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As the first phase of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan's One Team project came to a close, 140 students from the Arcadia Institute took part in [a training day with the club's One Team instructors and members of the first team](https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=845554956517569) at Assago Forum. 

Using three buses provided by Milan, the students and their teachers arrived at the arena and were welcomed by the club's One Team leaders, who guided them into the stands. They were then able to watch the first part of the players' practice.

At the halfway point of the practice, the students were able to go down to the court to see the players, who greeted them with love and affection. There were plenty of high fives going around, too! Shortly after, everyone got together to take a group photo with the tag 'One Team'.

The students then returned to the stands for the second half of the practice, as they watched the players engage in shooting drills. Once the practice had come to a close, the students were able to step onto the court once again, but this time for a session of their own.

Led by Milan's One Team coaches, Marilisa, Alessandro and Domenico, the seven classes took part in a shooting competition. The students were arranged in two rows behind the baseline in their respective halves of the court before the activity got underway. One after the other, they dribbled to the middle of the court, turned back around and passed to their partner. Then, they positioned themselves to shoot and tried to get a teammate free, before everyone shot together as part of the shooting challenge.

After, the four classes that scored the most baskets were able to advance to the semifinals. The competition closed with a very evenly balanced final, which was decided by a single basket. Once the activity had come to a close, everyone joined together for one final shout of "One Team!" As the students left the arena, they received a small gift from Milan.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="it" dir="ltr">Grandi emozioni al One Team Day per 140 studenti ➡ <a href="https://t.co/3Anv8O7OO1">https://t.co/3Anv8O7OO1</a> <br><br>💙<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/insieme?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#insieme</a> <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://twitter.com/LaureusSport?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LaureusSport</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ScaloMilano?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ScaloMilano</a> <a href="https://t.co/FYJJtmvxc2">pic.twitter.com/FYJJtmvxc2</a></p>&mdash; Olimpia Milano (@OlimpiaMI1936) <a href="https://twitter.com/OlimpiaMI1936/status/1615365142769766401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Laureus, Milan's social partner, compiled some short interviews with the students and the players during this enjoyable day. One of the players who was spoken to was Milan's One Team ambassador, Kyle Hines, who had an important message for the students:

"It is cool to see so many kids and so many people enthusiastic to see our practice and see us play, but the thing I would recommend as a parent and as a dad is to keep following your dream. You know, stay motivated. Pursue your dream and pursue everything that you love and want. But also enjoy yourselves. Enjoy life, enjoy every day and make sure that you're happy with everything and anything that you do."

The second phase of Milan's One Team program will begin in the not-too-distant future.

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.

Milan's One Team Day a great success

For the last decade, Olympiacos Piraeus has helped those in the community thanks to its One Team program. As a way of celebrating the 10th year since the inception of the Reds' social responsibility program, an event was held to commemorate the occasion featuring this year's One Team participants, in addition to members of the current first-team squad, the club's social partners and also some players, organizers and volunteers that have contributed to the program in the last 10 years.

On the morning of Monday, December 19, the organizers of Olympiacos's One Team program set up a friendly game involving players from the Reds' first team and the One Team participants. Rather than focus on winning, the goal was to ensure that everyone enjoyed themselves and that there were as many smiles on view as possible, and both of these objectives were achieved. Olympiacos head coach Georgios Bartzokas was the referee for this friendly game, and he was happy to have participated in the event.

"This has been a much more pleasant experience than what I would have imagined," said Coach Bartzokas. "I had an idea about what was going on; I knew about the actions our team has undertaken with Kostas Papanikolaou and Sasha Vezenkov. I know how much they have worked with these kids for years now. So, I had an idea \[about the program\], but I could not have imagined the amount of joy this event would give us! The kids enjoyed themselves too, but they also gained strength. I feel very happy to have participated, even if it was just with a small role."

The fun didn't end there, though, as there were some Christmas surprises and the cutting of a cake to mark the 10th year of Olympiacos's One Team program. As you might expect, this also brought big smiles to the participants' faces!

