AX Armani Exchange Milan's game against Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade last week saw the Italian club celebrate its achievements with One Team, Euroleague Basketball's social responsibility program.

Milan celebrates One Team achievements

During the halftime interval, teachers from the three elementary classes who participated in the project last season were invited onto the court alongside Laureus Italia director Daria Braga and the Laureus Italia managers who carried out the project – Alessandra Stella and Lara Tagliabue – as well as Michele Samaden, Milan's One Team Manager.

Also attending the game were more than 30 boys and girls from the program, for which Milan won the silver medal in the recently announced One Team Annual Awards after a project that focused on community cohesion last season. The program was dedicated to the children of Gratosoglio, a difficult suburb of Milan where people from different backgrounds live at risk of social exclusion. The club worked with a group of 60 children aged 11 from the Baroni elementary school.

During the new season, Laureus and Milan will continue to work together, for the fourth consecutive year, to create more special moments for local people.

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 a theme of "community integration" that actively addresses targets of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 10 on Reduced Inequalities.

Each participating club develops a specific One Team project tailored to its own community needs to benefit groups in danger of exclusion due to problems such as substance abuse and gender, physical or intellectual disability. Since its founding in 2012, the One Team program has already reached, directly or indirectly, more than 23,000 participants through its various team projects.

The 11th edition of the One Team Annual Workshop took place this week, bringing together clubs from the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 7DAYS EuroCup to discuss the best ways they can support vulnerable members of their local communities.

A series of sessions were held online which allowed club representatives to learn ideas for best practices from each other and an outstanding selection of external speakers, discussing challenges and getting inspired as they prepare for the new season, which will mark the 10th anniversary of One Team.

Roser Queralto, Euroleague Basketball Chief Business Development Officer, said: "This year's workshop took place against the backdrop of the global pandemic and we were able to celebrate how our clubs maneuvered the storm, reflecting on what we learned and discussing what we can take forward into hopefully more positive times. Euroleague Basketball is incredibly proud of the clubs who were able to adapt their One Team programs, with all clubs working together towards the common goal of supporting our communities."

This year's workshop saw a specific focus on promoting health and wellbeing, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3. One Team plays a vital role in this aim by providing participants with regular access to physical activity and emotional support through its methodology and through Euroleague Basketball partners such as BKT, which has donated bicycles to all One Team programs.

Several clubs played an active role in the workshop as their One Team Coaches and Managers shared their experiences with the program. The speakers were: Marilisa Zanini and Michele Samaden (AX Armani Exchange Milan); Penny Giovanovits (Olympiacos Piraeus); Dorleta de la Presa (Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz); Manon Fontaine (Minicidelice JL Bourg en Bresse); Julia Ivakina (Zenit St Petersburg); Akvile Dagilyte (Zalgiris Kaunas) and Igor Ryabinin (ALBA Berlin).

The external speakers who offered valuable insights were: Radha Balani (Think Beyond); Kiera Byland Bem (Special Olympics); Dr. Sergio Lara-Bercial (Leeds Beckett University); Lauren Werry (Think Beyond); Fiona Murray (Special Olympics); Graham Herstell (StreetGames); Francis Hargreaves (LFC Foundation); Batouly Camara (Women and Kids Empowerment) and Megan Bartlett (Center for Healing and Justice Through Sport).

Batouly Camara's inspirational session was delivered to the EuroLeague players who met in Barcelona on Wednesday. She emphasized the importance of the mentoring role that players can perform with young people, saying:

"Sports can help you gain transferable life skills. I had mentors that vouched for me early on. So, once the opportunity came it felt like paying it forward by being what I needed to become."

Igor Ryabinin, Head of Sustainability and Social Affairs at ALBA Berlin, explained how the One Team philosophy can also have a wider positive environmental impact in the future, saying:

"It is very important that clubs' top management embrace sustainability as a way of doing business. Then, the unity that clubs have to deliver One Team can definitively be a reference for the clubs to work together to make a relevant environmental impact as well."

