Mitchell Henderson is unlike the troubled children he encounters at the Wakefield School in Newcastle.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The product of a close-knit Dunogwan family, Henderson has harnessed his athleticism, emotional intelligence and fierce drive to position himself for an NRL career.
This year, the Newcastle Knights' under-21 No 6 began work as a teacher's aide at the Wakefield School, which caters for a small number of students, in years 5 to 8, who have emotional and behavioural problems.
"It's an eye-opener," the 20-year-old said of the school, adding that the thrice weekly job kept him "very grounded".
Read more:
"As they have it tough, knowing that I can play a positive role in their lives makes me feel very grateful," he said.
The Farrer alumnus previously mentored disadvantaged youths after moving to Newcastle to pursue his NRL dream.
He currently juggles his work at the Wakefield School with his Knights commitments and his teaching degree (secondary) at the University of Newcastle. He aims to become a physical education teacher.
It's a hectic schedule, but Henderson said he "couldn't be happier".
"The boys are good," he said of his Knights teammates. "My living [arrangement] is good. Work is good. Uni is good. So it's all clicking - it's all going well."
It's certainly going well at the Knights. After an indifferent start to the season, the club's under-21 side have won four of their past six matches - with Henderson scoring six tries during that period.
The Knights sit eighth on the ladder heading into a round 16 clash against the fifth-placed Storm at the Cessnock Showground on Saturday.
"It's really good," Henderson said of the Knights' form. "We've just all started clicking lately."
As such, the former NSW Country under-18 representative - who again trained with the Knights' NRL squad in the off-season - said "it's starting to open up a bit" for his running game.
"The team's starting to get some good roll forward ... and I'm just playing off the back of it," he said.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark northerndailyleader.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News
Mark Bode
I’m passionate about writing stories that resonate with people. And I’m genuinely interested in the people I interview; I want to know about them and present their stories in a meaningful way.
I’m passionate about writing stories that resonate with people. And I’m genuinely interested in the people I interview; I want to know about them and present their stories in a meaningful way.
