It would have to be when you are involved with the number of teams she is.
Alongside being the head of social sciences, the Kaikorai Valley College teacher coaches the senior A netball team and the junior touch and rugby teams.
She also overlooks several other teams, along with coaching the banner-winning University team in the Dunedin women's club competition.
Having played rugby for the Otago Spirit and coached at the school for 17 years, Nafatali has worked at a range of different levels.
''I've been coaching and involved in sport, playing, and the stuff that I've learnt I've been able to pass on to the kids,'' she said.
''But it's been modified to accommodate at school level.
''At Kaikorai Valley we're dealing with kids that are year 7 to year 13, so adapting it to every level is, I wouldn't say it's harder, but it's been helpful having the coaching experience.
''At school you get kids that want to play and you want to improve their skill level. Some of them come in and have never played a particular sport, so it's actually getting them to understand the game. Then as you get older you've got kids that have played the skills, so you're developing different skills so they get better at it.
''When you're outside [school] it's not just about skills, you're adding to their skills, but then also developing a better understanding of the game and it becomes more strategic on how you play the game.''
She said while Kaikorai Valley was not regarded as strong in a lot of sports, it was important to her to help players get to a level at which they could be competitive.
''My biggest reward is seeing kids develop skill-wise, not just so much for myself, but for the kids to actually see that they're getting better,'' she said.
''So that's part of why I coach, I don't coach just for participation, I want the kids to feel they are competitive.''
For the top-end talent that came through the school it was important to offer pathways. That included getting players involved with representative teams, as well as, in some cases, finding them higher-level school teams to play for.
That had seen the college produce several representative, and a handful of national, players.
''As a teacher involved in sport, you want the best for the kids that you coach.
''You do tend to have a really good rapport with them and ties with them. We still have contact with a number of our students that we coached.
''That's the biggest reward, just to see kids succeed, or see them succeed as young adults as well.''
She said developing an ethic through sports was something that transferred into the classroom and made for a nice all-round environment.
''Even with the teachers that come and watch on the side, the kids see that and it's positive stuff.
''[It] builds positive relationships with student and staff, that you're taking an interest in what their doing.
''But even just to manage a team, we have staff at school that can't commit themselves to coaching, so they manage. We have senior students coaching, but we have a staff member overseeing the likes of junior netball and even that alone helps, where they drive the kids down to the venue and just building up those relationships. It just makes for a better learning environment, it's just a lot nicer, it gives you a bit of a buzz.''
-By Jeff Cheshire