One Team Annual Workshop focuses on health and wellbeing

Olympiacos Piraeus has been unveiled as the recipient of the main prize while Adam Waczynski was named winner of the inaugural Best One Team Ambassador award.

Milan, Zalgiris also awarded for their projects

The winners of the annual One Team Awards have been announced. Milan and Zalgiris have also been awarded for their projects. 

One Team, founded in 2012 with the backing of Turkish Airlines and enjoying the long-time proud partnership of Special Olympics, is Euroleague Basketball’s social responsibility program, which sees clubs from all over Europe use the power of basketball to support vulnerable members of their local communities.

The 2020-21 season saw many clubs improve their programs despite the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced clubs to find new ways of connecting with their One Team participants. The achievements of the last year and plans for the future have all been discussed at the One Team Annual Workshop including the presentation of the awards.

“I would like to thank all the participating teams for their commitment to this program. Last season we were all tested by the global circumstances and One Team perfectly symbolizes the capacity to overcome difficulties with hard work and solidarity,” stated Jordi Bertomeu, Euroleague Basketball CEO. “Congratulations to all the awarded programs and I would like to invite you all to enjoy the celebrations we will stage this season for the tenth anniversary of One Team.”

The awards announced by the judges were One Team Bronze Program: Zalgiris Kaunas; One Team Silver Program: AX Armani Exchange Milan; One Team Gold Program: Olympiacos Piraeus.

Penelope Giovanovits, One Team Manager from Olympiacos, said: “We are really happy to win the gold One Team award, but what really makes us glad is that in our tenth year we can keep learning and growing. Using that knowledge to change lives is the biggest award any of us can get. Congratulations to all the clubs because they made incredible efforts and achievements throughout a challenging period.”

Zalgiris One Team Manager Akvile Dagilyte commented: “It feels so good to be among the top three clubs. All the clubs made a great effort in such difficult circumstances. And the real reward is that we, together with all clubs, managed to achieve a great impact in our local communities in this difficult time. And this was the time when our communities needed the One Team program the most.”

Michele Samaden, One Team Manager for AX Armani Exchange Milan, added: “We are very happy about this award, which we share with all the children and teachers at the Baroni School, our partner Laureus and our ambassadors Gigi Datome and Kyle Hines. It has been a difficult season but the desire to help our children has given us the motivation to stay close to them in a different way. It is a great satisfaction to have been able to improve every year the program, which has become richer in content that can really change lives.”

The other teams named on the initial shortlist for the awards were Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse, Unicaja Malaga and Zenit St Petersburg.

The very first One Team Ambassador Award was also presented, recognising the great work carried out by players of both 7DAYS EuroCup and Turkish Airlines EuroLeague clubs as they get involved with the weekly activities organized by their clubs.

Adam Waczynski, former player of Unicaja Malaga, was named the winner, and he said: “I feel emotional to win this award. I’m very happy because all the kids have done a great job adapting to the circumstances during the pandemic. I can see how they have evolved, not only in basketball but also in life values. For me, when I help these kids I feel it in my blood and my heart. Every time we were together it gave me so much joy and love. I would encourage any player to work with One Team because each minute we spend with kids means the world to them, even if it’s just to chat for a few minutes. It might only be a small thing for us, but it’s a big thing for the kids. And the more people that think this way, the more beautiful the world can be.”

A special Judges Award for the best newcomer was presented to EuroCup club Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse, and Club President Julien Desbottes said: “Bourg and Euroleague Basketball share the same vision for basketball. It is a 360 degree vision, not only what happens on the court but the values we can share with everyone, and this is embodied by One Team. So this award is very important for our club and represents the quality and rigor that we try to have outside the basketball court.”



Olympiacos, Waczynski named One Team Awards winners

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz carries out its One Team program along with the Gizarterako Association, a local organisation focused on social integration with a strong street presence.

Time pays off with Baskonia's One Team program

One of the participants is Destiny, a boy whose social worker Nuria Zapatero recalls: “Destiny caught my attention from the very first day, four years ago. He was a child with a sad, distrustful look. He looked at you with fear and a little bit of resentment, but behind those eyes there was a child crying, screaming, asking for help and affection. “His emotions of fear, anger and mistrust led him to aggressive and angry behaviour. I got in touch with his social educator and we shared information in order to be able to help.”