"You learn about the meaning of unselfishness, of true love, about what a sincere hug means," explained Olympiacos team captain and One Team ambassador Kostas Papanikolaou. "Smiles that don't need any reciprocation to be offered; the only thing they need is for you to be there to play and share in their joy. It's a blessing and there are not enough words to describe it. Only someone who has experienced it and has had the opportunity to spend time with these kids can understand. I would suggest that everyone does something like this, 200%! The emotions you get to experience and the joy you derive are greater than the joy you give back to these kids."

Olympiacos starters Sasha Vezenkov and Thomas Walkup also expressed their joy at being involved in Monday's One Team celebration.

"It's my fifth year with the program; Kostas has been active with it even before that," commented Vezenkov, who is the team's other One Team ambassador. "Each time we are with them, we really enjoy it, we see their smiles. For us, this is the most important part: to watch these kids being happy, sharing activities, and offering them even the slightest joy whenever we are able to meet. I'm very happy that today we got to see old and new friends and we all together got to play, laugh and escape the everyday routine – both ours and theirs."

"These kids teach us 100% more things than what we get to teach them," added Walkup. "It's five or six months before the end of the season and sometimes you need to check in with reality. You come to the gym every day and it's hard, because your body hurts, your spirit is suffering, you feel tired, you miss a few games and feel sad for yourself. And then you come here, you play a game like this one and you realize a lot; you realize that you need to be grateful for what you've got. You see how these kids look at you, that they see you as a role model and you see that they would give everything to play a basketball game. To tell you the truth, this is the easiest thing we can do for these kids. However, it has been a special day and I'm happy we did that."

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.

Olympiacos celebrates 10th anniversary of its One Team program

Ambassadors meet Baskonia's new One Team participants

A new season of One Team's spirit-lifting magic is already underway in northern Spain as Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz has hit the ground running with its time-tested program for giving local children at risk of exclusion better tools to achieve community integration – not to mention plenty of fun!

One early highlight this autumn was a visit from the Baskonia's trio of One Team Ambassadors – Matt Costello, Arturs Kurucs and Pierria Henry – all of whom answered questions, played games and bonded with children from the club's 5+11 Foundation, which promotes healthy lifestyles, teamwork and tolerance with the collaboration of the Gizarterako Association.

"This is what it's all about," said Henry, who as Baskonia's One Team Ambassador two years ago, couldn't have direct contact with the participants due to the pandemic. "As you look around and see the smiles on their faces, these kids are so full of life, no matter what they are going through... It's an amazing experience, and I'm just thankful to be a part of this and to be able to help these kids in any way that I can."

The program is dedicated to children from immigrant backgrounds and others with the potential to become marginalized from society. This season, 16 children aged 5 to 12 will participate in the program, which lasts from October to May and includes activities such as music, yoga and camps.

"For me it was wonderful and a lot of fun to be able to share that day with the three ambassadors," one of the participants, Prosper, said after the session with the three ambassadors. "It will be one of the days I will never forget. Whenever I think of them and the day, the memories will always be very good."

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.

The 2021-22 One Team award honorees [received their prizes at the One Team Annual Workshop in September 2022](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/one-team/news/olympiacos-repeats-as-one-team-gold-program-honoree/) and over the last few weeks, those teams have shined a light on these achievements by staging on-court celebrations at Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games. By sharing their achievements with their fans, their social partners, the local media and the community, these clubs have shown their immense pride at being recognized for the work they are doing with their One Team programs.

Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, Olympiacos Piraeus and EA7 Emporio Armani Milan were all deemed to have gone above and beyond with their One Team programs during the last season, which resulted in them being rewarded for their efforts during September's One Team Annual Workshop.

In the case of Baskonia, it used its first home game of the season as an opportunity to share its One Team Bronze Program accolade with its fans. On October 14, 2022, just before taking on Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade, Baskonia had a pre-game ceremony centered around its award, which included a delegate from the Gizarterako Association and two One Team participants from the program, as well as representatives from the club. During halftime, the One Team participants also had the chance to show the Baskonia fans what activities they have been doing with the One Team program.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="es" dir="ltr">🏆 Presentado ante la afición baskonista el bronce de los premios One Team Awards 2022 🔵🔴<br><br>🤗🤗<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoazenBaskonia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoazenBaskonia</a> <a href="https://t.co/vZUMcC99xK">pic.twitter.com/vZUMcC99xK</a></p>&mdash; Baskonia (@Baskonia) <a href="https://twitter.com/Baskonia/status/1581003315466600449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

On the same date, prior to its first home game of the season against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, Fenerbahce organized a pre-game ceremony involving its One Team participants from the 2021-22 season. In addition to these individuals, there were program volunteers, those involved with the Fenerbahce One Team staff, and representatives from Beko on a night when the club honored its One Team Silver Program award.

