Today, December 5, is International Volunteer Day and as such it gives us a chance to say a big thank you to everyone who has helped with One Team, either in the past or in the present day. Volunteers provide essential support for the One Team managers as they look to implement a beneficial program for the participants.

The volunteers’ assistance makes it possible for even more of the participants to get attended to, and this in turn creates a better overall experience with One Team. After all, all together we can accomplish more if we work together as One Team.

“Engaging in One Team allows you to positively influence children's lives, providing them with skills and lessons beyond basketball that contribute to their personal growth,” commented Petros Belsis, who helps Olympiacos Piraeus’s One Team program as a volunteer.

“Contributing to the well-being and happiness of others brings a profound sense of fulfillment and purpose that's deeply rewarding. Overall, volunteering with One Team isn't just about basketball – it’s about creating a positive impact, building relationships, fostering personal growth and contributing to a more inclusive world.”

Last season, 74 volunteers lent a hand to the One Team projects of Euroleague Basketball’s clubs, and there are many who have once again given up their time to positively impact the lives of others.

“For me, being a volunteer means helping others, doing good things that improve other people's lives,” said Anastasia Korablova, who helps Prometey Slobozhanske’s One Team program. “You develop yourself and you’re doing something useful. 

“It is impossible not to smile when you see the grateful eyes of children. It generates positive emotions, brings variety to your daily routine, gives you an opportunity to develop yourself and expand your horizons, while you can also acquire new skills, experience and knowledge.”

“It is a very healthy atmosphere where we all are connected through sports and want to be better,” added Caterina Reissenveber, a volunteer with Zalgiris Kaunas’s One Team program. “Volunteering, not just in this program but in general, will improve you in different fields and help you to connect with people from around the world.”

It is a big commitment to give up your time to help others, but this is what volunteers do for One Team right across the continent. Yet, as Christie Miliordou puts it, a volunteer for Olympiacos’s One Team program, there is a big reward for that sacrifice: “There’s nothing like seeing the smile on children’s faces when we are laughing and playing together!”

The participants in the One Team programs of Euroleague Basketball’s clubs are at the forefront of everything to do with the program, but none of it would be possible without the help of the One Team managers and volunteers.

Celebrating One Team helpers’ contributions on International Volunteer Day

During their Round 6 matchup, the two teams put their One Team programs front and center.

Reyer, Cedevita came together to celebrate One Team

The clubs in the Euroleague Basketball family do an excellent job of showing the values of One Team, but Umana Reyer Venice and Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana took things up a notch by joining forces to honor what the program represents.

A few weeks ago, on November 7, the Round 6 clash between Reyer and Cedevita at Palasport Taliercio in the 2023-24 BKT EuroCup Regular Season involved One Team participants from the Slovenian club travelling all the way to Venice for the game.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">An amazing night, on and off the court, with <a href="https://twitter.com/KKCedOL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KKCedOL</a> during <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroCup</a> game 🤩 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreAllOneTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreAllOneTeam</a> 🏀❤️ <a href="https://twitter.com/OTEuroleague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OTEuroleague</a> 🤝 <a href="https://t.co/to7wtfk8s4">pic.twitter.com/to7wtfk8s4</a></p>&mdash; Reyer Venezia (@REYER1872) <a href="https://twitter.com/REYER1872/status/1722660321628676322?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Reyer’s One Team participants included individuals from [Co.Ge](http://Co.Ge).S don Lorenzo Milani Società Cooperativa Sociale, which is a social entity that accommodates resident minors who are temporarily without parental care and minors who are in a state of neglect and/or who are subject to proceedings before the Juvenile Court, in addition to unaccompanied foreign minors and foreign minors seeking asylum. 

Cedevita, meanwhile, gave children from the Youth Care Centre Malci Belic Ljubljana – a non-profit center that educates children and youngsters with emotional and behavioral problems, as well as those with learning disabilities – a once-in-a-lifetime experience at Palasport Taliercio.

Before making their way to Palasport Taliercio, however, the participants in Cedevita’s One Team program had a chance to visit the famous Italian city of Venice. Then, later in the day, Reyer opened its doors and allowed them to watch their heroes perform on the parquet. 

But, there was a surprise. At halftime, the One Team participants of both Cedevita and Reyer came down onto the Taliercio court and were able to play together, which provided some added entertainment for those watching on from the bleachers during the interval. In what was an unforgettable experience for the One Team participants from both clubs, there were smiles all round.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="art" dir="ltr">💚🧡 <a href="https://t.co/HAIKWyZP5x">https://t.co/HAIKWyZP5x</a></p>&mdash; Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (@KKCedOL) <a href="https://twitter.com/KKCedOL/status/1722238921084731718?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Later, once the game had come to its conclusion, with Reyer winning 95-87, the One Team participants returned to the court for a group photo alongside both teams’ One Team ambassador. And don’t forget Reyer mascot LeoRay, too! 

