executive producer & creative marketer
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Luka Dončić Foundation "Inside Youth Basketball"

Luka Dončić Foundation
Inside Youth Basketball

Luka Doncic Foundation
Inside Youth Basketball

To launch the Luka Dončić Foundation, we led a six-month research initiative mapping youth basketball ecosystems in the US and the Balkans. Insights shaped the Foundation’s mission and programming, culminating in the launch of a 200-page research report alongside a digital and social launch campaign.


 

Today, 70% of kids quit sports before age 13—and basketball is no exception. Courts that once echoed with pick-up games now sit empty, replaced by a hyper-competitive system that too often leaves kids burned out, injured, or discouraged before high school. Many aren’t walking away because they’ve outgrown the game; they’re leaving because it no longer feels like theirs.

The Luka Dončić Foundation set out to confront this sober reality head-on. On World Basketball Day in 2024, we launched the Inside Youth Basketball Report, a first-of-its-kind study examining youth basketball systems in the U.S. and the Balkans. The findings were both inspiring and urgent: while both systems cultivate elite talent, we found that joy, creativity, and exploration are being pushed out of the game.

The report became the foundation for the Total Hoops Approach, a research-backed framework designed to reimagine youth basketball around confidence, creativity, and character, not just competition—and now serves as a springboard for the Foundation’s forthcoming initiatives and programs.

I helped guide the development of the report from start to finish, overseeing key aspects of the research, copywriting, and the creation of art and imagery, including graphic design, photography, and illustration, that brought the findings to life, with an amazing team at 77X and our incredible vendors. I also supported the communications strategy and digital rollout, working to ensure the website and social channels amplified the story in engaging, accessible ways. Throughout the process, our aim was to balance academic credibility with creativity, helping the research feel both informative and emotionally resonant.

The campaign was strategically launched on World Basketball Day, aligning the report with a global celebration of the sport. This timing allowed us to connect the research to a broader cultural moment, maximizing visibility and sparking conversation across audiences ranging from parents and coaches to media and policymakers.

The impact was twofold: the report provided an authoritative evidence base for future programs and initiatives, and it positioned the Luka Dončić Foundation as a leading voice in youth sports.

For me, the project demonstrated the power of combining rigorous research with creative execution and translating urgent insights into a movement to keep basketball a source of joy, confidence, and belonging for the next generation.


 

Credits —

Research Partner:
Nonfiction Research

Photography: Jared Soares, Boogie, Stephanie Noritz, Aaron Wojack,
Balazs Gardi, Urša Premik, Iztok Medja, Molly Cranna

Photo Editor: Emily Keegin

Art & Design: Tracy Ma, Nejc Prah, Kurt Woerpel

Illustrations: Pablo Espinosa, Panic Studio, Zach Hackman
Nahuel Bardi, Julian Adon Alexander, Mercedes Bazan, Sorriso

Copy: Zoe Scaman, Arin Delaney

Balkan Production Partner: Entity Films

Social Content: David Maxwell, Yates Holley

Website: Non-Linear

Creative Directed & Produced by 77X
Chris Eyerman
Ashley Hsieh