Last Saturday afternoon, Ed Dare went through the horror of watching his youngest son killed in a pole vaulting accident.

Now he is determined to make sure no other father has to endure the same pain.

Dare was present at the Big Ten Indoor track and field championships at the University of Minnesota, where his son, Kevin Dare, a sophomore member of the Penn State track team, was killed in a tragic accident.

Ed Dare said he has watched pole vaulting for years, seeing Kevin and his brother, Eric, compete, and he has seen many dangerous situations, ranging from vaulters hitting the crossbar support to not hitting the landing area.

"As a result of this, the sport needs to be revamped," Dare said. "I'm saying I'm going to do whatever it takes so some family doesn't have to lose their son."

He said his son's case is not an isolated incident, citing a family from Florida that called him Sunday afternoon, saying their 16-year-old son died in almost identical circumstances a week earlier.

He is not alone in seeing dangers in the sport. Longtime Penn State Assistant Track Coach Bill Whittaker said there are many things the sport needs to examine, including increased padding around the metal box where the pole is planted and deepening the landing area. He also mentioned the possibility of mandating helmets for vaulters, a controversial idea within the sport because of performance loss and increased chances for mid-air disorientation.

But Whittaker emphasized that none of these measures would have prevented Kevin Dare's death, due to the angle of his fall. Whittaker also dismissed the suggestion that the 16-foot pole Kevin was using contributed to the accident, saying he had previously used the longer pole successfully, clearing 16-feet, 6 and 3/4-inches with it in practice.

"These guys know every time they vault they are taking a chance," Whittaker said. "That's what makes pole vaulters who they are."

Ed Dare will not be alone in his goal of making the sport his son loved safer.

"Dr. Spanier and (Athletic Director) Tim Curley told me that Penn State is behind me and the entire mission is going to be led by Penn State," Dare said.

Curley said that while no specific plans have been made yet, the university wants to hear Dare's complaints as part of an examination into the safety of the event.

"If there are suggested changes that need to be made, we're going to make sure we take the lead on working with the appropriate governing bodies to make sure those changes are made," Curley said.