The APE field through the eyes of a podcaster and teacher: An interview with Chris Ahrens

This podcast episode features an interview of Chris Ahrens of the San Diego Unified School District. After graduating from SUNY Brockport with a degree in physical education and completing a master’s program on an OSEP grant, he has spent the last 15 years working in various positions in the San Diego Unified School District until he reached the position of lead APE teacher. They discussed the way in which podcasts connect APE teachers and allow different perspectives to be shared. He discusses lessons he learned the hard way through podcasting, like how to be flexible and how to disagree politely and respectfully. Ahrens has mild cerebral palsy and had a nine-year career with the U.S. Men’s National Paralympic Soccer Team and was recently a finalist for the National Soccer Hall of Fame. Soccer was a huge part of his life, and he described the excitement of watching World Cup games during his childhood and how the transformational power of sports can lift people up. Next, they have dived into how the pandemic has affected the field of education, with a focus on the mental health of students. When looking back on his career up until this point, he stated that in every school situation he found himself in, he left it better than he found it. He advises Masters APE students to rock the boat, as they have the unique opportunity to change the field for the better. When looking forward to the next 20 years of the field, he compares the rise of online programs versus traditional hands-on experience, as these careers in the APE field require hands-on practice to be successful.