By Page Chapman

Growing up in the small town of Newark, New York (not to be confused with Newark, New Jersey) the route to success for new Lower School physical education teacher Tyler Stevens was not always the easiest. During high school, Stevens “had no clue what road I wanted to go down.” So he developed a close relationship with his high school counselor. 

While in one of these meetings with his counselor, the counselor made him write down the things that he loved. Two of those were sports and working with kids.

So, this catapulted Stevens to attend SUNY Cortland in upstate New York, where he majored in physical education and health.

On a phone call with a friend who had found a job in Richmond, he asked if Stevens wanted to move in with him. So Stevens packed up all of his things into his Honda Civic and moved in with his friend, without even a job, in 2011.

Before working at Collegiate, Stevens worked as a physical education teacher for four years at New Community School, and another four at Moody Middle School in Henrico County. When a friend who worked at Collegiate let Stevens know about the vacant spot in the Lower School PE department, Stevens was hesitant, but when she asked him again, he gave it a shot. After the interview process, which he described as very “smooth,” he pounced on the opening and started in the fall of 2021.

When I asked him about his time at Collegiate so far, he said it has been “amazing.” He loves how much the kids love to learn, demonstrating one of Collegiate’s core values. Stevens’ main goal in Lower School PE is for “the students to have fun.” He also wants them to participate with “good sportsmanship and respect.”

Photo courtesy of Collegiate School.

As well as working alongside my dad, Lower School PE teacher Page Chapman, Stevens also is a JV tennis coach and a varsity track and field coach. Runner Nasir Diggs (‘28) says, “he pushes us to be better each day, but he also takes the time to understand each athlete individually. He focuses on the little things, which helps us gain confidence.” 

My dad describes working alongside Stevens as “joyful” and his teaching style as “kids first, and he really excites the kids and gets them ready to learn.” One thing that Stevens wants his students to remember after they graduate from his classes is that “physical education should always be fun.” 

Outside of school, Stevens has twin boys, Brooks and Carter, who attend the Faison Center School in Richmond, as they are both autistic. Stevens said, “it is a challenge, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.” His kids are “sweet” and “happy,” which is all Stevens could ask for.