Kent State Professor Named President-Elect of National Association for Sport and Physical Education

Stephen Mitchell, Ph.D., a sport pedagogy professor in the School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies at Kent State University, is the new president-elect of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE). He was elected to the position this past spring at the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance’s (AAHPERD) annual national convention in Boston, Mass. A nonprofit professional education association, NASPE aims to enhance knowledge, improve professional practice and increase support for high-quality physical education, sport and physical activity programs.

NASPE, which has been setting the standard for the profession for more than 35 years, believes that daily physical activity is critical to improve school and work performance and the overall health of individuals. As a national spokesperson for the organization, Mitchell will promote high-quality physical education, physical activity and sport programs and lend expertise to tackle the growing epidemic of physical inactivity in children and the importance of physical activity for everyone. 

“My advocacy work at the state level has been very rewarding, and I hope to bring similar efforts in my new position at the national level,” says Mitchell. “I plan to help project  NASPE’s voice even stronger to help forge strong partnerships and identify policy items that are critical to our progress in pushing physical education to the top of the priority list in schools, communities and with governmental leaders.” 
   
At the state level, Mitchell is the president and advocacy committee chair for the Ohio Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (OAHPERD). He served on the writing teams for both the Ohio Department of Education’s Physical Education Assessment project and Physical Education Benchmarks and Performance Indicators.

In addition to his new role, Mitchell will continue teaching as a Kent State faculty member, a position he has held for the last 20 years. Before that, he taught at Syracuse University and in Loughborough, England. He is a published author of two books and more than 30 book chapters and journal articles. He has served as a reviewer for 12 scholarly journals, including NASPE’s own Strategies.
   
Mitchell holds an undergraduate degree in physical education, sport science and history, a post graduate certificate in education, and a master’s degree in education studies from Loughborough University. He also received a doctorate in teaching curriculum, with a specialization in pedagogy and sport psychology from Syracuse University.

For more information about the National Association for Sport and Physical Education, visit www.naspeinfo.org.