“Organizing the trip with the Youth Centre Malci Beliceve has been an incredibly rewarding journey,” said Cedevita’s One Team manager. “Witnessing the joy on the faces of these kids, who have faced challenges from broken families, as they explored Venice for the first time and enjoyed the game fills our hearts with immense happiness. 

“Our mission is to create unforgettable moments, and seeing the spark of excitement in their eyes reminds us that every smile we bring is a step toward building brighter futures. Together we can make a difference, one unforgettable experience at a time.

“We would also like to thank Umana Reyer's One Team program, because they made us feel right at home at their game.”

For Rok, a 14-year-old who is part of Cedevita’s One Team program, he was overjoyed to have taken part in a game together with Reyer’s One Team participants.

“I had an amazing time and would like to say thanks to Matic, Samo and the whole Cedevita Olimpija organization, because they took us on this trip,” Rok noted. “It was my first time in Venice, and I hope we will travel to some more cities. The best thing for me was going to the candy shop and the game we had at halftime.”

Cedevita did a wonderful job of bringing joy to those in its One Team program that made the trip to Venice, and one of the reasons for the trip in the first place was to give these individuals a chance to see a world beyond Slovenia, with many having previously never been outside the country.

Reyer’s One Team program was delighted to welcome their counterparts at Cedevita for this Round 7 initiative, as the Italian club’s One Team manager explained.

"When Matic texted me explaining his idea, I was immediately excited about it. It was a pleasure inviting them to join our One Team group to watch the game together,” stated Roberta Meneghel, Reyer’s One Team manager.

“It was easy to organize it with the cooperation of Matic and Samo, because I think we both understand the spirit of One Team thanks also the workshop we did in Barcelona, where I met incredible people.

“So I thought that making the two groups playing together at halftime in front of all the fans could be an amazing experience for the kids. Different cultures, different races, different teams on the same court, but all with the same passion and love for the game. That’s how we can show everyone that #WeAreAllOneTeam."

Reyer and Cedevita worked together on this amazing project, showing exactly how amazing things can be when we work as a unit. As Cedevita made clear, seeing the participants’ smiles on the bus back to Ljubljana made this trip more than worthwhile and was a reminder just why its One Team program is so important.

After all, when it comes to our communities, we are all One Team.

The 38 teams across the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and the BKT EuroCup came together in Barcelona, Spain, last week for the 13th edition of the One Team Annual Workshop. Ahead of the 2023-24 season, representatives from each of the clubs came together to learn more about One Team and the best ways to implement the One Team methodology throughout the upcoming campaign.

The 13th One Team Annual Workshop was a rounding success!

The 38 teams across the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and the BKT EuroCup came together in Barcelona, Spain, last week for the 13th edition of the One Team Annual Workshop. Ahead of the 2023-24 season, representatives from each of the clubs came together to learn more about One Team and the best ways to implement the One Team methodology throughout the upcoming campaign.

To kick off the One Team Annual Workshop on Thursday morning, Euroleague Basketball representatives Abi Martin and Marcel Maneja welcomed the new clubs and One Team staff before explaining the way in which One Team has so far impacted more than 25,000 participants from underprivileged and at-risk backgrounds.

"I want to highlight the commitment that we are continuing to build all together, but also the high level of expertise that we have seen \[throughout the One Team Annual Workshop\]," said Abi Martin, Director of Sustainability at Euroleague Basketball.

From there, Massimo Komatz from Dolomiti Energia Trento spoke with the group to discuss the One Team journey for both himself and the club. Those clubs that have achieved success with their One Team programs also offered tips to the others, particularly those that will be putting together a program for the first time.

"You won't change the life of people, but you will give them the possibility to change it by themselves," commented Komatz, Trento's One Team Manager.

After a lunch break, a presentation took place that was held by Lucy Mills and saw an introduction by Abi Martin, who welcomed Mehmet Dayioglu, the Turkish Airlines Project Manager, to the stage. Futbol Mas got involved not long after, with the ONG putting on a number of on-court and educational sessions for those present about inclusion, which could then be taken into account during the teams' One Team programs during the season.

The final activity of day one was an auditorium-based presentation on the power of partnerships by Lara Tagliabue from Laureus Sport. She discussed the way in which Laureus Sport's relationship with EA7 Emporio Armani Milan has evolved since their collaboration began three years ago, as well as how they have been able to prolong this partnership over the years.

