1620 - Empowering Adolescent Boys Through Sport: Promoting Injury Prevention and Informed Decision-Making via a Basketball-Based Health Literacy Program

Thursday, February 19, 2026

5:00 PM - 6:30 PM AST

Presenting Author(s)

SF

Shane Fuentes, MD

Resident Physician
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minnesota, United States

Co-Author(s)

MG

Masud Ghedi, n/a

Undergraduate Student
University of Minnesota-Rochester
Rochester, Minnesota, United States
JN

Jacob I. Ngobi, BS

Medical Student
Creighton University School of Medicine
Phoenix, Arizona, United States
AK

Anthony Kilgore, MD

Resident/PM&R
Mayo Clinc
Rochester, Minnesota, United States
SS

Sam Sayed, MD

Resident Physician
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minnesota, United States
AV

Aurelio Vargas, MD, MBA

Fellow/ Dr.
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minnesota, United States
AR

Anish A. Rana, BA

Medical Student
University of Rochester Medical Center, Strong Memorial Hospital
Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, United States
VS

Vishal B. Swaminanthan, MD

Resident Physician
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minnesota, United States
SA

Sabir Ahmed, n/a

Undergraduate Student
Gustavus Adolphus College
Rochester, Minnesota, United States
JN

Jane Njeru, MBBS

Assistant Professor of Medicine
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minnesota, United States

Submitter(s)

SF

Shane Fuentes, MD

Mayo Clinic
Rochester, Minnesota, United States

Objectives: Adolescent boys are at elevated risk for musculoskeletal injuries and early exposure to substances like alcohol, tobacco, and vaping—factors that can compromise long-term health and well-being. This study evaluates a sport-based intervention grounded in Positive Youth Development (PYD) principles to improve health literacy, decision-making skills, and self-efficacy among adolescent boys through a free basketball camp.

Design: Crossovers & Conversations, a physician-led nonprofit, hosted a free two-day basketball and health education camp in Rochester, MN, for boys aged 12–16. Each day included 4.5 hours of basketball training and a 45-minute interactive health lesson led by physicians. Health topics included ACL injury prevention and substance use/decision-making. The camp was promoted via school newsletters and social media. Of 50 registrants, 37 attended Day 1 (ACL injury prevention), and 32 attended Day 2 (substance use and decision-making). Optional, de-identified post-lesson surveys assessed changes in knowledge, attitudes, and confidence using 5-point Likert scales (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree), initially collected for quality improvement purposes. All Day 1 participants and 21 Day 2 participants completed surveys.

Results: After the ACL injury prevention session, 91.9% of participants understood what the ACL is, 94.6% learned how to prevent ACL injuries and perform protective exercises, and 100% believed the lesson would help them stay safer in sports. After the substance use and decision-making session, 100% of participants learned how substances affect the body and felt more comfortable saying no. Moreover, 95.2% felt more confident in their decision-making, better understood media influence, and reported being less likely to use drugs or alcohol. All participants understood that vaping is not a safe alternative to smoking.

Conclusions: A PYD-based basketball camp effectively delivers health education on both injury prevention and behavioral risks. This model fosters knowledge, confidence, and critical thinking in a safe, engaging, and culturally relevant environment for adolescent boys.