There are an increasing number of outdoor courts in this area, mainly thanks to the work the Orlando Magic and AdventHealth.
Many kids fall in love with the game of basketball while playing outdoors at parks in their community. That’s especially true here in Florida, where the weather makes it possible to play outside all year round.
As all outdoor hoopers know, it’s vital to play on a court that has safe surroundings, quality surface material, proper drainage, accurate and visible markings, adequate lighting, and pleasant aesthetics.
There are an increasing number of outdoor courts in this area that have all those features, largely because of the work the Orlando Magic and AdventHealth have been doing the last few years helping refurbish outdoor basketball courts throughout Central Florida.
The most recent one was unveiled at Coastline Park in Sanford on Friday, March 28. Not only did the approximately 60 children from the neighborhood get to step foot on the new court, but they also got to participate in a basketball clinic ran by coaches from The National Basketball Academy (TNBA), Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. and Community Ambassador Nick Anderson. The Magic also provided Papa Johns pizza to the kids and gave each of them a team basketball to take home.
“That’s what it’s all about,” Carter said. “Community is about creating spaces where kids and their families and friends can all come together and share moments together. Growing up, I played on all types of courts – hardwood, concrete, anywhere where there was a goal up we played basketball and then you develop a lot of friendships out of that. Working on your skills, working on your game, (so) you are staying active all at the same time. It’s really good for the community. The sky’s the limit with more courts they are going to put up in Orlando.”
The Magic, AdventHealth and the City of Sanford worked together to design this court. It’s the sixth of 20 courts the Magic and AdventHealth plan to refurbish in the Central Florida area. The six courts completed include Wicklow Elementary (August 2021), the Callahan Center (May 2022), the James R. Smith Neighborhood Center (March 2023), Lee P. Moore Park (April 2023), Kissimmee City Chamber Park Community Center (Jan. 2024) and the current one – Coastline Park Community Center (March 2025).
Seeing the new-look court brought smiles to not only the children that were there, but also the adults, including Sanford City Commissioner of District 2 Kerry S. Wiggins Sr., who grew up right around the corner from the park and played basketball there when he was a kid.
“Now being the commissioner in the district, this being done is so much of a blessing,” he said. “Our children have something else that they can look at and say it’s achievable. When you see that people come in and invest and give something back to the community, it allows our children, as well as their parents, to see some great things going on. This is truly a blessing.”
Seeing all those smiles certainly made Carter happy. It was four years ago this month that he was traded to the Magic and ever since he’s made it his mission to give back to this community and lift the spirits of children and families.
What helps drive everything forward for him is being a part of an organization that cares about the community as much as he does.
“It’s one like no other, in my opinion,” he said. “The biggest thing that I noticed when I got traded here is the philanthropic work that they do for the community. I feel like this is probably the best organization when it comes to giving back to the community. Not necessarily just throwing money at the community, but being hands on and doing things like this – building a court for the kids – things that will last a long time and make a lasting effect. That’s something the Orlando Magic organization has done a really good job of and it’s very inspirational for me too for what I am trying to do for the community.”
AdventHealth, an original Magic Champion of the Community partner, has been working with the team on community projects that impact and benefit Central Florida since 1989. Over the years, they have grown their approach in community programming, unparalleled branding and category exclusivity in the area of healthcare while expanding their commitment to the local community.
“We are such ideally matched partners in that we are both deeply committed to the community,” CEO of AdventHealth Central Florida Rob Deininger said. “The DeVos family and AdventHealth have been doing this in Orlando for (over) 30 years – really finding areas we can work together, finding communities we can invest in. It’s what makes all of our communities better when you can get businesses to come together to support projects like this.”
Magic Champion of the Community partners represent organizations that are committed to improving the lives of all Central Floridians and they include AdventHealth, AssuredPartners, City National Bank, Florida Blue, Kia, L3Harris, PepsiCo, ThreatLocker and Walt Disney World.
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