LORETTO, Pa. -- A unique, one-day basketball camp in Cambria County encourages children with asthma to become more active by teaching them how to better manage the disease. The Asthma Basketball Camp at Saint Francis University, which recently marked its second year, matches participants with members of the university's men's and women's basketball teams for a lesson in running, dribbling, passing and shooting hoops. Why? To reinforce to kids that asthma doesn't have to sideline them.

"Many children with asthma are not active at all," said Dr. Deborah Gentile, director of asthma research at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh. "They think it is normal to sit on the sidelines, not participate in sports, not participate in gym class, and we're out here to teach them that we can control their asthma so they can run and play and do anything they want."

The camp is presented by the university's DiSepio Institute of Health and Wellness in collaboration with Allegheny General Hospital. The camp is designed to better educate children and their parents about how to more effectively manage the disease while still enjoying an active lifestyle.

In addition to some fun physical activity on the hardwood, campers and their parents take part in an interactive "Ask the Doctor" session with asthma-allergy specialists, exploring topics such as new medications and treatments. For some parents, the constant fear of their child having an asthma attack can make them a little over protective.

"You worry if they're out somewhere and you're not present with them. What will happen? Will they know what to do? Will other people know what to do?" explained Jason Devan, whose daughter has asthma.

Kids also undergo screenings to determine how well their medication is actually controlling their asthma during exercise and at rest.

"We have 41 physical therapy students who have volunteered to help the kids all day with all of the activities," said Dr. Bill Hanlon, camp director. "They're helping out with the testing. Our students are running with them on the track. They are teaching them diaphragmatic breathing and relaxation."

In addition to the educational benefits the camp offers, the gathering is also a chance for children with asthma to interact with other kids just like them. The ultimate goal is for participants to walk away hopeful that they can control their asthma, not have their asthma control them.