After last season saw Zalgiris Kaunas's One Team activities limited to online meetings, the program of activities has finally returned to Zalgirio Arena, as the club continues its commitment and partnership with the Special Olympics Lithuania organization that unites people with learning disabilities.

One Team participants enjoying Zalgirio Arena sessions once more

The project's guidelines are set for all clubs by Euroleague Basketball, with its structure ensuring effective results across the continent. Clubs select one group from the local community and work with them over several weeks or months with regular meetings.

Zalgiris's project coordinator Akvile Dagilyte noted: "This program isn't just a one-off campaign. It's consistent work with a selected group. We purposefully work to make it easier for people with disabilities to integrate into society. We teach them communication, teamwork, stress management, concentration skills through the game of basketball. This way, the participants both learn something useful and have fun."

The opportunity to gather together in live meetings in Zalgiris's practice facility also gives additional joy and motivation to the participants.

The plan for the program is prepared by the employees of the Zalgiris organization, who have gained a lot of experience during 8 years of the club's involvement with One Team. Obviously, visits from Zalgiris players garner the most attention – this season's One Team Ambassadors for the club are Niels Giffey and Marek Blazevic, who made a visit to the first activity.

Giffey said: "Together with the youngsters we played games and relays. It's fun to give them extra attention, to bring joy, and most importantly to see smiles on their faces. I'm happy that I was invited to become an ambassador for the program – it's nice to help uplift the local community."

To vary the program, other guests are invited, including Kauno Zalgiris footballers, movement ‘630' representative Mindaugas Satkus and sports psychologist Aiste Zemaityte.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Couldn&#39;t be happier to have the <a href="https://twitter.com/OTEuroleague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OTEuroleague</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OneTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OneTeam</a> activities back in-person in <a href="https://twitter.com/ZalgirioArena?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ZalgirioArena</a>! 🙌 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreAllOneTeam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreAllOneTeam</a><br><br>Read more 📄: <a href="https://t.co/kZ55G5Im74">https://t.co/kZ55G5Im74</a> <a href="https://t.co/zMMb07d83K">pic.twitter.com/zMMb07d83K</a></p>&mdash; BC Zalgiris Kaunas (@bczalgiris) <a href="https://twitter.com/bczalgiris/status/1475033894005223424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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For the fourth consecutive year, Zalgiris's partner Ramirent Lietuva has been helping carry out the program, with its employees also taking part in the project itself. The partners order hundreds of One Team shirts that are eagerly worn by their employees. This not only connects them to the project, but also helps the dissemination of the project.

Each year partners are given the opportunity to participate in one of the final activities and take part in a form of examination led by the project's participants, showcasing what leadership, public speaking and teamwork skills they have learned along the way.

Zalgiris has been working with One Team since 2013, and won the One Team Annual Bronze Award in 2021 for the previous season's activities.

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.

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 and indirectly, more than 23,000 participants through its various team projects.

Euroleague Basketball's social responsibility program One Team is proud to support the International Day of People with Disabilities, which is being observed on Friday, December 3.

Supporting people with disabilities has always been one of the main focuses for One Team, with many clubs in both the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and the 7DAYS EuroCup using the power of basketball to teach life skills and help disabled people integrate into their local communities.

Clubs working in that area this season are: AS Monaco, Boulogne Metropolitans 92, Buducnost VOLI Podgorica, Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana, Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade, CSKA Moscow, FC Bayern Munich, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar, Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse, Olympiacos Piraeus, Panathinaikos OPAP Athens, Promitheas Patras, Real Madrid, ratiopharm Ulm, Zalgiris Kaunas and Zenit St Petersburg.

To coincide with the international day of celebration, One Team's proud partner Special Olympics is also celebrating the 18th edition of its annual European Basketball week between November 27 and December 6. This initiative offers a week of activities where everyone in the basketball community across Europe is encouraged to expand opportunities for players with intellectual disabilities, including more than 10,000 participants in at least 30 countries.

More than 200 local or national basketball events – such as Unified Youth Basketball, 3x3 competitions, mini-basketball and women's basketball – have been planned across the continent for players with and without intellectual disabilities at all ability levels.

One event that took place on Thursday, December 2, was a webinar organized by Special Olympics, featuring a presentation on the subject of healthy relationships within basketball by Filip Sunturlic, General Manager of Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade, as one of the speakers.