Day one came to a close with a recap in which the group were able to reflect on the lessons that they had learned, while there was also a look ahead to what will come on day two.

Early on Friday morning, the activities continued with a #BeActive session hosted by the One Team coaches of Panathinaikos Athens and Olympiacos Piraeus. The #BeActive scheme looks to encourage people to take part in sport or a physical activity, which in turn improves health and well-being.

"All of the clubs join together for social purposes instead of competing," said Alex Canals, One Team Manager at FC Barcelona.

Next, those present split up into four groups of 20 as they shared ideas and networked among themselves before being shown examples of best practices by the clubs shortlisted for the One Team Awards.

The groups were able to spend 25 minutes with each session provided, with each including coaches from different teams: Panathinaikos and Olympiacos in the first; Trento and Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz in the second; Milan and Anadolu Efes Istanbul in the third; and Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse and FC Barcelona in the fourth. The first two groups had on-court sessions, while the latter two were conducted via presentations in the auditorium.

The [long-awaited One Team Awards](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/one-team/news/olimpia-milano-takes-home-gold-at-the-2023-one-team-awards/) were next on the agenda, with Lucy Mills and Euroleague Basketball's Abi Martin being joined on stage by Turkish Airlines Project Manager Mehmet Dayioglu and Euroleague Basketball CEO Paulius Motiejunas. In total, six awards were handed out, with Milan winning the One Team Gold Program honor.

After a group photo with everyone cheering "One Team!", everyone reconvened for some presentations during the afternoon by James Rigby from SailGP, Antonia Angermair and Andrea Dehaeck from FC Bayern Munich, and Matt Christie.

"One Team is a family; it's helping others, it's teamwork," noted Angermair, Bayern's One Team Manager.

The earthquake disaster in Türkiye affected everyone in the Euroleague Basketball community. Three of the Turkish clubs' One Team managers – Faruk Savas Demir from Turk Telekom Ankara, Mert Ahmet Gunduz from Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul and Tilda Acar from Anadolu Efes Istanbul – were given the floor to share their experiences and offer advice about what to do in the event of a disaster, as well as how they were affected both individually and at club level.

After two days of learning, the participants at the One Team Annual Workshop can now head back to their clubs and implement the things that they have found out. It was an incredibly fruitful experience for all involved, and everyone is now ready for the season ahead.

The seventh edition of the One Team Awards in Barcelona, Spain, has seen Olimpia Milano and a handful of other clubs rewarded for their terrific work with One Team. As a result of its work during the 2022-23 season, Milan secured the One Team Gold Program prize. Elsewhere, Olympiacos Piraeus was selected as the recipient of the One Team Silver Program, while FC Barcelona secured the One Team Bronze Program award.

Olimpia Milano takes home gold at the 2023 One Team Awards

The seventh edition of the One Team Awards in Barcelona, Spain, has seen EA7 Emporio Armani Milan and a handful of other clubs rewarded for their terrific work with One Team. As a result of its work during the 2022-23 season, Milan secured the One Team Gold Program prize. Elsewhere, Olympiacos Piraeus was selected as the recipient of the One Team Silver Program, while FC Barcelona secured the One Team Bronze Program award.

The other prizes on offer include the Judges' Award for Club Commitment and the Judges' Award for Perseverance, which went to Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse and Dolomiti Energia Trento, respectively. The One Team Ambassador Award was awarded to former Olympiacos forward Sasha Vezenkov.

One Team, Euroleague Basketball's social responsibility program, is now in its 11th year and has been able to count on the support of Turkish Airlines since its inception, in addition to enjoying a long-term partnership with Special Olympics.

Through their One Team programs, all 38 clubs across Europe's two most prestigious basketball club competitions have used the power of basketball to make a difference in their local communities. Last season, many of the teams in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and the BKT EuroCup took their One Team programs to another level, with the clubs all striving to do better year-on-year.

"Thank you all for doing this hard work, I know it requires a lot of energy," said Paulius Motiejunas, Euroleague Basketball CEO. "The challenges are becoming bigger, but you are handling them with greater energy and commitment, so thank you all for doing this hard job. No matter who wins, congratulations to everyone that has been awarded but also to those who were not nominated; I know your impact is enormous on each country that you represent, each city that you represent and each project that you do. For us, it’s an amazing honor to see you doing this."

### Milan's One Team Gold Program triumph

Milan opted to once again partner with Laureus Sport for Good Italia, but new allies were involved in the club's One Team program, too. The Italian side put on awareness sessions to more than 100 participants in a school, while it also put on different events such as One Team Day, auctions and parallel activities relating to its work with One Team. These sessions brought together at-risk youth – children suffering from social, cultural and economic distress, as well as those that may step outside the law – as Milan sought to promote community cohesion through its program.