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border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; 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Less than two weeks later, Olympiacos took the turn of celebrating its One Team achievements, having won the Gold Program prize while forward Kostas Papanikolaou took home the One Team Ambassador Award. On October 27, before its second home game of the season, but its first with fans in the stands, Olympiacos had a halftime ceremony against AS Monaco in which Papanikolaou was joined on the court by some participants of the club's One Team program. 

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This is why we play!<br><br>🫡 <a href="https://twitter.com/K_pap16?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@K_pap16</a> !!! <a href="https://twitter.com/OTEuroleague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OTEuroleague</a> <br>#<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OlympiacosBC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OlympiacosBC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreOlympiacos?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreOlympiacos</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TogetherWeFight?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TogetherWeFight</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreAllOneTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreAllOneTeam</a> <a href="https://t.co/OuLbez0JYi">pic.twitter.com/OuLbez0JYi</a></p>&mdash; Olympiacos B.C. (@olympiacosbc) <a href="https://twitter.com/olympiacosbc/status/1585689697380073495?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Last night, when it faced Virtus Segafredo Bologna, Milan had two events to celebrate its One Team Award achievements. Before the game got underway, [center Kyle Hines received his One Team Global Ambassador Award](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/one-team/news/hines-honored-with-special-one-team-global-ambassador-award/?pageTitle=Homepage&historyUrl=/one-team/) in front of Milan's fans at Mediolanum Forum. Then, during the break between the first and second quarters, the Community Development honor that Milan won was commemorated, involving representatives from the club and Laureus, as well as individuals from Milan's 2021-22 One Team program.

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.

One Team Awards take center stage

A special One Team Global Ambassador Award has been given to veteran Kyle Hines of EA7 Emporio Armani Milan during the EuroLeague ELPA Players Representatives Meeting on Monday at league headquarters in Barcelona.

Ever since he first became involved with One Team back in 2012, the inaugural year of Euroleague Basketball's social responsibility program, Hines has displayed all the qualities that align with the One Team pedagogy. His involvement and dedication to One Team have been comprehensive, as Hines has promoted the program's values and inspired young people both locally and across the continent in his role as Global Ambassador.

The 2021-22 season in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and the 7DAYS EuroCup marked the 10th anniversary for One Team, and the special award for Hines coincided with the EuroLeague Players' Sustainability Session on Tuesday. The focus of the session was how players can be relevant voices in support of sustainability. During this discussion, player representatives from all 18 EuroLeague teams learned about Euroleague Basketball's sustainability plan, the ways in which they can act as sustainability advocates, and how Adidas and other Euroleague Basketball partners are aiding the efforts of the league in working towards its sustainability goals.

Hines first became a One Team Ambassador for Olympiacos Piraeus in the 2012 season and was then named the One Team Global Ambassador in December 2013. Since leaving Olympiacos in 2013, Hines continued his One Team responsibilities while playing for CSKA Moscow and Milan, performing the duties of the One Team Club Ambassador or the One Team Global Ambassador. He also won four EuroLeague titles during his playing career and is one of just three players ever to become champion more than once with each of two different teams.

"I talk to all the guys on our team or other teams about the importance of One Team and having an impact within their communities, what it means not only to the players, but also to the people that are involved and the example that it shows," Hines said after receiving the award.

"To see the organization, the initiative, the mission continue to grow year after year has been incredible. For me, One Team is my favorite part of the year. I mean, obviously, I'm a basketball player and I love doing all the things on the court. But off the court, to see how much of an impact One Team is continuing to have throughout the communities, throughout all of Europe, it is definitely something special."

Hines has not only had a positive impact on the communities where he has played but has also taken part in events organized by Euroleague Basketball on a continent-wide basis. Over the years, he has regularly been present for the One Team Games celebrations, in addition to the One Team events that take place during each season's EuroLeague Final Four, for which he qualified as a player nine times consecutively, a record.