Part of the process of helping Destiny find a better life was including him in Baskonia’s One Team program, which encouraged him to develop positive habits and attitudes by using lessons from basketball. And although the process was not immediate, as time passed Destiny was able to really change his life for the better.

“The sessions with his educator and his mother, along with the work and play with his One Team coach Ana Mari and his teammates, mean that after four years Destiny gained confidence,” said Zapatero. “He now has the security to have the calm look of a child who has fun playing basketball with his friends.”

One Team Coach Ana Maria Garcia added: “At first, Destiny showed aggressive behaviour due to his strong character. He had conflicts with his teammates, he had a lot of anger and frustration if things didn't go his way. He didn't accept the rules, everything was a call for attention. But now he has radically changed his behaviour. He doesn't miss any session, he is punctual, he brings the right equipment, he doesn't get angry when he is corrected and he is very participative and respectful with his teammates and coach.”

The club’s One Team Manager Iker Gonzalez de Garibay believe Destiny’s development is a great example of taking a long-term approach with children and understanding that changes won’t always happen overnight. “From my point of view, stories like this show the importance of consolidating the social project and giving it continuity over time,” he said. "As the poet Maya Angelou said: ‘People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.’ All of our One Team staff are very aware of this and Destiny has become an important pillar of our team because of his charisma.”

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 meaningful social impact in our communities across Europe and is supported by every club in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 7DAYS EuroCup. Since its founding in 2012, the One Team program has already helped more than 22,000 participants through its various team-focused projects.

As part of One Team, Euroleague Basketball's social responsibility program, Olympiacos Piraeus has been working with Exelixi Zois, a local organization that provides support and care to people who have spent time in closed child-protection institutions.

Building confidence with Olympiacos and One Team

A group of female participants learned different life skills through specially designed basketball drills in a positive and safe environment and, at the age of 13, 'R' was the youngest member of the group. She is smart and strong-willed with a likeable personality, but her eagerness and enthusiasm could make her easily distracted and less integrated with the larger group of girls.

Over the course of several sessions, Olympiacos's One Team coaches aimed to support 'R' in integrating with the rest of the girls, using sport to teach her about teamwork and interpersonal relationships. She adjusted very well, was gradually given more responsibility, and then transitioned smoothly into leadership positions.

Everyone working with 'R' noticed her increase in ambition, compassion and determination during the One Team program, and Dimitra Kalantoni, President and CEO of Exelixi Zois, said: "She has a gifted personality and is a shining example of creative action, having all the potential to excel in her life. We are really glad that many of her qualities were intensified thanks to the support offered by Exelixi Zois, whose vision is to create a society in which the rights of all children are protected, and each child is given an equal opportunity to grow and become an active and autonomous citizen."

Penny Giovanovits, Olympiacos's One Team Manager, added: "We are so proud of that super girl 'R'! She managed to adjust to the new circumstances of her life very, very soon in the best way. When I first met her in June 2020 she was not at all excited about the idea of basketball. She also had the impression that friendship was something difficult to conquer and she was so pessimistic about her achievements, everything seemed really difficult. The good news came faster than expected and her bad thoughts belong to the past!

"Our continuous sessions proved to be very efficient, and now she has confessed that she loves basketball! The same feelings are shared about her new friends, her 'besties'. Now whatever she does, she knows she can succeed ,and we have created such a relationship that by saying only two words, we can understand the world. She feels secure that we are on her side and that the future belongs to her."

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 meaningful social impact in our communities across Europe and is supported by every club in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 7DAYS EuroCup.

Since its founding in 2012, the One Team program has already helped more than 22,000 participants through its various team-focused projects.



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Zalgiris Kaunas is working hard to use basketball as a tool to support vulnerable members of its local community as part of One Team, Euroleague Basketball’s social responsibility program.