What's more, Milan's One Team ambassadors from last year – Kyle Hines and Gigi Datome – were a regular presence at the sessions put on by the club. The program's numerous appearances in important Italian media outlets showed the good way in which the club used its communication channels to good effect, too.

"Finally we got \[the One Team Gold Program award\] after a five-year wait; having gone from third place to second place, now we've got it," stated Michele Samaden, Milan's One Team manager. "We are very proud of it. We want to thank our community partner, Laureus, and our commercial partner, Scalo Milano, for supporting us throughout the season. I also want to thank the wonderful One Team organization that helps us every time that we need assistance."

### Olympiacos grabs the One Team Silver Program award

Olympiacos, the recipient of the One Team Gold Program prize in 2021-22 and 2022-23, had great involvement from its ambassadors – Sasha Vezenkov and Kostas Papanikolaou – during last season. Working with 1st Special Elementary School of Agios Dimitrios, which works with children with intellectual disabilities from the region of Athens, the Reds had 39 participants take part in the sessions, of which 25 were new. This was the first time playing basketball for 43% of the group.

The support of its sponsor, as well as different partners, allowed Olympiacos to make its One Team sessions as good as possible. Different events were celebrated as well, such as Earth Day and the 10th anniversary of One Team, while volunteers also had their part to play in the One Team project by offering support and making videos.

"We are so lucky that, as part of our jobs, we can give people and children the opportunity to smile and shine," noted Olympiacos's One Team manager, Penelope Giovanovits. "As part of the One Team program, coaches and volunteers from every club come together to cooperate for something great. This \[One Team Silver Program award\] is a great achievement and it gives us lots of satisfaction."

### Barcelona wins the One Team Bronze Program trophy

 

Through a long-running program between October and June, Barcelona achieved good results during its partnership with the General Directorate of the Juvenile Penitentiary Center (CPJ). There was good engagement throughout from the inmates, who were able to build on the things they had learned in previous sessions and work on values that can help them on their future reintegration into society.

Barca organized a well-structured program that included clear objectives and detailed session plans, making it easier for the participants to understand exactly what they would be doing or learning about.

"This is an award that comes as a result of the hard work that we have been doing throughout the whole season," commented Alex Canals, Barcelona's One Team manager. "It's been very challenging to make the activities as successful as possible, but in the end we got there. We look back on last season's One Team program with a lot of pride."

### Sasha Vezenkov: winner of the One Team Ambassador award

Vezenkov helped guide Olympiacos to the EuroLeague Championship Game in the 2022-23 season, which helped him secure the EuroLeague MVP trophy in the process, but off the court, together with Kostas Papanikolaou, he brought big smiles to the participants of the Reds' One Team program. His great involvement in the sessions, in which he showed interest and curiosity regarding the kids' problems, together with his enthusiasm and energy in all the activities he was involved in, made a big impact on the positive evolution of the participants during the whole year.

The 28-year-old did his all to help where possible, too, such as asking what he can do to aid Olympiacos's One Team efforts with getting donations at Christmas. What's more, he went out of his way to explain the One Team program to his teammates and played a role in arranging for them to visit sessions.

### Bourg lands the Judges’ Award for Club Commitment

One of the keys to Bourg's One Team sessions during last season was the way in which it emphasized the participants' need for independence. Several partners got involved with the program in order to aid the efforts of Bourg, which also had three players from the under-21 side take part in coaching drills for those involved. Throughout various sessions, the impressive management and enthusiastic commitment from Bourg ensured that the program was able to achieve its goals.

 

### The Judges' Award for Perseverance goes to Trento

Trento put together an innovative and challenging One Team program in 2022-23, which involved the club working with inmates aged between 26 and 35. In challenging circumstances, One Team ambassadors Mattia Udom and Toto Forray showed a good level of involvement during the sessions.

There were clear, strong objectives that were set for the participants, which had good links to day-to-day life skills. There were some challenges for those running Trento's One Team program, such as a challenging set of participants and a complicated situation with the social partner as it was a prison, but they persevered and were able to overcome some tricky obstacles.

The winners from the One Team Awards pose with Euroleague Basketball CEO Paulius Motiejunas, Turkish Airlines Project Mananger Mehmet Dayioglu and the One Team staff.

Milan takes home gold at the 2023 One Team Awards

Just as so many star players are earnestly preparing for the upcoming season, Euroleague Basketball corporate social responsibility program One Team will hold a two-day training camp this week to assure that the power of basketball continues to be a vehicle for positive change in communities all across Europe.

