MIES (Switzerland) – There is no bigger testament to TIME-OUT’s status as a coveted accolade than the wide smiles of 42 former elite players who assembled at the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball in August to celebrate their graduation from the program.
In just three iterations, the FIBA project has established itself as the go-to integration project for players who are either approaching the end of their careers or have recently retired and are seeking their next step in the labor market.
FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis, FIBA Europe President Jorge Garbajosa and FIBA Executive Director Europe Kamil Novak attended the ceremony to congratulate the graduates and present them with their diplomas.
“Not so long ago, athletes had little or no guidance on how to transform the aptitudes and experience they gained during their playing careers into useful tools for the next stage of their life,” commented Mr. Garbajosa.
“TIME-OUT is not only providing a brilliant solution to that, but also creates a platform for national federations and basketball organizations to benefit from these players’ skills and incorporate them into their structure.”
The two-tier program consists of a postgraduate certificate in Business Management from the Business School of Northumbria University in the UK, and a Manager in Business of Sport qualification from FIBA.
The 12-month long hybrid course included online sessions and three in-person workshops in Newcastle, Geneva and in Athens, during June’s FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2025.
“When we first launched TIME-OUT in 2017 we knew that, although it was a pioneering idea, it covered a big void that was not being dealt with by existing structures within the sports community,” said FIBA Executive Director Europe Kamil Novak.
“What we didn’t expect was the unbelievable enthusiasm and dedication with which players would embrace this program, recognizing it is an enormous resource that previous generations did not have at their disposal.”
Paris 2024 silver medalist in 3x3 basketball Vega Gimeno Martinez, Greek international Pinelopi Pavlopoulou and Belgian legend Sam Van Rossom earned a Faculty Pro Vice Chancellor Award, a recognition for claiming a distinction in all three assessments.
“The FIBA Time Out 3.0 program was an excellent way to connect with other players transitioning to life after basketball,” Sam Van Rossom said.
“By combining high-level academic classes at Northumbria with basketball-focused FIBA webinars, featuring speakers like Geoff Wilson, it provided a strong preparation for potential careers within or beyond the sport. The experience has been challenging, taking us out of our comfort zones, but most importantly, it was rewarding to share it with fellow athletes going through the same transition.”
Vega Gimeno agreed: "TIME-OUT 3.0 has been an incredible opportunity to grow professionally and gain valuable skills in management, communication, finance, and business. Equally importantly, sharing this journey with classmates in the same transition phase has been a great source of support," she said.
The elite participants in the third edition included, among others, FIBA World Cup and EuroBasket champion Victor Claver, 3x3 Olympic gold medalist Arvin Slagter, Aleksandra Crvendakic, Enis Murati and Teja Oblak.
The fourth edition of TIME-OUT is set to start in 2026.
FIBA