Whanganui Chronicle Person of the Year - runner-up: Potaka Strongman

Potaka Strongman has been a teacher at Te Kura Kaupapa Maori O Tupoho since 2007. Photo / Bevan Conley

If you see a sports team from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Tupoho on the field or court - chances are one woman will always be present on the sidelines.

Logan Tutty speaks to Potaka Strongman, who is the next of four runners-up in our Whanganui Chronicle Person of the Year series.

Potaka Strongman coaches every sports team at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Tupoho.

She had been a teacher at the Castlecliff kura - with a 150-strong roll - for the last 13 years, taking on all sorts of roles over that time including teaching subjects such as maths, information technology and more.

She took over the school's sports co-ordinator role two years ago.

"Every sport in every grade from the new entrants up to secondary school, I take them," she said.

This involved coaching over 15 different teams across volleyball, netball, futsal, football and basketball.

For the last few years, she said they have struggled to find coaches to take their sports, meaning kids didn't get the opportunity to play the sports they wanted to.

Strongman decided that wouldn't happen while she was in charge.

"I decided last year that's not going to happen anymore, if I can't find a coach, I'll coach those teams. I want to make sure the kids get every opportunity to play every sport they want to play."

Being involved in so many different sports meant trainings after school weren't possible, with all training sessions taking place either during lunch breaks or physical education classes.

"Every day from Monday to Saturday, I was at a sport ground. We just didn't have time after school to do trainings."

As well as running the school's sports programme, Strongman teaches maths, digital technology and physical education across a range of year groups.

"This was my first year working in the secondary school. She was a big change."

Strongman said 2020 was a hectic year, with the combination of moving up to teach secondary school students and the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown.

"We were very lucky. I am also the IT leader at the school and just this year we had gone one-to-one with Apple devices. So all of our students have iPads."

Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Tupoho has a roll of about 150. Photo / Bevan Conley

She said the rest of the iPads turned up in early March, just before the country went into lockdown.

"We also got involved with the scheme from the Government that provided Wi-Fi for the kids that didn't have it.

"It wasn't smooth as, but it was a great learning experience."

Once out of lockdown, Strongman said the kids were "chomping at the bit" to get back involved in sports.

Strongman said she has always loved sports and loves giving kids a chance to try playing whatever they want to.

"I do it for my kids. None of them are my kids. I don't have any biological children in the kura, but once they come to my class, they are my kids.

"I've always thought of them like that so I want to give them every opportunity I can and I try my best to do that."

Admittedly shy, Strongman was honoured to be recognised for the work she does.

"It was one of those years, it was all worth it. The kids are all chuffed, we didn't win any big prizes or anything but they all had great seasons. They still had decent winter and summer seasons of sport."

Strongman wants to continue building upon this year.

"Thank you to those who nominated me and it would be a big mihi to all the kids that played all the sports."

• See Wednesday's and Thursday's Chronicles for the final two runners-up. The Whanganui Chronicle Person of the Year winner will be revealed on Saturday.

Also in this series:

Runner-up: Sir Robert-Martin