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, among others. Since its founding in 2012, the One Team program has reached already, directly and indirectly, more than 24,000 participants through its various team projects.

Hines honored with special One Team Global Ambassador Award

The workshop began on Tuesday with an introduction for new One Team managers and coaches from Euroleague Basketball representatives Vita Petrauskaite and Marcel Maneja, who explained the importance of One Team's impact on more than 24,000 underprivileged and at-risk participants to date.

Next, guest experts from the international social responsibility organization Fútbol Más stressed the importance of focusing on development through sport, rather than using sport as a competitive tool, to keep social inclusion as the focus. Using a series of games, Alfonso Cevallos, Claire Seang and Seppe Verbist outlined Fútbol Más's pedagogy and how the teams can mirror something similar.

Later on Tuesday, the workshop participants moved to a local gym for a team-building session run by thinkBeyond's Radha Balani before Eleanor Lee from Goal Click provided tips on creating compelling digital media content, asking the club representatives to contribute short clips for an Instagram reel. On Wednesday, she returned to use those clips to train the clubs in how to use the best tools available to show on social media exactly how the One Team program is implemented and its far-reaching impact.

The workshop was also attended by representatives from Turkish Airlines, One Team's Founding Patron; Special Olympics, the program's long-time Proud Partner; and One Team supporting brands BKT and Adidas.

Among the speakers at the gym was former champion David Rivers, a Euroleague Basketball Ambassador, who said: "You are going to be the focus, you are going to be the spark of bringing these tools, this platform, to your organization, which should impact your community. If you think about the significance of that... I enjoy doing this more than any championship I've ever won."

The first day closed with the six One Team Awards nominees – [Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/one-team/news/baba-flourishes-with-baskonia-and-one-team/), [Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/one-team/news/juliette-hits-new-heights-with-bourg-and-one-team), [Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/one-team/news/cem-gains-confidence-with-one-team-and-fenerbahce), [Olympiacos Piraeus](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/one-team/news/one-team-and-olympiacos-let-kay-flourish/), [Zalgiris Kaunas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/one-team/news/ruta-develops-confidence-with-zalgiris-and-one-team/), and [EA7 Emporio Armani Milan](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/one-team/news/milan-teaches-persistence-through-one-team/) – sharing advice and the secrets of their success with the larger group.

Wednesday's workshop sessions opened with Euroleague Basketball's Abigail Martin and Turkish Airlines representative Emel Sonbahar looking at the current status of the One Team program and detailing its opportunities for growth moving forward. Next, the work that One Team does to support brands, communities and individuals was discussed by Salvador Periago, Judith Plaza Gascon and Sheyla Mohammad Molina from La Rotllana, while Duna Pigrau introduced the sustainability purpose that Basquet Girona has embedded at the core of its business.

The ensuing talks addressed the problems that displaced people face, with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative Edelmira Campos Nuñez explaining how the agency created a sports network to help protect refugees and a support system for young women, in particular. Ramon Garriga, of the Barça Foundation, and Lucy Mills, formerly of the Barça Foundation, stressed the importance of a needs assessment when first meeting migrants and refugees and others experiencing turmoil in their lives.

Next, the clubs heard the emotional story of Fereshtah Rafat, a women's rights activist and journalist who visibly moved the audience with the tale of her journey from Afghanistan to Spain after the Taliban's return to power in her homeland.

"I came here with my handbag and my documents, and some basic things," Mrs. Rafat said.

"After two months, one social worker told me that there is a chance to play football specific for women in Barcelona... Sport really does change lives. Football, like every other sport, can change the situation for a refugee, as it includes them in the community and can help them forget about lots of problems that they have."

Following her emotional speech and the day's earlier powerful messages, it was back to the gym, where the Fútbol Más trio held a series of sessions, exercises and games over three hours to demonstrate how to get program participants warmed up and engaged in One Team sessions. 

Last but not least, the [One Team Awards for the 2021-22 season](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/one-team/news/olympiacos-repeats-as-one-team-gold-program-honoree/) were announced. First, the One Team Ambassador Award was given to Olympiacos forward Kostas Papanikolaou for his stellar work in the community. Next, Milan took the Judges Award for Community Development after the team's impressive work in supporting disadvantaged groups in and around the city. To close the event, the One Team Gold, Silver and Bronze Program awards were revealed. Baskonia secured the bronze prize, Fenerbahce took silver, and [Olympiacos Piraeus won its second One Team Gold Program award in a row](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/one-team/news/olympiacos-repeats-as-one-team-gold-program-honoree/).

