AllSorts

AllSorts is the most popular KEEN activity, with around forty or fifty athletes coming each week for the adapted sports and games. You don't need to be sporty in any way - just enthusiastic and willing to offer a helping hand.

What can I expect to happen at an AllSorts session?

At the start of each section, every “coach” (volunteer) is paired with an “athlete” (participant). Coaches are paired one-to-one with the athletes to help them have fun and to realise their goals in a friendly, non-competitive environment.

We begin with a game of duck, duck goose. Once everyone’s paired up we have a warm-up. After the warm up the athletes are split into three groups to rotate around different the three different activities. The session always ends with a big Hokey Cokey.

The sports we run vary each week. Recent sports include football, tennis, rounders, hockey, playground and parachute games, Sherborne gymnastics, boccia, Scottish dance, volleyball, tag rugby, athletics and much more.

Every activity is lead by a session leader, who will be an experienced coach. Through the instruction of the session leaders, our athletes have the double benefit of individual attention within a team set up and are able to gain a lot of confidence, pride, and a sense of belonging as well as making great steps physically.

The three session leaders and the KEEN Co-ordinator are on hand to give support to the coaches and athletes, especially those joining KEEN for the first time.

Allsorts is split into two sections, the first for the younger athletes from 4 to 14 years old and the second for the older athletes from 14 to 25.

When and where are the AllSorts sessions held?

Allsorts takes place from 2pm to 5pm each Saturday during Oxford University term-time, except for when a Special Event takes its place (see the termcard).

From October to March the AllSorts sessions are held in Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre. A free coach picks up volunteers from outside the Taylorian on St.Giles (opposite St.John’s) at 1.10pm, from Banbury Road (outside St Clare’s School) at 1.20pm and from the Gypsy Lane Brookes campus at 1.30pm.

Check the KEEN review or e-mail keen@keenoxford.org for directions.

In the summer, from April to June, sessions are held outdoors at New College Sports Ground on St Cross Road (between Linacre College and the St Cross Building). We meet at 1.45pm at the pavilion on the sports ground. The younger session runs until 3.20pm, and the older session runs from 3.40-5pm. If you are short on time, feel free to come along to just one session (though obviously we would prefer it if you were able to stay for both!).

View KEEN places in a larger map