Ki-O-Rahi

What is Kotahitanga?

The meaning behind the word kotahitanga is togetherness and to be combined as one. The purpose of kotahitanga is to bring and come together to achieve certain goals. Kotahitanga can be applied to a variety of situations and by correctly using this method can create an extremely beneficial outcome.

Introduction to Ki-O-Rahi

STRATERGIES

Communication -

Communication is all about exchanging information between individuals, it can be shown verbally, non-verbally and written.

Ako -

The Pakeha definition for ako is to learn or to teach. The way I can apply this to my team is by both teaching someone whilst listening.

What is ki-o-rahi ?

Ki-O-Rahi is a traditional Maori kemu played in Aotearoa that requires a fast-pace and coordination.

My Class tournament

My physical education class divided evenly into two separate teams during our practical sessions to have our own little tournament. Ki-O-Rahi is a traditional Maori kemu played in Aotearoa that requires a fast-pace and coordination.

Communication

The way I displayed communication while playing was by talking to my teammates continuously saying things such as; "Over here, i'm open" or "it's alright you will get her next time". Those are sentences that gave a positive impact. During the tournament I did implied negative comments or body language occasionally towards others if I was upset. This caused multiple conflicts but over time it mostly uplifting comments about my team as we started to work and talk together as one.

For this assessment I have chosen to use communication as my strategy to promote the use of kotahitanga within my team as the importance of communicating with each other is necessary.

Communication

Several actions I used to make sure my strategy was effective towards my team was constantly using the 3 ways of communication through-out the entire game.

Communication is important because it is a way of expressing an individual's thoughts and feelings to those surrounded by the person. This helps someone get a greater understanding of a person's true feelings.

• For example;Expressing to my teammates that I am available
• Help and teach those that are unaware of the rules
• Encourage and uplift my teammates
• Reflect upon the results and how well our strategy
• Acknowledging not only my feelings and opinions but those in my team

The benefits of using communication can solve and prevent future problems such as weak bonds due to the lack of talking, therefore creating results such as more trust for each other and more respect gained.

Ako

Another strategy I chose to focus on to promote kotahitanga is ako, which means to learn, teach and listen to the advice given. The importance of this strategy is how players can improve their skills. We apply to our game plan and ways we can help people get a better understanding of the concept of the game. I learnt throughout our tournament what my teammates' skill sets were and the different ways each team member could contribute to the team. I was willing to listen to the advice mentioned at team talks while also teaching those that are unaware of the game and rules. This slowly helped my team work together properly and communicate more with each other.

For example, the first day of playing ki-o-rahi with my p.e class we were all unaware of each other's skills causing inappropriate language being used towards others and unsportmen like behaviour. As we progressed through the term we became more comfortable to crittersied each other by making small comments such as "throw the ball lower, i'm too short", "share the ball around" and etc. Although there were some negative impacts, all round I would say it mostly had a positive effect on our team.

Conclusion

As expressed throughout the entire presentation, I feel as if my two strategies, communication and ako, are a must when demonstrating kotahitanga during a game of Ki-O-Rahi. Both strategies have a strong impact on bringing everyone together creating better teamwork and healthy friendships with no tension afterwards. This tournament proved to us the many ways kotahitanga can bring us together in a positive way and when applied correctly it is extremely powerful.

Conclusion