GAME CHANGER

Making mental health a topic we face head-on. 

The programme

Game Changer programme is the Paris Basketball Foundation’s initiative dedicated to mental health. It is aimed at two complementary groups: the young people at our training centre, and the general public attending the adidas arena, based on the belief that mental health concerns everyone, both on the court and in the stands. 

Within the training centre, young people are supported throughout the year by a mental coach, with whom they discuss topics essential to their well-being: stress management, self-confidence, and many other issues relating to both performance and everyday life. This support provides them with practical tools to get to know themselves better and to cope more effectively with the sporting and personal demands of their journey. 

At the same time, our endowment fund organises mental health awareness events aimed at the general public. The highlight of the programme takes place every year in October, during Mental Health Awareness Weeks: two weeks featuring a themed match, around which the Foundation sets up awareness stands and games designed to address these topics in an accessible and non-stigmatising way. 

Mental health remains a subject that is all too often taboo, particularly amongst young athletes facing the pressure to perform, but also more broadly within our society. Game Changer addresses this issue by normalising discussions around these topics, providing young people with practical tools, and raising awareness amongst a wide audience about mental health issues.

A focus on mental health online

Game Changer has recently been paying particular attention to mental health online, and specifically to combating online harassment and abuse – an issue that particularly affects younger generations. To further this initiative, the Paris Basketball Foundation has officially partnered with the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile), joining forces with them to raise awareness and equip young people to deal with these issues. 

Those benefiting 

The programme directly benefits the young people at our training centre, who receive individual support on these issues, as well as the general public at the arena, who are made aware of these issues during dedicated events throughout the season. 

Our commitment 

Through Game Changer, the Paris Basketball Foundation aims to make mental health a topic that is addressed head-on, without taboos or stigma. By combining individual support for our young people with awareness-raising among a wider audience, we want to contribute, in our own small way, to a collective awareness of an issue that affects each and every one of us.