MEMPHIS, Tenn. —
PHOTOGRAPHER: RYAN CLEEK
PROJECTED AIR DATE: APRIL 25th
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As the saying goes, the sky is the limit.
Well, a group of Frayser students is testing those limits as they prepare to fly into the future of aviation.
However, most people wouldn’t associate soccer as one way of getting there.
WREG’s Quametra Wilborn breaks it all down in this week’s Bright Spot.
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[NATS OF DRONES BUZZING]
A new sport is buzzing around Greater Praise Christian Academy in Frayser.
Horatio Key/Athletic Director
00:16.59:21
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<“REPORTER: You tend to think football, basketball, but I’m sure drone soccer was never a part of the thought process. INTERVIEWEE: Never in the thought process.”>
Athletic Director Horatio Key says the school has entered the world of drone soccer.
Horatio Key/Athletic Director
00:20.23:09
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<“You come down through here and back up through this way. Then, around all those flags. REPORTER: It’s a lot of navigation? INTERVIEW: Right. It’s a lot of navigation.”>
Horatio says it’s very similar to traditional soccer.
The only difference is that instead of using your feet to kick a ball into the goal, you’re using a controller to navigate a drone into the goal.
You just have to watch out for the other drones looking to get you off track.
Horatio Key/Athletic Director
00:19.42:06
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<“It’s more of a gamers sport than it is a physical sport.”>
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Danielle Allen/7th grader – 13 years old
00:10.37:14
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<“It looked really fun, and then, I also thought about the doors and opportunities it could open.”>
While playing with drones can be fun, their instructor, Cedric Divine, says this program is all about placing the kids on a path to success.
Cedric Divine/Chairman of Soaring to Success/Drone Instructor
00:01.13:11
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<“We create pathways out of poverty.”>
Divine is also the chairman of Soaring to Success, an organization whose mission is to uplift kids by introducing them to drone technology and engineering concepts.
Soaring to Success partnered with the school to not only introduce the sport but also introduce the students to the future of aviation through the school’s new drone pilot class.
Cedric Divine/Chairman of Soaring to Success/Drone Instructor
00:02.02:22
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<” We teach them all the little things they need to know about air traffic control through drone soccer.”>
STANDU[P
00:32.24:07
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<“What makes this program so unique is that because it’s integrated into the core curriculum here, every student that leaves this school will leave here with a drone license completely paid for by the school.”>
Divine says that once the students graduate, they will have everything they need to pursue a career using drones.
He says the average drone pilot can make a starting salary of 50k.
Cedric Divine/Chairman of Soaring to Success/Drone Instructor
00:02.33:15
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<“The individuals that get involved in it now, later on in life you’ll see them doing really well. Their income doing real well.”>
The students are already thinking about how they can implement their new knowledge into their futures.
Gavin Reid/7th grader – 13 years old
00:12.18:16
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<“Ever since I was young, I was already thinking about having a degree in computer science and engineering. So, I was like this could help me along the way.”>
7th Grader Danielle Allen says she wants to be a firefighter.
Danielle Allen/7th grader – 13 years old
00:12.36:03
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<“The idea of drones helping me while I’m fighting a fire. It could help me get a bird’s eye view and just assess the fire.”>
Greater Praise Academy is one of the only schools in West Tennessee with a drone soccer team as of right now.
They hope the program will expand to other schools so they can compete locally and see more kids soaring into the future of aviation.
Cedric Divine/Chairman of Soaring to Success/Drone Instructor
00:00.28:01
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<“This is the beginning, I call it kindergarten, for people getting into aviation.”>
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Gavin Reid/7th grader – 13 years old
00:15.36:16
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<“It really can help you advance into new technology.”>
Reporting for your news leader from Frayser, Quametra Wilborn, WREG News Channel 3.
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