Differences in Survival Outcomes in Adolescent Male Basketball Players at School-Sponsored Versus Select Club-Sponsored Events and Implications for Racial Disparities

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) accounts for 75% of all fatalities during sports and is the leading cause of exercise-related sudden death in young athletes. Epidemiological data demonstrate that Black male basketball players are at highest risk of SCA compared with other athlete groups. Efforts to improve emergency response planning for SCA in athletes have primarily focused on secondary school and collegiate settings. Emergency planning within select club programs, such as the Amateur Athletic Union, is less widely known. This study examined and compared survival outcomes in competitive adolescent male basketball players with SCA during school-sponsored versus select club-sponsored events.