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

The 12th One Team Annual Workshop took place near Barcelona last week, allowing Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 7DAYS EuroCup clubs to meet in person again to learn even more about the program and how best to implement its methodology during the 2022-23 season.

One Team Annual Workshop celebrates 12th edition

The 2021-22 winners of the One Team Awards were announced during the 12th One Team Annual Workshop in Castelldefels, Barcelona, on July 14. For the second year in a row, Olympiacos Piraeus won the One Team Gold Program award. The One Team Silver Program prize went to Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul and the One Team Bronze Program trophy was won by Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz.

Additionally, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan was recognized with the Judges' Award for Community Development, while Olympiacos forward Kostas Papanikolaou took home the Best One Team Ambassador distinction.

The One Team program celebrated its 10th anniversary during the 2021-22 season. Ever since its founding in 2012, Euroleague Basketball's social responsibility program has been able to count on the support of Turkish Airlines and its long-term partnership with Special Olympics, as the clubs in Europe's two most prestigious basketball club competitions use the power of basketball to make a difference in their local communities.

Many Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 7DAYS EuroCup teams made strong improvements to their social responsibility programs last season, even though the COVID-19 pandemic made this more difficult due to the restrictions still in place in some countries.

"Once again, we are beyond proud of how so many EuroLeague and EuroCup clubs overcame adversity to deliver important, positive One Team experiences to their participants last season," Roser Queralto, Euroleague Basketball's Chief Business Development Officer, said. "The return to in-person sessions was clearly beneficial to everyone involved, and you only have to see the smiles on the faces of the participants to know that. We wish to congratulate all the award winners for going the extra distance to make their programs as special as they were and to assure that One Team enters into its second decade with even greater ambitions to help more and more people in our communities."

Olympiacos used the values of basketball in its One Team program with the 1st Elementary School of Agios Dimitrios, as it provided assistance for 20 children with intellectual disabilities between the ages of nine and 13 from the region of Athens. The club also had a program that provided expert support and care to adults, minors or adolescents who have spent time in closed child-protection institutions.

Penelope Giovanovits, One Team Manager from Olympiacos Piraeus, said: "We at Olympiacos cannot believe that we have won this award for the second year in a row. One Team is a big family that unites people and clubs, as it creates projects every year that improve lives. We are excited being part of this and thankful for the award. We would also like to congratulate our forward, Kostas Papanikolaou, for winning the Best One Team Ambassador award."

The One Team program implemented by Fenerbahce saw it join forces with club partner Beko to assist students who come from low-income families at the public TEB Atasehir Anatolian High School. These 15 children, aged between 14 and 16, had weekly sessions with Fenerbahce youth-team coaches and experts from Beko to aid them in their development.

Mert Ahmet Gunduz, One Team Manager from Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, said: "One Team was one of Fenerbahce's main focuses since the beginning of the season, and every single member of the Fenerbahce staff – at all levels of the club – worked very hard to help towards winning this award. Thanks to the support of our social partners, we did a great job in these eight months."

Baskonia once again partnered with the Gizarterako Association as part of its One Team program, which focused on social integration in the region of Vitoria-Gasteiz. The club's 5+11 Foundation implemented the One Team methodology to emphasize healthy lifestyles, respect, teamwork and tolerance with local girls and boys.

Dorleta de la Presa, One Team Manager from Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, said: "We want to say thank you to the Euroleague for creating a program like One Team, and for the support they give us every season. For us, the prize is having these families and children with us year after year. "

Recognized for excelling in community development last season, Milan joined forces with Laureus Sport for Good Italia Onlus to support children aged between 12 and 13 from Instituto Comprensivo Arcadia – Milan. This included focusing on life skills and the importance of 'team' and 'community', with 100 children in five classes taking part over a 12-week period.

Michele Samaden, One Team Manager for AX Armani Exchange Milan, said: "It's an honor for us to receive this award. For us, the most important thing about One Team is that it gives us the opportunity every year to grow as people. This allows us to bring positive change to all the people who participate in our project."

