By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
EuroLeague has announced the shortlist of teams for the One Team Award for their particular achievements over the past season, contributing to their respective communities.
The shortlist includes Anadolu Efes, Olimpia Milano, Baskonia, FC Barcelona, Lokomotiv Kuban, Olympiacos, Unicaja Malaga and Zalgiris Kaunas.
Per EuroLeague:
Eight clubs have been shortlisted for the annual One Team Awards, which recognize the great contributions made to their local communities by Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 7DAYS EuroCup clubs.
With the assistance of thinkBeyond, the programs of the 42 competing clubs were assessed following basic One Team criteria that include planning and delivery, ambassador involvement, marketing and communications activities, and support from commercial partners.
Roser Queralto, Euroleague Basketball Chief Business Officer, explained why this year’s shortlist has been expanded from six to eight clubs: “Despite the unique and uncertain situation we are living in, our clubs have stayed connected and delivered 47 One Team programs this season, which is amazing. All of them deserve special acknowledgment for their dedication and inspiring work in their communities. To recognize that extraordinary commitment by the clubs towards their communities in times of enormous difficulty, Euroleague Basketball has decided to extend the shortlist for the 2019-20 season One Team Awards from six to eight nominees.”
The eight shortlisted clubs and their particular achievements over the last year are:
Anadolu Efes Istanbul, in partnership with the Municipality Of Beylikduzu for children with disabilities
– Always pushing themselves and looking to improve. Increased the number of sessions and partners. Good evidence of fan engagement. Great use of ambassador, coach and players. Strong multi-channel communications. Exceptional measurement of media success.
AX Armani Exchange Milan, in partnership with Fondazione Laureus Sport for Good Italia Onlus for community cohesion
– Worked hard to identify the right area to work in. Evaluated the children in a “play” session before designing the program. Good combination of social media and public relations to spread the message. Fundraising through Charity Stars. Recognition of wider community benefits.
FC Barcelona, in partnership with General Directorate of Penitentiary Centers for community cohesion
– Continue to overcome obstacles with a challenging group. Running a successful mixed session on International Women’s Day. An innovative player challenge, demonstrating that with One Team there are no boundaries and everyone can work to achieve goals together.
KIROLBET Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, in partnership with Gizarterako for community cohesion
– Nice additional benefits to program, such as dentistry and Christmas Camps. Great integration with youth programs to benefit both groups. Excellent depth of interaction with two sessions a week. Several sponsors involved to support and grow the program.
Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar, in partnership with Deti Luchiki for children with disabilities
– Truly fulfilling an important community need for disabled people. Very focused on life skills that are appropriate for the specific group. Generating outstanding content and good use of player social media accounts.
Olympiacos Piraeus, in partnership with EXELIXI ZOIS & Eeeek Anoixis Piraeus-Eneegyl Schools for children with disabilities and gender equality
– Ran two great programs successfully. Taking on a brave project to take on with lots of obstacles to overcome. Continued online sessions during the COVID-19 lockdown. Good engagement from the ambassadors and use of volunteers.
Unicaja Malaga, in partnership with Down Malaga & Proyecto Hombre for people with disabilities and substance addiction
– Clever integration of two very different groups to create a successful joint project, providing strong benefits to participants in both. Excellent ambassador involvement, and good integration with Basket4Life with the use of cross-volunteers.
Zalgiris Kaunas, in partnership with Special Olympics Lithuania for people with disabilities
– Great use of many stakeholders and local media to increase engagement. Integration of the program into the club structure. Staff involvement as volunteers, youth team and sponsors involvement with the sessions. Great video stories to demonstrate the social impact.
The winners of the Gold, Silver and Bronze awards – claimed last year by Anadolu Efes Istanbul, Unicaja Malaga and Tofas Bursa, respectively – will be announced during the One Team Annual Workshop, which this year is being hosted online in early September.
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 19,000 participants through its various team-focused projects.