FIBA Foundation Youth Leadership Program 2023 Recap: A Year of Many Milestones

MIES (Switzerland) – 2024 promises another exciting 12 months of Basketball For Good action but for the FIBA Foundation’s Youth Leadership Program, it was 2023 that proved to be a landmark year in more ways than one.

The Youth Leadership Program empowers the next generation of change-makers globally to implement ‘Basketball For Good’ actions, within their respective communities.

Last year witnessed Youth Leadership seminars across all five continental regions - Europe, Asia, Africa, Americas, and Oceania.

From online sessions, physical workshops, and theoretical studies to practical execution, 84 Youth Leaders from 51 countries participated in the 2023 programs.

Overall, 122 Youth Leaders have been empowered by the program since its inception growing the Basketball For Good family in collaboration with their respective National Federations.

Back from virtual to physical

2023 marked the return of the original on-site format, after the virtual ways forced by the pandemic.

The in-person workshops were aligned with marquee FIBA events such as the Basketball World Cup 2023, the European Youth Championships, the FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup and the FIBA Open. The overarching goals of these workshops was to connect the Program and its Youth Leaders to the Global FIBA Family, raise awareness about FIBA Foundation’s Basketball For Good (BB4G) initiatives and contribute to the social impact and legacy of the events.

There were five Youth Leadership Seminars organized in total, one each in Namibia, Switzerland, Puerto Rico, Philippines and New Zealand.

Straddling five continents

Asia leveraged the landmark occasion of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, to champion sustainable recycling habits among the youth in the three host countries of Philippines, Japan and Indonesia. 14 Youth Leaders popularized the Mascot Education Program (MEP) among school children through fun yet educational games. The mascot in question - ‘JIP’, had a built-in back hoop while its power shoes were run on energy converted from recycled waste. Validating the success of this campaign, FIBA Foundation was conferred the prestigious Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award.

In Namibia, the Basketball Artists School (BAS) hosted 24 participants from 11 African countries. 140 children aged five to 12 years old were positively impacted through BB4G games, in association with FIBA Foundation’s trusted partners Molten and PEAK. Also facilitating the program was Namibia’s first social impact venture builder ‘Impact Tank’, raising hopes for the Youth Leadership program to translate into tangible social entrepreneurship initiatives in the near future.

 

Championing Sustainability, Diversity & Inclusion

 

Europe witnessed a series of BB4G initiatives across various member countries - notably prioritizing climate change actions. The FIBA headquarters in Mies, Switzerland witnessed 17 participants aged 19-34 attend a three-day workshop partly facilitated by Planet League. Thereafter, the Youth Leaders activated BB4G actions at the European Youth Championships within their respective countries - be it in Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Kosovo, Andorra, Greece, and North Macedonia, just to mention a few. The diverse activations ranged from reducing CO2 emissions, donating jerseys and warm-up shirts to children in need, conducting experiential disability awareness workshops, and making the championship more sustainable and plastic-free.

In Puerto Rico, a transformative Youth Leadership Seminar was conducted alongside the FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup. Hosted by the YMCA of San Juan, Youth Leaders from 13 different countries aimed to bridge FIBA Foundation’s two pillars – Basketball For Good and Cultural Heritage - through research and storytelling. As part of their hands-on learning, the Youth Leaders were tasked with organizing a basketball clinic for children with disabilities and those from disadvantaged backgrounds at YMCA with whom FIBA Foundation has a global partnership, and the Boys and Girls Club of Puerto Rico.

The Oceania Youth Leadership program in Auckland, New Zealand highlighted the importance of diversity and inclusion, sustainability and planning ahead. 16 participants were armed with the foundational tools to further BB4G actions within their local communities. There were also discussions and considerations on the methods of delivering the Hoops for Health program, aimed at addressing prevalent non-communicable diseases in Pacific island countries.

Overall, while 2023 achieved numerous milestones in FIBA Foundation’s Youth Leadership program, 2024 aims to attain loftier targets, with the goal to implement additional programs in underserved regions, while focusing on continuing its mentorship of Youth Leaders from existing regions.

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The FIBA Foundation is the social and legacy arm of FIBA that addresses the role of sports and particularly basketball in society, preserving and promoting basketball’s values and its cultural heritage.