross has only one regret about the money.
He would have liked to have travelled to Singapore to watch.
"That would have been nice, especially considering how well they are doing.
"Nick sent me a wry email suggesting I had a few days to get over there . . . But once you do the maths of getting the boys over there to start with [it wasn't possible]."
