What can I expect if I come to KEEN?

The sessions

KEEN runs four sessions each week during the Oxford University term: AllSorts, a Saturday sports session; Zig-Zag, a drama and crafts workshop aimed at primary school aged children; KEEN Teens, a social club for 11 to 17 year olds; and GrEAT our over 18's social club.

What to expect depends on which session you come to. If you come to AllSorts or Zig-Zag you will be paired up with an athlete at the beginning of the session. As a coach, your job is to enable your athlete to take part in the activities and to have a great time, which might involve making sure your athlete understands the instructions and gets a turn in each game. You will be given a profile card with details of your athlete's abilities as well as lots of helpful coaching hints.

At KEEN Teens some coaches will be paired with athletes who need one-to-one attention. The other coaches are free to help out wherever they’re needed, which might involve helping to run an activity, going around the hall to make sure all the athletes are getting involved, or assisting an individual athlete with an activity.

If you come to GrEAT you won’t be paired up at all. As all of the members are over 18 we treat them as adults, which means everyone is free to socialize with everyone else.

 Afterwards in the pub

After the athletes have gone home the coaches normally head to the pub for a well-earned drink. This is a chance to discuss the session and get advice from other coaches if you have had any problems, or (usually!) just to have a laugh. As an added bonus if it's your first session or you’re a session leader you get a free drink!

 If you have any questions about volunteering with KEEN email keen@keenoxford.org