May 20, 2013
One Team launches program in Moscow supported by CSKA superstars Viktor Khryapa, Sasha Kaun, Milos Teodosic and Sonny Weems
One Team event in Moscow

The One Team corporate responsibility program got off to a roaring start for the 2012-13 Turkish Airlines Euroleague season on Monday thanks to CSKA Moscow and some very special young people in the Russian capital. On the day that the team celebrated Media Day for local and international journalists, CSKA also opened its arms to orphans from Moscow in the first chapter of an ongoing commitment under the One Team program it shares with twelve other Euroleague Basketball teams.

CSKA representatives started the proceedings by announcing that the club would make its One Team efforts this season to support young people with physical and intellectual disabilities. "We want to show you that through basketball, you can really improve your life. " Ms. Natalia Furaeva, CSKA Moscow's vice president for sports. told the participants. "You meet a lot of people, you communicate, you enjoy and you get a lot of energy. With One Team, we are not teaching our communities basketball, but to become better as individuals. And doing good things in the community is the main thing in our lives."

Also on hand for the ceremony was Mr. Mefail Deribas, GM in Moscow for Turkish Airlines, the Founding Patron of One Team who said his company is proud of the strides being made and the communities being reached by One Team in its very first year of operation.

"Euroleague Basketball and Turkish Airlines are jointly committed to improving people's lives by being able to bring these values to life," Mr. Deribas said. "With the help of the clubs, Euroleague Basketball and Turkish Airlines will be working to make this happen. Thank you to all the supporting teams and CSKA Moscow for their projects."

The highlight of the presentation was four of CSKA's biggest superstars - Viktor Khryapa, Sasha Kaun, Milos Teodosic and Sonny Weems - dedicating their morning to running basketball drills with a group of 12- to 16-year-olds with intellectual disabilities from Orphanage #4 in Moscow's southeast district. Each of the drills was designed to use basketball to teach off-the-court lessons to the participants about things like self-esteem, discrimination and self-confidence.

"Without a doubt, motivation has a lot to do with being successful in life," Khryapa said. "We do like much more to play when we have a full arena with fans motivating us and building our self-confidence."

For Weems, the big lesson he wanted to transmit to the children was respect. "It is very important not to feel discrimination," Weems said. "We can help face this problem in our communities by helping others and showing respect for them."

Teodosic said the day's activities are as much a lesson to the players as the kids. "We really like the One Team program," Teodosic said. "I think this is a very nice way of teaching important things, such as social and life skills, to these kids."

And, of course, the children themselves learned a lot more than basketball. One of them, Andrey Dorovskikh, recounted a drill in which some of the kids were told not to pass the basketball to others. One of those who didn't receive any passes recognized the feeling, saying: "I didn't like to feel excluded in that drill we did. It made me feel similar to real life. But I have been learning and enjoying a lot today, so I hope to be part of One Team during this season."

One Team is Euroleague Basketballs's blue riband social responsibility program, supported by thirteen partner clubs across Europe: CSKA Moscow, Anadolu Efes Istanbul, Alba Berlin, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, Olympiacos Piraeus, Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv, Real Madrid, Unicaja Malaga, FC Barcelona Regal, Panathinaikos Athens, Brose Baskets Bamberg, Union Olimpija Lljubljana and Partizan Belgrade and its Founding Patron Turkish Airlines. One Team uses the power of basketball to integrate communities through an innovative combination of sports coaching and social action.
Tuesday, October 02, 2012
Euroleague.net
PrintPrint Send to a FriendSend to a Friend ShareShare

Submenu