Te Arahura was a one day sports tournament where tamariki took part in one of four different sport code options as a way to expose them to different opportunities.

The codes on offer this year were Soccer, Rippa Rugby, Netball and for the first time – Ki-o-Rahi. This tournament was the first event since 2018, previously known as the Fire Brigade Cup. The tournament was organised by a leadership group of the Kaikohe based Kahui Ako named Te Arahura and includes students and staff from Horeke School, Kaikohe Christian School, Kaikohe East School, Kaikohe Intermediate, Kaikohe West School, Mangamuka School, Northland College, Ohaeawai School, Okaihau College, Tautoro School, Umawera School and Waima School. 

Kaikohe East School took this opportunity to incorporate a sport rotation for the term. Over weeks 1-5 during Term 3, teachers were allocated a sports code to coach, running skills, drills and games for students on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons for 45 minutes. Students rotated through the sports codes, getting exposure to the four different sports. At the end of week five, students selected which code they would like to sign up to for the Te Arahura tournament event. 

 

 

 

During weeks 5-10, the teams were finalised and worked on their specific code with support from their teacher/coach to prepare to compete against other Te Arahura schools on tournament day. The goal for Te Arahura was to give tamariki opportunities they would not receive outside of school, grow teacher confidence in providing these opportunities and connect with other outside organisations that can possibly support them with this event and in the future. 

In preparation for tournament day, a number of different schools involved had been delegated a sports code that they were in charge of, including logistics of registration, timetabling, draw distribution, field or court set up, organising umpires and making sure games and breaks all ran on time. Students from Northland College and Kaikohe Christian School assisted with some coaching and training leading up to the event but more importantly were an integral part by umpiring on the day. They were able to receive NCEA credits for learning how to umpire and then applying it at an event.

Teacher Confidence  

Teachers have reported a significant boost in their confidence when it comes to offering these opportunities. Whaea Lucinda, who teaches at Kaikohe West School and reached out to Sport Northland for support, expressed how her appreciation and understanding of the role educators play in supporting one another has evolved. She noted, “In school, I get to share these opportunities, and there has been professional growth. I feel much more confident now.”

Another teacher, Whaea Bev from Kaikohe East School, initially felt out of her element when asked to demonstrate soccer at the beginning of the term. She admitted that hockey was more her sport. However, after being shown some effective skills and drills games, Whaea Bevs confidence grew. Whaea Bev learned that she didn’t need to be an expert in soccer to teach the skills and drills. She realized that her knowledge from hockey could be translated to soccer, resulting in a remarkable transformation.

By the end of the term, Whaea Bev had a full squad playing soccer and radiated confidence.  Whaea Stevie, the Deputy Principal at Kaikohe East, and the Te Arahura event organizer, along with Whaea Bev, expressed their gratitude for the boost they received, enabling their teachers to become coaches. They emphasized that without these teachers stepping into coaching roles, many different sports codes couldn’t be offered. 

Whaea Bev summed up her experience by saying, “I never felt alone, and that boost in confidence was a game-changer.” Having the support from the codes to provide ideas and motivation was an integral part of the success of these codes gaining participation from students and teachers feeling confident to coach them. 

Informed Engagement with External Providers 

Support for this endeavour has been provided by several entities, including Northland Rugby Union, Northland College and Kaikohe Football club, along with members of the Healthy Active Learning team from Sport Northland. 

An outstanding example of this external collaboration was Bodean Rogers from Northland Rugby Union working alongside proactive schools to prepare for the event. Whaea Stevie from Kaikohe East School approached this in a unique way. After the sports rotations, she took the opportunity to take what they learnt outside with Bodean back into the classroom to break down the differences in the sports and test the knowledge of her kids. She took what they were learning outside the classroom inside to solidify those experiences and learnings.

The collaborations between schools and external providers led to well informed decision making and everyone being on the same page when it came to the day. Everyone was prepared and everything ran smoothly ensuring it was a positive experience for everyone. 

According Whaea Tiny a lead sporting coach at Kaikohe West School, the lead-up to the event was “THE BEST.” This approach equipped teachers with the tools to coach while also affording the kids opportunities to engage in sports, which, for many, are otherwise unavailable outside of school. Success of team sports hinges on having dedicated coaches and noted that without parents available to provide coaching support, the responsibility falls on the teachers. Credit is due to those schools who proactively sought assistance from external providers to support building teachers’ capabilities and confidence, thereby ensuring their students can actively participate in team sports.

 

 

 

Community Connections 

Students were actively involved throughout the entire process. During Ki-o-Rahi sessions, the Healthy Active Learning team observed that, despite the sessions being quite challenging, not a single child dropped out. Instead, they displayed determination and persevered. Even those who typically shy away from physical activity eagerly participated, having the freedom to select their preferred sports codes.

Whaea Bev, kaiako at Kaikohe East School succinctly captured the essence of this initiative by saying, “It’s not just about the game; it’s about being part of the community and fostering social connections.”

Te Arahura was a great day with a great turnout of schools, students and teachers, seeing kids get active in their codes across the different sporting courts and pitches. There was an impressive turnout of supporters with many parents and whānau showing up to support their children and for some, it was their first time watching their children play a sport. There were student umpires and coaches who put their hands up to help their teina for this tournament, without them it would have been a lot more difficult to fill the umpire positions or even come up with different teams with less coaches available. The day saw some reconnection between schools and kaiako and a lot of great feedback and ideas for the potential this day has for years to come.  It was exciting to see kaiako enthusiastic and to see their hard work turn into a successful day at the end.