2nd Platon Basketball Spring - Α.Ο. Εκπαιδευτήρια Ο Πλάτων

The “spring” of the European Basketball is played at Platon’s Olympio

Team, development, cooperation, emotion, rivalry, passion, strength, endurance, coexistence, hospitality are just some of the values we celebrate at the 2nd PBS, a sports meeting centred on young people and basketball, which we aspire to give the messages of a future sports world.

Top U16 teams from Greece and Europe meet at Plato’s Olympio Arena to offer an exciting competitive spectacle and share practices and ideas that evolve both basketball and the philosophy that inspires sporting and everyday victories.

At Platon, since the first day of our Academy’s operation, we have been working thoroughly with faith, perseverance and pioneering practices on developmental basketball, in order to build strong athletes and to help young people mature, build their personalities and be able to handle any situation.

We want Platon Basketball Spring to be established as an institution that highlights the power and dynamism at young ages and that emphasises on the importance of investing in young athletes who will become agents of any positive change.

After last year’s successful event, this year Panathinaikos, Olympiacos and Peristeri are again honoring the tournament with their presence, while Bayern Munich, Stella Azzurra, SKM and Kronos Agios Dimitrios are participating for the first time. Important Academies that are considered models at a European level promise players and spectators a unique competitive experience.

We thank all the groups participating in this initiative. We hope it will be another step, to see more children in the Academies, but also in the basketball courts of every neighborhood. This is another step to bring out great players and great people. Athletes, coaches and fans May 4-7 are invited to 12 exciting dates on the PBS basketball court.

We will all be there!

A hug for “Avali”

The 2nd PBS, as well as other initiatives by Platon School, supports ‘Avali’ and its actions, with the aim of changing the image of autism in our country and creating a Self-Funded Autonomous Living Settlement for autistic adults, with institutional protection and parallel support units.

Instead of a ticket, the viewers of the games are invited to contribute freely with the amount of their choice to the ‘Avali’ donation box, which will be handed over to its representatives at the closing ceremony of the tournament.

Match Games

Stella Azzurra is one of the best Academies in Europe, combining school-basketball-entertainment in absolute harmony. The coaches have international experience, while the school has athletes from many countries, such as New Guinea, Brazil, Senegal, Kazakhstan, Argentina, Latvia, Chile, England, Bolivia, Serbia, Sweden, Morocco and Egypt. In addition to their athletic career in basketball, the students have the opportunity to attend major Universities in Rome. Great players have played in Stella Azzurra and the best example is the former number 1 draft pick in the NBA (2006), Andrea Bargnani.

In recent years, German basketball has been booming both at international level and national level. Bayern Munich stars in the BBL and EuroLeague, while also trying to enhance the elementary level teams. The U14 team participates in the Bavarian league, the U16 in the Youth Basketball League JBBL and the U19 in the Junior Basketball League NBBL. In addition, several talents have the opportunity to train with the second team of Bayern and this is how the well-known Paul Zipser came to the club. He is an active player of the men’s team, has been with the Bavarians for many years, has been drafted in the NBA by the Chicago Bulls (number 46) and has also been a player of the German National Team. He has been competing for many years at the high level of the Euroleague and the BBL (as the German league is called) and is considered a model athlete.

SKM was founded in 2007 and after 16 years of successful operation, it is the fastest growing Basketball Academy in Lithuania. The impressive thing about this particular Academy is that it helds basketball training in 35 schools and 55 kindergartens, while in the 2018/2019 season it emerged as the best basketball school in the country. Steponas Zilakauskis and Matas Bouteliauskas, members of SKM were members of the Lithuanian U16 National Team, which won the gold medal at EuroBasket U16. The goal of the Academy is teaching the basics about basketball and to remove young children away from mobile phones and computers, which will definitely benefit both the Lithuanian basketball and the society.

Panathinaikos is one of the historic teams in Europe and in recent years has been putting a lot of emphasis on its elementary level teams. Almost every year is a favorite for the pan-Hellenic championships for children and teenagers and competes in the ESKA categories. It seems that the future of Greek basketball is connected to the Panathinaikos Academy. The club’s vision is that the talented athletes will adopt values, which will help them in basketball and in their lives. Its elementary level teams participate in the Next Gen of the Euroleague. A great ambition of the people in the team is to turn PAO BC Academy into a leading Academy in Europe.

The Western Suburbs team has always relied heavily on their Academies. It is no coincidence that important athletes have grown up in Peristeri, such as Manolis Papamakarios, Michalis Pelekanos, Vangelis Mantzaris and of course the great protagonist in the small National Teams Vassilis Charalambopoulos. The club has provided new talents to the small National Teams for many years. The club’s procedures are very innovative compared to our country’s standards. Every season it seeks to promote new athletes to Greek basketball and to achieve its club’s goals.

Olympiacos is among the elite of European basketball and it is no coincidence that for ten years it has been a star player both inside and outside the borders. Its elementary level teams participate in the Next Gen of the Euroleague against leading European Academies. It has been at the top of ESKANA for many years while it is constantly present in the final stages of the Panhellenic championships. The quality coaching staff and the modern technological means that is available to the young athletes, create the standards for successful basketball players, who will strengthen the club and the national teams.

The Kronos team has made great progress in the Greek basketball playing with claims against the strong ones of ESKANA, Olympiacos and Panionios. The team of Agios Dimitrios has its men’s division in the 3rd National League, while the smaller divisions are in the top division of ESKANA. It is also participating in the playoffs to qualify for the Panhellenic championship. This reflects the proper work and development of the children of the club. It is certain that the future belongs to Kronos Agios Dimitrios, which plays a significant role in basketball.

Platon’s Academy achieves its own breakthrough, establishing its position among the best of the 1st ESKA.The children’s and adolescent teams star in the top division of Athens, while the men’s is very competitive in the 2nd ESKA. The goal of the team is the development of children in sports, in a way that it supports their personal and academic development. The men’s section of the Academy is located in the 2nd ESKA and it is a great dream of the people of the club, to be staffed exclusively with athletes from the elementary level teams. Several athletes have emerged from Platon’s program, such as Nikos Gikas, Vassilis Stavrakoukas, etc., while a great number of them are now in the small National Teams.

The “spring” of the European Basketball is played at Platon’s Olympio

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