June Highlights from Basketball-KTN: Sports, Mental Empowerment, and Summer Preparation

June was an exceptionally active and impactful month for the Basketball-KTN Erasmus+ project, featuring activities that blended physical training, psychological support, and structured education across two countries—Greece and Ukraine.

Psychological Activities in Ukraine by YSSUKRAINE

On June 23, 2025, at the Oikos camp in the Chernivtsi region, YSSUKRAINE organized a combined psychological and sports-based activity designed for children from vulnerable and displaced backgrounds. Through a warm welcome, Olympic-themed games, physical challenges, and group discussions, young athletes received both physical and emotional support.

The activity focused on developing:

• Teamwork and communication
• Stress reduction through play
• A sense of belonging and emotional resilience

The day concluded with an Olympic quiz and a medal ceremony, celebrating their engagement in a safe and encouraging environment.

Additionally, on June 24, 2025, in Chernivtsi, a second session brought together university students and young athletes to explore topics including:

• Recognizing performance-related stress
• Techniques to build confidence and focus
• Strategies for maintaining resilience under pressure

Through interactive discussions and light basketball activity, participants gained practical tools for both mental and physical preparation within sport.

Summer Preparation & Development by Evnikos Sports Club (Greece)

During the same month, Evnikos Sports Club held a series of 5 sessions (June 3–28, 2025) under the theme “End of Season Team Meeting & Development Briefing”, engaging 142 young athletes (both boys and girls). The initiative aimed to support athletes transitioning into the summer period while maintaining their development and motivation.

The program focused on:

• Skill maintenance strategies with and without equipment
• Safe and fun summer activities to stay active
• Setting transitional goals toward the next basketball season
• Roundtable reflection on achievements and lessons from the past year

The sessions were delivered by the club's coaching team in collaboration with expert Vassilis Ntakouris, who added a professional and forward-looking perspective to the experience.

Through these parallel and complementary activities, Basketball-KTN demonstrated once again that sport can serve as a bridge for development, support, and community building—even under challenging conditions. We look forward to further impactful initiatives from our partners in Greece and Ukraine.