Integration Programs Through Basketball: ALBA Berlin’s Experience with Refugees

Refugee Integration Through Basketball: ALBA Berlin’s Educational and Social Experience

In Berlin, basketball has become an effective bridge for communication and social integration through intentional programs targeting refugees and migrant families, combining sport with psychological, language, and cultural support. ALBA Berlin is among the most prominent organizations to adopt a comprehensive vision for integration—moving from the responsibility of a professional club to a true community force. Here is how these initiatives work:

The “One Team – EuroLeague” platform in cooperation with ALBA Berlin
ALBA Berlin is one of the teams participating in the international “One Team” project, which supports young people in socially challenging environments through sport and educational and cultural goals (connectedroom.io, euroleaguebasketball.net).

“Alba macht Schule” and integrating “Willkommensklassen”
Through “Alba macht Schule”, the club equips primary schools in areas such as Brandenburg with facilities and coaching staff to integrate refugee welcome classes (Willkommensklassen) into basketball lessons. This helps to:

• improve interaction among children from different backgrounds

• strengthen shared cultural understanding through team play (albaberlin.de)

“One World Basketball” – a community initiative born in Berlin
Since 2013, the One World Basketball initiative has developed within the ISS Berlin and FBL ecosystem, becoming one of the first community efforts linking refugees and Germans through fair basketball, cultural exchange, mixed teams, and regular events and meet-ups (de.wikipedia.org).

Support through the “Integration durch Sport” program
These initiatives also fall under the federal “Integration durch Sport” program run by the DOSB, supported by interior and migration authorities. The program provides:

• funding for sports clubs to welcome refugees

• training for supervisors in intercultural competence

• post-activity support including language and social assistance (globalcompactrefugees.org)

Tangible benefits of sports-based programs

• boosting refugees’ self-confidence through shared sporting experiences

• making it easier to learn German in the basketball environment

• building new social networks that help in everyday life

• increasing understanding between the host community and migrants, as courts become spaces for cultural connection (globalcompactrefugees.org)

Steps to join

• Contact your child’s school to ask whether it is connected to “Alba macht Schule.”

• Ask refugee centers or support services about “One World Basketball” or teams in the local FBL Berlin league.

• Reach out to clubs such as ALBA Berlin or BC Lions Moabit, or follow initiatives via platforms like Sportbunt.berlin (german-times.com, de.wikipedia.org, sportbunt.de).

• Attend an open trial session (Schnuppertraining)—often free of charge.

• If it’s a good fit, move on to a local league, summer camps, and additional activities.

Summary
Basketball programs connected to schools and communities in Berlin offer a strong, real-world example of integrating refugees through sport. With ALBA Berlin’s vision—alongside programs like “One Team” and pathways such as “One World Basketball”—sport is transformed into an educational, cultural, and developmental platform. It is a holistic experience combining psychological support and social connection, giving refugees and migrant families genuine opportunities for belonging and participation.

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