One Team workshop to tip off ambitious new season of serving communities

Just as so many star players are earnestly preparing for the upcoming season, Euroleague Basketball corporate social responsibility program One Team will hold a two-day training camp this week to assure that the power of basketball continues to be a vehicle for positive change in communities all across Europe.

The 13th One Team Annual Workshop will see representatives from all 38 teams of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and BKT EuroCup come together in Barcelona on Thursday and Friday to learn, exchange ideas and collaborate as they aim to maximize the effects of their individual club programs going into the 2023-24 season.

New clubs and staff members will be trained with the help of long-time members in a proven One Team methodology that has already impacted tens of thousands of at-risk people from all walks of life – from the physically and mentally disadvantaged to incarcerated youth to victims of natural disasters and many, many more.

All clubs will hear from outside experts representing Futbol Mas, SailGP and think Beyond about the challenges at-risk groups around Europe are facing, particularly those related to inclusion. They will also learn about Euroleague Basketball's sustainability work and the opportunities that exist to expand upon it.

Another highlight of the event will be the announcement of the One Team Awards to acknowledge and celebrate those nominated clubs that took their positive impact on communities furthest last season. There is also an award for the top One Team Ambassador from among the players in every club who take time out to actively deliver benefits to the program participants.

"For more than a decade, our clubs and players have repurposed basketball as a means to inspire, educate and lift up those who need help for countless reasons in diverse settings and cultures," Roser Queralto, Euroleague Basketball's Chief Business Development Officer, said. "The One Team Annual Workshop is a chance not only to thank them for their heartfelt efforts but to tap their growing knowledge to continue bringing transformative experiences to struggling groups among us."

One Team, supported by Turkish Airlines as the One Team Founding Patron and with the collaboration of Special Olympics as Proud Partner, uses basketball to achieve real social impact in our communities. With an innovative model of interconnectedness across an entire continent, Euroleague Basketball and its clubs have developed a complete CSR program that brings together activities from each team in an integrated, impactful way, working under the theme of "community integration" that actively addresses targets of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 10 on Reduced Inequalities.

Playing sport while having a disability is full of different difficulties, but for Manuel, a 23-year-old from Bologna, his love for basketball went to new heights thanks to the work of Virtus Bologna and its One Team program. While he had encountered problems when playing wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis, the sport of Baskin suited him to a T – and Virtus's One Team sessions helped bring out the best parts of Manuel's personality.

Playing sport while having a disability is full of different difficulties, but for Manuel, a 23-year-old from Bologna, his love for basketball went to new heights thanks to the work of Virtus Segafredo Bologna and its One Team program. While he had encountered problems when playing wheelchair basketball and wheelchair tennis, the sport of Baskin suited him to a T – and Virtus's One Team sessions helped bring out the best parts of Manuel's personality.

First of all, perhaps it is important to explain Baskin a little. Baskin is a very inclusive sport in which players with no disability are able to play alongside people with different levels of issues, thanks to a series of specific rules that ensure everyone involved can take part and try to win.

As a big fan of Virtus and someone who picked up Baskin at 22, Manuel was naturally very excited to join the Italian club's One Team program. Playing at center for PGS Welcome Baskin Bologna, where he is one of the team's main scorers, he found a sport in Baskin that made him feel comfortable as it brings together many different people with different conditions.

Through One Team, Manuel saw his dream come true as he scored a basket in front of 9,000 people at Virtus Segafredo Arena during halftime of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague game between Virtus and FC Barcelona. In fact, Manuel was taken aback by the chance to score a basket in front of his fellow Virtus supporters; so much so that he didn’t even remember what happened in the first half and later cried with happiness for two days.

There were several key learning moments for Manuel during the One Team program, such as acting as a Baskin teacher to Virtus and Magika Pallacanestro's youth-team players. He also had a special conversation with Virtus's One Team ambassador last season, Kyle Weems, who was taught the rules of Baskin by Manuel. Fellow Virtus player Daniel Hackett was another who was able to discover the incredible sport of Baskin.

After speaking with the likes of Weems and Hackett, Manuel was able to see his basketball idols as normal people who have their own strengths and difficulties. What's more, by playing Baskin with players from Virtus and Magika's youth setup, Manuel hopes that they now understand the importance of inclusion both on and off the court.

Prior to his experience with One Team, Manuel felt anxious when preparing to play a game of Baskin. However, it didn’t take long for him to understand the importance of focusing on doing his best to help his team. Baskin may have been part of Manuel's life prior to One Team, but Virtus's project helped him – and the others – feel a sense of togetherness, which in turn aided their growth as individuals.