The ambassador award won by Papanikolaou pays tribute to the excellent work conducted by players across the competitions in supporting their local communities by engaging actively in One Team.

In addition to the winners, the other teams shortlisted for the One Team Program Awards were Mincidelici JL Bourg En Bresse and Zalgiris Kaunas.

The awards were given out with support from Turkish Airlines representative Emel Sonbahar and Euroleague Basketball Ambassador David Rivers on the second day of the One Team Annual Workshop as clubs learned from their peers and outside expert speakers about ways to continue making further enhancements to the program in order to strengthen the positive impact on the participants.

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, among others.

Olympiacos repeats as One Team Gold Program honoree

Cem gains confidence with One Team and Fenerbahce

*Ahead of the annual One Team Awards, which will be presented during the program's annual workshop in mid-September, we are telling a short success story about each of the six shortlisted clubs. Today we feature Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.*

Cem Baser, born in 2005, is an inclusion student with Down Syndrome. Passion lies at the heart of everything Cem does: he is energetic, sociable and cheerful.

Cem is also a big fan of basketball and has always attended local games with his dad. So, when he joined the One Team program, he was hoping to follow in the footsteps of the Fenerbahce Beko’s Istanbul players he enjoyed watching on the court at Ulker Sports and Event Hall.

Down Syndrome is a condition that creates a lack of understanding, communication and motor skills in individuals. And at the beginning of the program, Cem was a shy boy who was not very comfortable with teamwork and communication.

However, he worked with great devotion for eight weeks on the core life skills of the program, including communication, motivation and team-building. Hakan Soylu, Fenerbahce's One Team Coach, was very impressed with his progress, saying: "Cem is a super-talented kid. He was so open to learning every small detail. His communication, motivation, friendship, relationships and teamwork skills are on a much higher level right now."

<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="tr" dir="ltr">2021-22 Fenerbahçe Beko EuroLeague One Team programımızın değerli katılımcılarından Cem Başer&#39;in hikayesi şimdi sizlerle 🤗💛💙<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://twitter.com/Beko?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Beko</a> <a href="https://t.co/30Xqt4wl0x">pic.twitter.com/30Xqt4wl0x</a></p>&mdash; Fenerbahçe Beko (@FBBasketbol) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBBasketbol/status/1567833120132534272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 

The program has raised awareness of Down Syndrome and, on an individual level, broken down many of the barriers that exist for people with this disability. It has also shown there are no obstacles to dreams, as Cem's joy at participating in One Team and being close to Fenerbahce shows.

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.

*Ahead of the annual One Team Awards, which will be presented during the program's annual workshop in mid-September, we are telling a short success story about each of the six shortlisted clubs. Here is a tale from Zalgiris Kaunas.*

Ruta has always been passionate about sports – especially going for walks and playing table tennis and basketball. However, her lack of confidence and anxiety in social situations meant that she was generally forced to enjoy these activities alone.

At the start of the Zalgiris One Team sessions, those difficulties kept Ruta from engaging with any of her teammates. She avoided social interaction and was anxious when people communicated with her.

The club's One Team coaches recognized how her anxiety and lack of communication were preventing her from progressing in the sport and as an individual. Therefore, the coaches encouraged her to get involved in the games, socialize with her teammates, and become courageous. She gradually began to develop her resilience, not shying away from a challenge or failure in a drill, and started to engage with her teammates.

Ruta now dreams of becoming a professional basketball player and representing Lithuania. Thanks to One Team, these dreams may become a reality. Even more important, she is now a self-confident young girl with the ability to start conversations and make new friends, meeting new people with an open heart and a wide smile.

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.

Ruta develops confidence with Zalgiris and One Team

One Team and Olympiacos let Kay flourish

*The annual One Team Awards will be presented during September’s Annual Workshop, and between now and then we will be telling a short success story from each of the six shortlisted clubs. Here it’s the turn of Olympiacos Piraeus.*

Kay is a 13-year-old boy who has been hosted in an institution for the last eight years. This rejection and abandonment has left him lacking in confidence and often meant he resorted to using violence and aggression to express his frustrations.

