A committee was formed to examine the kinds of athletic programs provided for elementary children and the conditions under which they are conducted and to prepare recommendations. A questionnaire was prepared for a sample of 786 elementary school principals in order to determine the nature and extent of school sponsored and agency sponsored competitive athletic programs for boys. Schools in 528 districts filed usable returns. The returns supplied the following statistics: agency sponsored competition occurred in almost twice the number of communities (64 percent) as school sponsored interschool athletics (37 percent); 81 percent of the schools utilized a teacher trained or experienced in sports, while only 28 percent of the agencies employed adults with training; many schools and a vast majority of agencies did not provide adequate medical screening for boys joining teams; and less than half of the principals expressed approval of school sponsored athletics, and 13 percent reserved opinion. Research does not prove that sports adversely affect physical growth, and there are no data concerning long-range physiological effects of competitive athletics on youth. On the basis of these findings, the committee issued a policy statement containing guidelines for a sound physical education program. The statement and a bibliography are included in this document. (DO)