Sports Writer Ivan Carter Lives His Dream in Washington, D.C.

On a given day Ivan Carter, a sports writer for the Washington Post, might pass by anyone from the Ambassador of Japan to a prominent author in his newsroom. Carter, who revels in the diversity of Washington, D.C. as he walks to work, is also a radio and TV commentator, and travels with the Washington Wizards basketball team. 

Carter always knew he wanted to write about sports. Originally from Minneapolis, he played football in high school and at St. Olaf College, from which he graduated in 1997. In high school Carter admits that sports and his social life took more priority than studying, but hands-on journalism experience at St. Olaf College gave him the start he needed to pursue his dream. 

A communications major with a minor in English, Carter also worked as executive editor of the Manitou Messenger, St. Olaf’s weekly newspaper, which he balanced with a spot on the football team. Carter eventually interned at the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Through a connection he made there, he found a position at the Washington Post.

The experience Carter had as editor of the newspaper gave him a taste of how a real paper runs. “It was a grind,” Carter said. He worked on every aspect of the paper — assigning stories, writing, and selling ads. On the nights before the paper came out, Carter stayed up all night working to finish it. His commitment, however, did not go unnoticed.

One particular football game marks Carter’s memory. After Carter played well, one of his professors approached him. Prepared for congratulations on his performance in the game, he was surprised when the professor instead praised one of Carter’s recent pieces for the newspaper. “Coming from a professor, who writes for a living, it put the idea in my head that writing was something I could actually do.”

While Carter’s career is focused on sports, he is currently “obsessed” with reading books about world leaders, which stems from an interest in history he picked up in college. “Every little thing I did at St. Olaf was a preview of what I’ve done and been curious about ever since,” Carter said.

Today Carter uses the interpersonal skills he picked up in college to navigate and appreciate Washington D.C.’s mixture of people. Coming from a high school in Red Wing, Minn., attending St. Olaf was the first time Carter had met people outside his culture. “I learned right off the bat what the real world is like — how to communicate with people from different backgrounds. That, to me, was invaluable.”

When he isn’t submerged in the world of NBA basketball, Carter volunteers at an inner city high school in Washington D.C. where he encourages students to pursue college. “I tell them you are giving yourself the opportunity to do what you want to do — instead of just doing what you don’t want to do.”

Favorite Web site: Hoopshype.com

Favorite Book: Infinite Jest, by David Foster Wallace.

Heroes: Jackie Robinson and Ralph Wiley, one of the first prominent African American sports writers.

Favorite activity: “I go for a lot of walks with my German shepherd, who is the love of my life. I play a lot of sports.”
Why it is important to go to college: It gives you options.
Most surprising thing about college: “I thought I would be in over my head, academically. That wasn’t the case. I obviously had to work hard, but the small class sizes were perfect for my learning style. When there are 10 people in class, you can really interact with professors, which was tailor-made for me.”

More diverse alumni