Professional Super League player and Castleford Tigers player, Pete Mata’utia, held a mindset and wellbeing talk and workshop with pupils from Orchard Head Junior, Infant and Nursery School this week. The session for the school, part of Pontefract Academies Trust, gave Pete the chance to pass on his knowledge and experience of growing up in a very humbling background.
Aside from playing in the Superleague, Pete is extremely passionate about working with the youth of today and within the local community. He created age appropriate sessions and allowed for the children to ask as many questions as they wanted about wellbeing but also his career.
Pete Mata’utia said: “As well as being a coach, motivational speaker and positive mindset influencer, I believe, especially after what the children have been through over this past year that I can use my knowledge to have a very positive impact on the pupils mental health, wellbeing and mindset re-focus. It was very encouraging to be welcomed at the school and the children were fantastic.”
Joe Mitchell, Headteacher at Orchard Head Junior, Infant and Nursery School said: “We feel extremely lucky to have been offered the opportunity to have a well known Castleford Tigers player in our school, speaking to the children about a very current topic following on from Mental Health Awareness Week. The children worked hard to prepare their questions and enjoyed listening to the way Pete gave such positive responses. There was certainly a buzz around school today after the sessions.”