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

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

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22 August 20233 Mins read

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.

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.