One of the main things that helped Manuel and the group get a better understanding of themselves were the sit-down chats that the One Team participants had following the Baskin sessions. There, they would discuss what happened on the court in a calm, tranquil manner.

PGS Welcome Baskin Bologna, Virtus and Magika all worked in unison throughout the One Team program, with all three teams now cheering each other on whenever they have games. Manuel was able to complete one of his dreams thanks to Virtus and One Team, and it is an experience that he will never forget.

Virtus's success story: Manuel saw his dream come true

For kids growing up in the district of Gratosoglio in the Italian city of Milan, it is not always easy to find a safe haven to socialize. Yet, thanks to Olimpia Milano and its One Team project, children that otherwise would have been forgotten about have been given an opportunity to develop themselves as individuals. Here, we discuss the success stories of three children involved in Milano's One Team sessions in the 2022-23 season: Emma, Josuè and Sama.

Olimpia Milano's success stories: The power of basketball

For kids growing up in the district of Gratosoglio in the Italian city of Milan, it is not always easy to find a safe haven to socialize. Yet, thanks to EA7 Emporio Armani Milan and its One Team project, children that otherwise would have been forgotten about have been given an opportunity to develop themselves as individuals. Here, we discuss the success stories of three children involved in Milan's One Team sessions in the 2022-23 season: Emma, Josuè and Sama.

In the case of Emma, she joined Milan's One Team program late, coming along for the first time during the third session, but it didn’t take long for her to come out of her shell. After all, she had only agreed to take part as she wanted to be close to her friend Martina, who is a big Milan fan.

Emma typically struggled to deal with her insecurities in the past, but she nevertheless joined in with one of the group activities and, just like that, she felt at home. Despite initially appearing a little lost, she soon started to display the traits of her personality that had previously not been on show. Emma discovered her value as a girl and also as a player, and she came away from the One Team sessions with unforgettable memories, all thanks to getting out of her comfort zone.

Josuè, meanwhile, has a different story. His family was dealing with financial difficulties, yet with the help of the Arcadia Institute in Gratosoglio, he could keep his basketball dream alive. He was able to meet the Milan players and listened intently when they dished out any advice, while the sport of basketball proved to be the perfect way for him to overcome his shyness.

Josuè initially joined Milan's One Team project in 2019 and, despite fearing that he would fail even the simplest of tasks, he now takes everything in his stride. In fact, Josuè has become a reference for many of the individuals who take part in Milan's One Team program, as he is the first to arrive at the gym and has assumed a leadership role among the participants, offering advice – on and off the court – and guiding the others. From his cocoon, he has turned into a butterfly, thanks in large part to the work done as part of the One Team sessions.

Last but not least, Sama. She often felt different to many people around her due to the fact that she wears a hijab, but during the One Team sessions, she was just another member of the group. As the sessions went on, Sama grew and grew in confidence, which resulted in her personality flourishing as a result. She was not afraid to let her opinions be known, too.

Sama regularly displayed her leadership on the court, resulting in her teammates being inspired to follow her advice and desire. She always arrived at the gym with a twinkle in her eyes, and she couldn't wait to get started. Sama may at times feel different to others due to her hijab, but she is also different for another reason – she is a leader, something she discovered thanks to the One Team sessions.

For Emma, Josuè and Sama, they were able to overcome their individual obstacles and take a big leap forward as people, with Milan's One Team program helping them to make big changes in their lives. Thanks to the emphasis placed on problem solving, communication and managing emotions by Milan's One Team coaches, they were successfully able to support Emma, Josuè and Sama. Not only did Milan use the sport of basketball to bring everyone together, but it also used positive language while playing to help enhance the participants' self-esteem and self-efficacy.

The cases of Emma, Josuè and Sama are another set of success stories that have come from One Team, Euroleague Basketball's corporate social responsibility program, supported by Turkish Airlines and with the collaboration of Special Olympics as a proud partner. This past season, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan worked with community partner Laureus Sport for Good Italia for the fifth year in a row, securing a nomination for the 2022-23 One Team Program Awards in the process.

Milan's success stories: The power of basketball

We see thanks to One Team how the sport of basketball can change the lives of individuals, and that was the case for 10-year-old Aida, who was part of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz's program in the 2022-23 season. Every Tuesday, Aida would make sure to attend the One Team sessions put on by Baskonia, even though she felt very shy and somewhat afraid of how she might be received by the others.