During the last six seasons, Special Olympics has been one of Zvezda's strategic partners, both working together to complete various projects and events, including sporting activities, training sessions, Christmas events, and programs such as Learning2Play, Win2Smile, Play4Glory, IDEA Play, Run and Have Fun.

Sunturlic emphasized the importance of the partnership as he said: "Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade, as we emphasize on every occasion, wants to use its strength and greatness to draw people's attention to very important things for our society. Our sport is beautiful precisely because it connects people. Our cooperation with the Special Olympics of Serbia is such that it transcends partnership relations and is based on friendship. We have been building this for years, through numerous projects and showing that there are no limits for 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 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 and indirectly, more than 23,000 participants through its various team projects.

Euroleague Basketball's social responsibility program One Team is proud to support the International Day of People with Disabilities, which is being observed on Friday, December 3.

One Team supports International Day of People with Disabilities

Zenit St Petersburg is starting a fresh One Team journey with three new partners: the Correctional School No. 5; the Center for the Blind, and the Deaf Center.

Zenit launches new One Team project with local children

The school will be the club’s main partner, and specializes in working with children with impairments in oral and written speech. The program is aimed at uniting the children, fostering cohesion and showing how everyone is important. There will be weekly on-court sessions for between 12 and 20 participants, aged 14-17.

Each session will include surprises, starting with a special video welcome from Zenit stars and One Team Ambassadors Dmitry Kulagin and Jordan Loyd. The second session featured a visit from basketball freestyler Ilya, and the project’s psychologist Konstantin believes great progress is already being made in engaging with the participants.

“From my observations during the first session, I can say that the guys were very interested,” he said. “The situation of being together with professional coaches and teachers helped them to unite and raised their self-esteem, both individually and as members of the same class. They are more confident, and that's great. We will now observe the process of mastering the skills that the children will acquire in the process of completing assignments, and I’m sure it will definitely benefit them.”

One Team volunteer Lyudmila is also convinced the program will greatly help the participants, saying: “Recently, a lot of opinions have been shared about the modern ‘lost generation’. Everyone has the opportunity to correct the situation, like the caring people involved in the One Team project: volunteers, coaches, athletes, teachers and masters of words. Within the framework of the sessions, the guys use team tasks to develop character, overcome their fears, and show the best human qualities.”

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.

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 reached already directly and indirectly more than 23,000 participants through its various team projects.

The 2021-22 season marks the 10th anniversary of One Team, Euroleague Basketball's corporate social responsibility program, which was launched back in February 2012.

One Team celebrates 10 years of real social impact in our communities

Euroleague Basketball has planned several initiatives to celebrate this milestone. Firstly, a special 10oneteam badge for playing uniforms in both the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and the 7DAYS EuroCup has been created and will be worn by all players throughout the season.

A series of digital contents will be released to highlight the milestones of the One Team program since 2012, and the annual One Team Games will this season be moved to February to match the date of the program's launch 10 years ago. More events will also be announced over the next few months.

This celebration belongs to the One Team participants, the clubs, and everyone else involved in the program, including One Team Ambassadors, non-governmental organization staff and volunteers, partners and, of course, the fans who have supported their local programs.

In addition to celebrating the past, One Team will also look to the future by addressing how best to support the program's participants in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal on mental and physical health.

Roser Queralto, Euroleague Basketball's Chief Business Officer, stated: "We are extremely proud to celebrate the 10th anniversary of One Team, Euroleague Basketball's corporate social responsibility program. It has been a long journey that we have walked together with the collaboration of all the participating teams and we couldn't be more satisfied.

"During these 10 years, One Team has made a difference through sport in the lives of more than 23,000 participants, helping groups in danger of exclusion to achieve a real impact within our communities. I would like to invite all fans, players, coaches, referees and partners to join us in the different activities that we will hold during this celebration and follow One Team's spirit of integration.

"I would like to express our deepest gratitude to our founding patron, Turkish Airlines, whose continuous support has been integral in making this program a reality. Sincere thanks go also to our long-time proud partner Special Olympics for helping us achieve our mutual goal of using sport as a vehicle for improving 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.

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 reached already, directly and indirectly, more than 23,000 participants through its various team projects.

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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