Background:

One on One Basketball traveled to Panama for the first time in December of 2007. The purpose of the trip was to promote the ideals that sports can be a way of transmitting positive values across cultures.  The goal was to use basketball as a vehicle to help create a positive image of American values with the youth of Panama. On the trip, five coaches from One On One Basketball traveled to Panama in order to impart their passion for a sport that they feel gives young people meaning and valuable life lessons.
 
The trip took One on One Basketball to the interior of the country to a region called Azuero, specifically they worked in the town of Las Tablas.  The coaches conducted clinics at two elementary schools called Escuela Presidente Porras y Escuela Claudio Vasquez where they emphasized cross cultural communication and exchange through drills, games exhibitions and seminars. The coaches also stressed the value of sports promoting discipline and self-esteem that sports bring forth in the life of young people. One on One Basketball also worked with La Fundacion 20-30, non-profit which hosted a clinic for the youth of the town along with a “friendly” exhibition game. In addition One on One ran a clinic for a group of university students who are majoring in physical education as they learned the proper techniques and drills of basketball for their studies.

In great part, the project was funded by COPA Airlines of Panama that donated four round trip tickets in its effort to support the development of youth in Panama.

Achievements:

Around 900 youth participated through the course of three days of clinics. During those three days, youth drilled in some of the fundamentals of basketball, listened to the coaches seminars and had the opportunity to win prizes(t-shirts, posters, mini-basketballs, athletic bags) through competition.

The schools also facilitated cross cultural exchange as an assembly at the Escuela Presidente Porras took place for the coaches. Panamanian youth danced some of the traditional dances of Panama and officials from the American embassy were participants in the activities. In appreciation of the services that One On One Basketball rendered, the coaches received pins with the school emblem and Panamanian flags as souvenirs. Participation by officials of the American Embassy in support of American entity working in Panama was also a success as well as the support of COPA and the publicity that they received