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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.

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.

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.