Born in Lima, Peru, Carlos Julian Barriga Bardalez came to Sydney with his family when he was two, bringing a loving family and a passion for the beautiful game: soccer.
When he finished school, he decided to work full time, picking up roles at the Australian Tax Office and then at Centrelink. At night and on weekend he kept on coaching football teams and while he was offered promotion opportunities, he decided his passion really lay in become a sports teacher.
“I wanted to do something more. And I’ve always enjoyed coaching, teaching sport. So I thought, why not?” Carlos said.
“I think it’s important to always try to be a positive role model for everyone.
“I love coaching and I loved sport and I knew if I combined the two I would end up getting a career in education. The chance to further develop other students was important to me.”
He enrolled in a large university initially, but after one semester, realised it was the wrong environment.
“I realized it really wasn’t me – the atmosphere wasn’t my thing. Then I looked into the Australia College of Physical Education (ACPE). I heard about it from word of mouth, from previous students and it wasn’t too far away from where I lived.
“The previous students I spoke to said the ACPE was a great place to study and had a great atmosphere. So I decided to put my application in, and they got back to me really quickly. They gave me a nice campus tour, and I was hooked from the moment I stepped in the door, to be honest.
“Everyone was so welcoming. It was just a great atmosphere to be around. You want to study in a place where you feel so comfortable that you can just be yourself and just make sure you’re on the right path for what you want to do. ACPE covers all those bases.
“I know for a fact that people around me and the staff, everyone involved say, they’re going to nurture me to become the teacher that I want to be.
“We’re like a big family. Everyone bonds together and communicates in such a positive way, that no matter who you talk to, they’re always there for you. And it’s not just the students as well. It’s the staff, the engagement team, the support team, everyone.
Everyone knows each other. They all know you by your first name and your nicknames. I’m very grateful for that.
“I actually tell people to come in now if they ever look into studying sports or anything sport-related. I would recommend ACPE to anyone who ever asked me if they want a career in sport or sports business – any career that is sports related. Yeah, I feel like that’s a great place to start.”