Aida's success story: How she came out of her shell thanks to One Team

We see thanks to One Team how the sport of basketball can change the lives of individuals, and that was the case for 10-year-old Aida, who was part of Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz's program in the 2022-23 season. Every Tuesday, Aida would make sure to attend the One Team sessions put on by Baskonia, even though she felt very shy and somewhat afraid of how she might be received by the others.

Baskonia, as it did with the other participants involved in its One Team program, made sure to try and make Aida feel as comfortable. One of the ways in which the club was able to help her was by encouraging her to loosen up a little bit, with the help of her mother, the One Team coach and the social integrator.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">🎙️ Al habla, Aída, Samuel y Babacar en la rueda de prensa de <a href="https://twitter.com/OTEuroleague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OTEuroleague</a> 🔝<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreAllOneTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreAllOneTeam</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoazenBaskonia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoazenBaskonia</a> <a href="https://t.co/2EEtIto0I2">pic.twitter.com/2EEtIto0I2</a></p>&mdash; Baskonia (@Baskonia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia/status/1636057420936912896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

As the weeks went by, Aida's confidence continued to grow and grow. Not only did she become more assured in herself, but she also positively affected the others, helping her teammates where possible. In fact, thanks to her blossoming personality, Aida was able to bring a sense of calmness and tranquility to the group, particularly those who are more active or require more attention. She was also not afraid to step in at times to quickly calm things down if any tension ever spilled over, which was another sign of her growth as part of the program.

"The way she addresses us is always sweet and with very good manners," said Dorleta de la Presa, Baskonia's One Team manager. "Something significant is that we have never had to call her up on any bad behaviors or comments. Aida is one of the participants from the press conference we gave for the One Team Games, and we have to say that her mother was very excited to see her. She is enormously grateful for the opportunity we have given her daughter."

All in all, she helped make the Baskonia One Team leaders' lives easier thanks to taking on the role of a young leader inside the group. Aida joined the program initially because her best friend was playing there, but along the way, she developed her intrapersonal and interpersonal skills, which allowed her to finish the program in a far better position than when she had started. This is yet another success story that has come from One Team, Euroleague Basketball's corporate social responsibility program, supported by Turkish Airlines and with the collaboration of Special Olympics as a proud partner.

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz has been a part of the One Team program for many years and has cooperated with a number of organizations. This season’s partner, Gizarterako Association, focuses on social integration in the region, as the club’s 5+11 Foundation works on the promotion of healthy lifestyle habits with local boys and girls. The club is happy that it was able to contribute to this goal and to provide a space for children to grow and develop.

Ever since its founding in 2012, One Team has been proudly supported by all of the clubs competing under the Euroleague Basketball umbrella. Each year, the teams in both the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and the BKT EuroCup find a way to take their programs to the next level, and the One Team Program Awards is a great way for these clubs to be recognized for the outstanding work they are doing in their communities.

One Team Program Awards short list announced

Ever since its founding in 2012, One Team has been proudly supported by all of the clubs competing under the Euroleague Basketball umbrella. Each year, the teams in both the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and the BKT EuroCup find a way to take their programs to the next level, and the One Team Program Awards is a great way for these clubs to be recognized for the outstanding work they are doing in their communities.

Just like last year, there will be three prizes up for grabs: the awards for the One Team Gold Program, the One Team Silver Program and the One Team Bronze Program. The winners will be announced during the One Team Annual Workshop.

The judging process for the 2022-23 One Team Program Awards will also include thinkBeyond, a social impact and sustainability consultancy that supports leaders and organizations to make a positive impact on the world. The clubs will be evaluated on their One Team program planning and delivery, the involvement of ambassadors during the sessions, the marketing and communications activities that were implemented, and also the involvement of commercial partners.

"We are delighted that the clubs from both the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and the BKT EuroCup have continued their fantastic work when it comes to One Team, and particularly the way they are making a positive contribution to their local communities," said Roser Queralto, Euroleague Basketball's Chief Business Development Officer. "Over the course of the 2022-23 season, the One Team participants were able to benefit from the sessions put on by the clubs in many different countries, so I would like to express my gratitude and congratulate everyone involved in this year’s programs for their huge efforts and the great results achieved, especially to the eight teams who were deemed to have gone above and beyond."

[Anadolu Efes Istanbul:](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/one-team/anadolu-efes-istanbul-one-team-program/) The Turkish club worked alongside Hayal Gucu Merkezi and ANKA Sports Club for its One Team project last season. Throughout the year, Efes made sure to shine a bright light on its program by including a media partner, which ensured the maximum possible visibility in terms of digital platforms. The club's partners were there to support the project, too, while Efes ambassador Erten Gazi was regularly involved throughout the sessions. There was also an educational aspect to the program, as those involved learned about the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.

[Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz:](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/one-team/cazoo-baskonia-vitoria-gasteiz-one-team-program/) Once again, the Spanish club partnered with Gizarterako Association for its One Team program during the 2022-23 season – and once again it has been shortlisted for the One Team Program Awards, having secured the One Team Bronze Program trophy last season. As has been the case in previous years, the partners and volunteers were heavily involved with the participants, while Baskonia did an excellent job of monitoring and evaluating those partaking in its One Team project. The club also put on fundraising events at Buesa Arena involving the children and their parents. Baskonia was a reference in terms of enjoyable drills for the participants, too.

[Dolomiti Energia Trento:](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/one-team/dolomiti-energia-trento-one-team-program/) One of the two BKT EuroCup clubs nominated for this award, the Italian side had a partnership with the Spini di Gardolo Detention Center throughout last season. It was a challenging program in many ways, but what it demonstrated is a great example when it comes to overcoming difficulties. The program was able to grow in popularity as participants were able to bring along friends, which subsequently led to more people getting involved thanks to word of mouth. There were good drills implemented by Trento's One Team coaches, with strong objectives that were linked to life skills.

[EA7 Emporio Armani Milan:](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/one-team/ea7-emporio-armani-milan-one-team-program/) Together with Laureus Sport for Good Italia, the same organization Milan paired with last season and received a nomination for the One Team Program Awards, the Italian club was able to put on awareness sessions for more than 100 participants. This not only created a big impact on the school but also in the local media, with 22 articles being written about the project. One of the ways that Milan was able to create further growth with local partnerships was by setting up different events, such as auctions and activities around its One Team program. What's more, Milan's One Team ambassadors, Kyle Hines and Gigi Datome, regularly demonstrated their commitment to the program by attending sessions.

[FC Barcelona:](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/one-team/fc-barcelona-one-team-program/) The Spanish club partnered with its foundation and the General Directorate of the Juvenile Penitentiary Center to create a well-structured program, which included clear objectives and detailed session plans. Although 57% of the participants had never played basketball before, Barca was able to achieve good levels of engagement from the inmates. The One Team leaders had learnt from their previous projects, too, by increasing the time of the sessions and widening the scope of those who are able to take part. By the end of the program, Barca was able to see some strong survey results and discover a powerful story about a participant's change thanks to One Team.

[Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse:](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/one-team/mincidelice-jl-bourg-en-bresse-one-team-program/) One year on from being selected as one of the finalists for the One Team Program Awards, Bourg is once again in contention following its new partnership with Adapei de l'Ain. In addition to excellently planning the sessions and putting in place a structured program, Bourg's One Team leaders set some strong objectives relating to the ways in which the participants could increase their level of independence. There was engagement from several partners through the sessions to aid the delivery of the program, and those individuals taking part also had a chance to learn more about nutrition as an additional educational session. Bourg regularly posted clips of its One Team sessions on social media as well, which helped keep fans up to date with the program.

[Olympiacos Piraeus:](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/one-team/olympiacos-piraeus-one-team-program/) The winner of the One Team Gold Program award in each of the last two years, the Reds once again paired with the 1st Special Elementary School of Agios Dimitrios to deliver its One Team program. The club's One Team ambassadors, Sasha Vezenkov and Kostas Papanikolaou, were a constant presence throughout the sessions, while there was also a strong endorsement from the school, which was the social partner. Olympiacos was able to put on different events thanks to the support of its sponsors and partners, with special celebrations for Earth Day and the 10th anniversary of One Team. There was also plenty of support from the volunteers, who helped make videos that were then posted on social media.

[Panathinaikos Athens:](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/one-team/panathinaikos-athens-one-team-program/) In partnership with Special Olympics Hellas, the Greens set some strong program objectives and were able to improve on their previous on-court sessions. The team's One Team ambassadors, Paris Lee and Derrick Williams, took a hands-on role when it came to the sessions, while Panathinaikos was supported by its club partners when it came to putting its One Team sessions together. In terms of media coverage, Panathinaikos made sure to write a dedicated piece for each volunteer, as they praised the sacrifice that these individuals have given in order to help the participants.

One Team, supported by Turkish Airlines as the One Team Founding Patron and with the collaboration of Special Olympics as Proud Partner, uses basketball to achieve real social impact in our communities.

With an innovative model of interconnectedness across an entire continent, Euroleague Basketball and its clubs have developed a complete CSR program that brings together activities from each team in an integrated, impactful way, working under the theme of "community integration" that actively addresses targets of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 10 (on reduced inequalities).