Mike Hensley has joined the staff of The Messenger as a sports reporter.

Hensley, who is from Fairhope, is a 2012 graduate of Troy University.

“I am getting the opportunity to come back home and start a life long dream of covering sports in a community full of athletic talent,” Hensley said. “Troy sports have been a passion of mine since arriving in 2007. From watching games on television to checking scores from my phone, Trojan sports have been a joy of mine for many years. Now I have the pleasure to not only cover Trojan athletics, but I also have the opportunity to cover sports at a high school and recreation level.”

While in college, Hensley worked with the Tropolitan and has since worked as a sports correspondent for Gulfcoast Newspapers in Baldwin County, focusing on high school sports. “I enjoyed getting to know the coaches and the parents in the community,” he said.

Now, Hensley said he will bring that same community focus to Troy.

“I look forward to getting to know the parents, athletes, and coaches in the Pike County area and to telling their stories to the community,” he said. “Sporting events are more than the final scores and achievements of a particular athlete. They are about teamwork and sportsmanship that will help kids grow in the future. Those among many other things are the topics I waant to express to the community.”

Hensley and his wife, Nikki Johnson Hensley, will move to Troy this month.

Hensley can be reached at 334-670-6315 or via email at mike.hensley@troymessenger.com.