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For Vantage Black Sticks Women Striker Amy Robinson, life balance and playing a range of sports have helped her be not only a better hockey player, but a better person too.

Imagine you are the coach of the Black Sticks Women when, in her very first game, Amy scores a goal. 鈥淪he鈥檚 good,鈥� you鈥檙e thinking. 鈥淲here do we find more like her?鈥�

In a way, it鈥檚 not a hard question. Amy started playing hockey in primary school, was playing for her school鈥檚 First XI from Year 9, progressed through the New Zealand age group teams and represented New Zealand at the 2014 Olympic Summer Youth Games.聽 Talent like that you see coming.

Maybe. Because before Amy was into hockey she was already into athletics - every Monday from age four. In 2013 she set a new record for the U17 300m hurdles and at the Sydney Youth Olympic Festival won a silver medal in the 4x100 relay.

If you鈥檙e the high performance director at Athletics New Zealand, you鈥檙e thinking, 鈥淪he鈥檚 good鈥︹��. Well, yes, except that in 2013 Amy was also in Vanuatu with the New Zealand under 17 beach volleyball team.

鈥淲hen I was at intermediate,鈥� says Amy, 鈥淚 signed up for everything: basketball, rock climbing, kayaking. I was in the cross country nationals. At college I started indoor volleyball and then beach. Still with athletics and hockey. What I particularly liked about athletics was you didn鈥檛 have to specialise. I could do shot put, high jump and running all the same day.鈥�

Eventually, of course, events began to clash.聽 鈥淲e can see potential,鈥� Amy was told, 鈥淚t鈥檚 time for you to focus.鈥� 聽

But then some different advice.

鈥淣o, don鈥檛 specialise,鈥� advised Black Sticks Women鈥檚 coach Mark Hager.聽 鈥淵ou need other things in your life.鈥� 聽

This is a big reason why hockey has become Amy鈥檚 number one sport and why she continues her athletics whenever it fits in. It also explains why she has completed a degree (Bachelor of Sport and Recreation, naturally) and is teaching 25 hours a week (when she can) at Tauranga Intermediate.

鈥淧laying a range of sports has been a huge benefit,鈥� says Amy. 鈥淔or a start, I鈥檝e mixed with many different people, from different cultures and that helps, coming into a team environment. I鈥檓 less prone to injuries, because the different sports condition my body in different ways: for example the jumping from beach volleyball strengthened my knees and made me more agile.聽 I鈥檝e also competed internationally before, so I know about being organised and knew what to expect going into my first tournament. I wasn鈥檛 so nervous.鈥�

鈥淎bove all,鈥� Amy says, 鈥渂urnout isn鈥檛 an issue. I think I have a good life balance. I can forget about Hockey and spend time with my friends and family. Go to an Athletics meet and do something different. I think not choosing just one sport has helped me be a better person.鈥�

So, now you鈥檙e thinking, 鈥淗ow do we find more remarkable sports people like Amy Robinson?鈥