MIES (Switzerland) – As 2025 is unfolding gently, let’s take a look at the FIBA Foundation Youth Leadership Program in 2024.
The FIBA Foundation Youth Leadership Program empowers the next generation of change-makers globally to implement ‘Basketball For Good projects within their respective communities.
2024 witnessed two new cohorts of change-makers taking part in the FIBA Foundation Youth Leadership program, while previous classes kept developing the Basketball For Good movement within their respective regions.
From online sessions, physical workshops, and theoretical studies to project implementation, 31 Youth Leaders from 22 different countries were given the keys to initiate a positive social change within their regions.
Since its inception, the program has empowered 155 Youth Leaders, expanding the Basketball For Good family in partnership with their respective National Federations.
2024 European Youth Leadership program
The European Youth Leadership program, composed of 14 Youth Leaders from 13 countries, began in April and concluded at the end of the summer.
The participants took on multiple virtual sessions before traveling to Switzerland in June for an in-person workshop at the FIBA Headquarters. During their stay, they developed their own Basketball For Good projects and took part in the FIBA Open, the biggest 3x3 tournament in the country.
Back home, the Youth Leaders were ready to implement their projects at the FIBA Youth EuroBasket hosted in their respective countries. Diverse topics such as mental health, road safety, inclusion, or sustainability were addressed through multiple activations including participating teams, volunteers, and fans.
2024 Asian Youth Leadership program
The Asian Youth Leadership workshop was hosted in September 2024 in Singapore on the occasion of the FIBA Intercontinental Cup and the FIBA Hall of Fame Class of 2024 induction ceremony.
During the 4-days seminar, 17 Youth Leaders representing 10 Asian countries delved into the development of their own Basketball For Good projects and led a Basketball For Good clinic with local disabled children. Besides the workshops, they also engaged in side activities such as the FIBA Hall of Fame ceremony and the Basketball Matters conference.
Now equipped with valuable skills and a deeper understanding of how the sport’s potential to foster social change, the Youth Leaders are fully armed to carry out their initiatives.
Continuous support and involvement
While this new generation of Youth Leaders was empowered, the Youth Leader Alumni from all regions were still benefitting from the FIBA Foundation's assistance. Mentoring sessions were organized for the previous participants in the Americas while other change makers received support through the Propose a Project platform such as Layana de Souza in Brazil, or Kpeto Ali Kwami in Ghana.
Some Youth Leaders were involved in different projects such as the celebrations of the World Basketball Day in collaboration with Olympic Solidarity, while others continue to rise through the ranks, like Kirsten Maddison, who has been appointed Secretary-General of the Marshall Islands Basketball Federation.
With the influence of these young and passionate changemakers, the Basketball For Good movement will continue to thrive and holds great promise.
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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.