Tadas gains confidence with Zalgiris and One Team

At the age of 37, Tadas is the eldest Special Olympics athlete in the Lithuanian club’s One Team group, and also the eldest person to have ever participated in Zalgiris’s program.

Although Tadas faces intellectual challenges, he was eager to join the program right from the start. He initially had a hard time trying new things, opening up to people and making friends, and would often quit a new challenge after one attempt.

In time, though, the One Team leadership group supported Tadas in growing his self-confidence and perseverance. He was also encouraged and motivated by his fellow team members, often feeling inspired that they were able to overcome the same obstacles he had faced, as many of them were at varying levels of ability.

By the end of the program, even though many sessions had to be held online this year, Tadas made great strides in overcoming his shyness and confidence issues; he was even volunteering to present games, demonstrating activities to audiences and persevering in ways he would never have managed before.

Since joining One Team, Tadas has now become one of the group’s leaders. Not only does he achieve his personal goals, but he also helps others with their tasks by giving advice and motivating his teammates when they face the same self-confidence issues he previously dealt with. His favourite saying is “We are all as One Team, we have to do it.” And it’s clear that being part of One Team has better equipped Tadas for independent living, whilst also making him a perfect example of how to overcome personal limitations.

Joffrey Lauvergne, Zalgiris’s star center and One Team Ambassador, attended many sessions over the course of last season and has been hugely impressed by the progress made by Tadas and his teammates: “It’s amazing to see One Team participants improving so significantly from session to session,” he said. “At first it seemed challenging having One Team sessions online during quarantine that lasted almost whole season. But it’s a great result that even online sessions let us achieve such great improvements in the One Team participants’ life skills. I’m pretty sure the things Tadas learned will help him a lot in his future life. A huge effort was made by the One Team coaches, and this motivates each of us to continue our work and make an input into this great program which changes lives.”

The positive changes in Tadas were also noticed by Special Olympics Lithuania, whose International Coordinator Vaiva Abramaviciute said: “When we invited Tadas to join the One Team program he was excited but at the same time confused because he would be the oldest participant in the program, and he was never was very talkative. The One Team program changed him a lot. Tadas started to be a leader in the team, encourage everyone not to give up and to be more physically active. He is very inspired by the One Team spirit because it helped him overcome many of his fears and he found new friends for life.”

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 meaningful social impact in our communities across Europe and is supported by every club in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 7DAYS EuroCup.

Since its founding in 2012, the One Team program has already helped more than 22,000 participants through its various team-focused projects.

The shortlist has been announced for the 2020-21 One Team Program Awards, which recognize the efforts made by Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 7DAYS EuroCup clubs to support vulnerable people all over the continent.

One Team Program Awards shortlist announced

Seven clubs from the EuroLeague and EuroCup have been highlighted for outstanding work in their local communities over the last 12 months, and are now contenders for the Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards to be announced during the One Team Annual Workshop in September.

One Team, supported by Turkish Airlines as founding partner and with the collaboration of Special Olympics as a proud partner, uses basketball to achieve meaningful social impact and is supported by every club in the EuroLeague and EuroCup with regular activities, many of which took place online this season due to social restrictions during the pandemic.

Roser Queralto, Euroleague Basketball Chief Business Officer, said: "We are so proud of what our clubs accomplished during the complex 2020-21 season. Our clubs were able to stay connected with those most in need in many different and innovative ways, adjusting to a constantly changing situation and continuing to use basketball to make a positive impact in their communities. Congratulations to everyone involved for doing such amazing work with One Team and especially to the seven clubs shortlisted for the 2020-21 One Team Program Awards."

With the involvement of consultancy ThinkBeyond, the clubs' programs were assessed on several criteria including program planning and delivery, ambassadors' involvement, marketing and communications activities, and the participation of commercial partners.

The nominated teams, their local social partners and their achievements highlighted during the assessment are:

**AX Armani Exchange Milan, in partnership with Fondazione Laureus Sport for Good Italia Onlus, for community cohesion.** A well-thought-out program with a two-phased approach. One of the best examples of sport genuinely achieving social change. Great adaptation to COVID challenges, getting on the court whenever possible and continuing online when not.

