On the court, Wendell Carter always tries to make sure he lives above the rim. This is something centers need to be able to do and Carter is constantly striving to exceed his yardage.
In Friday’s game against the New York Knickshe was criticized for his poor job controlling the glass against the great Knicks team. Sunday night against the Indiana Pacershe seemingly went out of his way to make sure he got rebounds, recording a game-high 15 rebounds, including six offensive rebounds.
Both matches ended in disappointing defeats. But everyone knows the Magic will make their triumphant return to the Playoffs this season. There is much to hope for.
But that wasn’t the first thing Carter thought about when he was flying.
Before a growth spurt took him to 6-foot-5 in high school before reaching 6-foot-10, Carter had a much rarer dream that he was chasing. He was looking for a different type of escape.
When he was younger, Carter wanted to become a pilot.
As he tells it, he played some kind of aviation video game growing up and was interested in flying. Taking his first flight at the age of 12 or 13 was incredible for him and he turned to his mother and told her he wanted to become a pilot.
His mother, Lydia Carter, remembers that this interest had a different origin.
She said the interest came long before he took up his major growing sport. She worked as a construction manager for the Atlanta airport and she would bring Wendell to work with her. He sat in the cockpit at nine years old and that’s when one of the pilots told him he was going to be too big to be a pilot.
Carter said Wendell was heartbroken at the prospect.
But he’s going to try to make things happen in an industry where seeing a driver of color is about as long as a player entering the NBA.
The circle is complete.
As part of his A Platform2 Foundation (A Platform Squared), Carter announced that he is partnering with the Brock Foundation to establish an education program aimed at putting students at Oak Ridge and Evans high schools on the path to becoming pilots.
Carter may not be the one stealing, but he and his foundation will help give a boost to two historically black schools in Central Florida.
“I feel like this is the perfect opportunity for me to help kids get to the NBA,” Carter said at his foundation’s event Monday. “It’s somewhat similar in terms of numbers. For me to at least give the platform and the opportunity to become a driver at some point is amazing.”
The Carter Family Foundation adopted Evans High School and helped strengthen its STEM education programs.
Adding lessons and experiences in aviation through the Brock Foundation and with help from Microsoft exposes students to the industry, prepares them for qualification tests and gives them the skills needed to become future pilots.
It’s something they might not otherwise consider without the spotlight Carter helps shine. This is something Carter has tried to do with his foundation with a focus on improving STEM education.
She is a good person to be an example and shine a light on an industry that is not well represented. Just as he looked up to other basketball players at camps and charity events as a child, he hopes his presence, helping to create opportunities in the classroom, will inspire the next generation.
“I think Wendell is in the perfect position to make an impact with young people,” said Omar Brock, founder of the Brock Foundation which aims to increase representation among pilots and will help organize the academic program at Orlando’s two high schools. “Especially in the African-American community, there’s this idea that I want to grow up and play sports. We identify with him more in the sense that he’s a professional athlete who goes out and wants to introduce them to other ways that basketball. It’s a testament to his character.”
It’s an issue to which Carter has devoted much of his philanthropic efforts.
His leadership and stability have also been essential for the Magic on the court. Orlando has always relied on him as a safety net on defense. A big part of his game – from scouting to rebounding – is about helping others.
This is also the approach Carter took to his foundation work. He is always working to uplift others. This is another opportunity to do it.
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“I think that’s what makes me special with my platform,” Wendell Carter said at his foundation’s event Monday. “It’s one thing to have a platform and to go out there and worry about yourself 24/7. You make that leap as a person when you can bring someone from ‘other with you. Whether it’s one person or 100, if I’m able to touch living in a community that comes from a similar background to me means everything to me.’
