"By bringing together experts in football at the 2002 conference, GSSI served as a catalyst in creating important changes to the NCAA pre-season training policy. In its first year of implementation, these new policies had a strong positive impact on the health and performance of our players," said Randall Dick, M.S., associate director of research and injury surveillance system of the NCAA and expert presenter at the 2004 GSSI conference.

"We're confident that the recommendations coming out of this year's conference will have the same capacity to create an impact -- this time among the key audiences that influence kids' involvement in sports, especially parents," he added.

Experts agree that parents have the best opportunity to shape their young athletes' sports experience. To help them create a positive one, experts at the conference produced a report titled "Kids and Sports: Maximizing Benefits, Minimizing Risks." The report includes important facts that parents should know as well as consensus recommendations for how parents can balance the extremes of the activity spectrum and keep young athletes safely in the game.