**JL Bourg en Bresse, in partnership with AFIS Association, for deaf and hard-of-hearing children.** Good all-round adherence to the criteria and great involvement of the One Team Ambassador and sponsors.

**Olympiacos Piraeus, in partnership with EXELIXI ZOIS, Special Elementary School of Piraeus & Eeeek Anoixis Piraeus, for community cohesion and children with disabilities.** Impressive delivery of two very good programs, outstanding communications and is consistency in looking to build on past programs.

**TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, in partnership with Gizarterako, for community cohesion.** Regular and ongoing activity with a long-term impact on the participants' families with the assistance of the coaches and social workers. Great integration of partners.

**Unicaja Malaga, in partnership with Down Malaga, for people with disabilities.** Good communication, monitoring and evaluation throughout the season, and fantastic ambassador involvement despite COVID difficulties.

**Zalgiris Kaunas, in partnership with Special Olympics Lithuania, for people with disabilities.** Creative plan with drills adjusted to COVID limitations. Good monitoring and evaluation, clearly demonstrating what they do and the difference they make.

**Zenit St Petersburg, in partnership with Contact, for community cohesion.** Good use of a coach alongside a psychologist to support a challenging group, and nice to see some participants become volunteers for the club after the program.



One Team awards - Unicaja Malaga

One Team awards - Zalgiris Kaunas

One Team awards - Zenit St Petersburg

One Team awards - JL Bourg en Bresse

One Team awards - AX Armani Exchange Milan

One Team awards - TD Systems Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz

One Team awards - Olympiacos Piraeus

One Team Awards

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Even top professional athletes have to learn how to deal with failures and disappointment.

Responding to failure with ASVEL and One Team

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne’s One Team program is teaching a group of young people that the only way to respond to setbacks is by working even harder and never giving up.

ASVEL has been working with SESSAD (Service Education Social Soin A Domicile), an organization that takes cares of young people with intellectual disabilities by helping them to integrate through sport, accompanying them in their daily lives and assisting their parents.

Many of the sessions were attended by One Team Ambassador Paul Lacombe and his ASVEL teammate Ismael Bako also joined. Their team talks about how to succeed in life made a major impression on the group.

The club’s One Team Coach Eva Bergeon explains: “We have a lot of young people who struggle with failure management. But when Paul came to see the group he explained to them: ‘Yesterday I lost a game. I was disappointed but now I’m going to get back to work’. The message was so good, they really got it. And since then one youngster always tells me during practise: ‘Paul told me to persevere so I’m going to keep working’.”

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 meaningful social impact in our communities across Europe and is supported by every club in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 7DAYS EuroCup.

Since its founding in 2012, the One Team program has already helped more than 22,000 participants through its various team-focused projects.



Valencia Basket's One Team program has been a great example of how basketball can make a positive impact in local communities, using the sport to promote well-being and social inclusion.

Valencia and One Team changing lives through basketball

The club has worked with the high school IES Peset Aleixandre de Paterna to create a program of 10 sessions taking place on Thursdays for a group of 16 young people between the ages of 13 and 17.

The participants were given the opportunity to live positive experiences and develop healthy habits of personal improvement that can be transferred to the school or work environments. This all comes through learning the basic concepts of basketball, underlining the values of sacrifice and responsibility inherent in a team sport.

One of the participants, Esther, explained why the sessions – and all aspects of basketball – have made such a difference to her life:

"For me, it is special because I can get away and leave my neighborhood," Esther said. "If you like playing, you can keep doing it, and not only on Thursdays. What I like most is being at the scoring table, where I can help take note of fouls and points."

Elies Vercher, a teacher at the school, also known by La Coma for the neighborhood in which it's located, has been impressed with the impact of the program, saying: "It's very positive for them. This is still hard for some students, but there are others in whom the change is spectacular. You can see the difference in how they work at school to how they work here."

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 meaningful social impact in our communities across Europe and is supported by every club in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 7DAYS EuroCup.

Since its founding in 2012, the One Team program has already helped more than 22,000 participants through its various team-focused projects.

