The 2023-24 season once again saw every team competing in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and BKT EuroCup put a lot of efforts into their One Team programs, so now it’s time to reward those clubs and the One Team Ambassadors that went above and beyond over the course of the campaign.
Eight clubs have been shortlisted for this year’s edition of the One Team Awards, with three prizes set to be given out during the One Team Annual Workshop in Barcelona, Spain, in September: trophies for the One Team Gold Program, the One Team Silver Program and the One Team Bronze Program.
The key elements that go into deciding the winners of these awards are the planning and delivery of the clubs’ One Team programs, the involvement of ambassadors during the sessions, as well as the marketing and communications activities that were implemented and also the participation of commercial partners.
In addition to the club-based awards, the work done by the One Team Ambassadors will also see the One Team Ambassador Award handed out. Seven ambassadors, in particular, stood out with their efforts off the court during the previous campaign, which led to a real difference being made in their teams' communities.
thinkBeyond, a social impact and sustainability consultancy that supports leaders and organizations to make a positive impact on the world, will again be involved in the judging process for the 2023-24 One Team Program Awards.
One Team Shortlisted Teams
Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz: Baskonia celebrated the 10th anniversary of its One Team program by putting on an event that featured its current participants – 16 children aged between five and twelve who were the sons and daughters of the women supported by Gizarterako Association – and players past and present, including this year’s One Team Ambassador, Khalifa Diop.
Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana: Focusing on helping young people with disabilities through basketball and sport, Cedevita helped four to 12 children aged between seven and 13 who received mental health support and learned skills that were relevant to the group, while the participants were able to go to a road game against Umana Reyer Venice and take part in a One Team session with their Reyer counterparts.
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan: Supporting 20 at-risk children across two groups on a weekly basis, Milan put on a joint event during the Milan Marathon and were able to raise extra funds for the program’s efforts as merchandise sponsor Scalo Milano, other partners and One Team employees took part in the run, with the Italian club also praised for being very communicative while seeking new ideas and improvements.
FC Barcelona: Barcelona worked with 15 to 20 men aged between 18 and 24 as it looked to support and fund the reinsertion of the center’s residents back into society by using basketball as a tool for education and learning values, with the club putting on a number of different events to aid the participants’ future employability skills, fostering respect for teammates and offering platforms for dialogue and exchange.
LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne: Sixty-five participants with intellectual disabilities aged between seven and 52 were split into groups for 90-minute weekly sessions as ASVEL looked to encourage integration using sport, which was particularly clear following a video that detailed a trip to Germany that saw the participants go behind the scenes at FC Bayern Munich before seeing their team face the German side at Audi Dome.
Olympiacos Piraeus: Olympiacos helped 19 at-risk youth and refugees aged between nine and 12 with its program, which focused on building personal responsibility, communication skills and self-confidence, and during creative sessions put on by the One Team Coaches, they were able to learn about basketball, social skills and sustainability.
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens: Keen to help its participants identify their strengths and potential, Panathinaikos’s 12-week program featuring 15 participants with intellectual disabilities aged between 18 and 45 particularly focused on social skills, self-development, leadership and gender equity, with the club posting news and videos about its One Team efforts.
Umana Reyer Venice: Reyer supported a group of 10 to 15 refugees aged 14 to 17 when it came to integrating them into society thanks to a variety of core skills, while there was also a joint session with Cedevita’s One Team participants, the involvement of the first team female players, and local media had the chance to get to know more about the program and play with participants.
