High-ranking youth sports officials throughout the Caribbean will convene in Roseau, Dominica, March 10-12, 2005 for the first-ever Caribbean Conference on Children's Sports.

 

This historic conference, which will be held at the Fort Young Hotel, will provide delegates with the opportunity to discuss the state of youth sports in their country as well as examine the many problems and issues affecting youth sports and what can be done to correct them.

 

The conference will also feature the worldwide launching of Game On! Youth Sports, a first-of-its-kind system that creates opportunities for children to participate in healthy physical activities that otherwise wouldn't have the opportunity to do so.

 

"This conference represents an important step in our efforts to provide quality youth sports programming for underprivileged youngsters around the world," said Fred Engh, founder and president of the National Alliance For Youth Sports, which is conducting the event. "Game On! Youth Sports will have far-reaching impact as we introduce children to the world of sports and present them with opportunities to enhance their physical and emotional growth through their participation."

 

Game On! Youth Sports, which has already been successfully implemented in Dominica, allows children ages 6-13 to learn and play a sport in a fun setting with minimum adult participation.

 

A unique aspect of Game On! Youth Sports is that it also provides specialized training for parents and administrators to help ensure that youth sports are properly designed and focus on the best interests of children at all times.

 

The official launch of Game On! Youth Sports will take place from 9 a.m. to noon on March 12 with a demonstration by youngsters in Dominica that are actively involved in the program.

 

Dr. John Jno-Finn, a professor at Vanderbilt University, will kick off the conference on March 11 with a presentation on Building Moral Values Through Youth Sports.

The Alliance's Global Gear Drive and Sammy Wilkinson Memorial Fund will also be introduced during the conference.

 

The Global Gear Drive collects youth sports equipment from U.S. recreation agencies and sporting good manufacturers and distributes it to children in need around the world; while the Sammy Wilkinson Memorial Fund provides financial support to needy countries to implement Game On! Youth Sports.

 

A variety of other sessions are also scheduled during the conference.

 

For more information on the Caribbean Conference on Children's Sports call (800) 729-2057 or (561) 684-1141 or email nays@nays.org.