Before joining the Olympiacos One Team program, he lacked focus and was generally bored and disruptive in group activities. One Team has changed this. The organized program has provided Kay with a much-needed structure, and basketball has boosted his enthusiasm as well as allowing him to form lifelong friendships.

Kay is now a motivated, positive and calm young boy who aspires to play basketball and become a new Antetokounmpo. He can share his compassion and love with others, including his roommates, and is now able to understand the importance of accepting people’s differences. He has become a key part of the One Team program, sharing his enthusiasm for the sport with those around him and helping those who struggle with new skills.

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.

Juliette hits new heights with Bourg and One Team

*The annual One Team Awards will be presented during September’s Annual Workshop, and between now and then we will be telling a short success story from each of the six shortlisted clubs. Today we feature Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse.*

Juliette is a 14-year-old who was born deaf. Alongside this disability, she also suffers vestibular disorders which impact her energy and limit her coordination, along with a persecution complex that makes her feel as though the world is against her.

Joining Bourg’s One Team program was therefore a huge challenge for Juliette – she felt judged, isolated and often misunderstood. Her physical inabilities meant that even the most basic of drills required immense concentration and exertion. Before starting the program, Juliette could not even catch a ball, but she spent her evenings learning to do so by catching balloons.

With the help of her coaches, Juliette was able to learn that overcoming her fears and her difficulties could bring very beautiful things. Although her natural tendency was to be scared of teamwork, feeling out of place and left out, the One Team group showed her that they accepted her and that they would support her.

Juliette is a role model to all, proving that no obstacle is too great to overcome. She never gave up and persevered with a smile on her face. She wowed her teammates and coaches with her tenacity, encouraging them to keep on pushing her to set new goals and celebrating her achievements along the way.

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.

Zalgiris Kaunas continues the implementation of the social project One Team and announces the cooperation with a new partner - the Association of Lithuanian Children’s Day Care Centers, which brings together young people from socially vulnerable families.

As in previous years, the participants of the project gather for live meetings in Zalgirio Arena’s practice area. The sessions focus on developing different life skills - leadership, teamwork, responsibility, stress management, etc.

One of the key factors for the success of a One Team project is its continuity. One Team works for 8-12 weeks with each group, with each meeting developing different skills in the young people. This helps them to integrate more easily into society and allows them to apply different skills to their daily lives.

“We can already see changes in the young people's behavior after the first session. When we first meet, many of them are withdrawn, shy because they don't know each other. But each time the participants reveal themselves more and more, they show their strengths and are no longer afraid to make mistakes”, says project coordinator Andra Kniukstaite.

This season’s group is not only eager to take part in the activities, but they are also particularly fond of playing basketball, so the opportunity to train in the same space as the Zalgiris players gives them even more motivation and inspiration.

At each meeting, the participants are treated to a special programme prepared by Zalgiris staff and reinforced with advice from the Euroleague Basketball. Discussions, engaging games, new challenges, peer support - these are just some of the things that are given time and attention during the sessions.

One of the things the young people look forward to most is a visit from the Zalgiris players. Arnas Butkevicius and Tyler Cavanaugh are the ambassadors of this season's project, visiting one of the meetings, interacting with the participants, answering questions and competing on the basketball court together. 

The ambassadors were not the only guests who came to the sessions. In order to give the young people the opportunity to gain as many different experiences as possible, they were visited by Zalgiris Kaunas football players, Zalgiris youth team coach Tautvydas Slezas and Zalgiris-2 players, and sports psychologist Aiste Zemaityte.

An important part of the project is its partner Ramirent Lietuva, which has been sponsoring it for the fifth year. The company’s employees are involved in the sessions themselves and also spread the word about the project by wearing hundreds of One Team T-shirts every day.

Other partners are also joining the project. This season, Samsonas is contributing to the events organized by the Lithuanian Association of Children’s Day Care Centers with its products.

These and other partners will have the opportunity to join the activities during one of the last meetings.

Zalgiris has been running the One Team project in Lithuania since 2013 and has received multiple awards for it.

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Olympiacos repeats as One Team Gold Program honoree

Cem gains confidence with One Team and Fenerbahce

Ruta develops confidence with Zalgiris and One Team

One Team and Olympiacos let Kay flourish

Juliette hits new heights with Bourg and One Team