“Strong Mind, Powerful Team” Social Responsibility Project is Starting
The “Strong Mind, Powerful Team” project, led by Instructor İdil Arasan Doğan from Üsküdar University’s GraduateSchool of Social Sciences, is being launched for the U11 Basketball Team in the infrastructure of Akademi İstanbul Sports Club under the Turkish Basketball Federation. This 6–8 week social responsibility initiative aims to enhance young athletes’ psychological resilience, goal-setting, and team harmony.
The project will be carried out under the advisorship of Prof. Deniz Ülke Kaynak, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Üsküdar University, and Prof. Gökben Hızlı Sayar, Director of the Graduate School of Social Sciences. Dr. Remziye Keskin, Deputy Director of the Graduate School of Social Sciences, will serve as the mentor.
Focus on Psychosocial Skills and Performance Development
In the “Strong Mind, Powerful Team” project, athletes will receive training in areas such as communication skills, intrinsic motivation, self-discipline, stress management, anxiety management, teamwork, and positive thinking. Additionally, visualization and mental imagery techniques will be used to support athletes’ performance-focused thinking abilities. To ensure the scientific basis of the training, pre-test and post-test evaluations will be conducted.
Active Participation from University Students
The project will be implemented with the active participation of students from Üsküdar University’s Clinical Psychology Master’s program and Psychology Bachelor’s program. Participants include Fidan Kasımlı, Ayşe İsra Ekinci, Barkın Öngören, Aycan Polat, Hande Yalçın, İrem Zeynep Avcı, Gizem Aslan, and Psychologist Zeynep Yeşilçöllü.
During the process, students will gain experience in group work, empathy, and collaboration while acquiring significant knowledge in sports psychology. They will work with athletes individually and in groups to gain hands-on experience in areas such as thinking skills, stress management, and motivation enhancement. Furthermore, they will have the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge in the field.
Emphasizing Collaboration Across Disciplines
The “Strong Mind, Powerful Team” project once again highlights Üsküdar University’s active role in socially beneficial interdisciplinary projects. By adding another achievement to its community-focused initiatives, the university demonstrates the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration and enhances students’ educational journeys with practical professional experiences.
Development in the Athlete, Family, and Coach Triangle
The project includes not only athletes but also their families. Through psycho-educational programs designed for families, they will learn how to contribute to their children’s mental resilience and team harmony processes. The project offers a holistic development model through the collaboration of athletes, families, and coaches. This initiative, which aims to support young individuals’ development and professional skills, stands out as a comprehensive example that integrates the athlete-family-coach dynamic.
Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)