Kids Enjoy Exercise Now

Kids Enjoy Exercise Now (KEEN) is a national, volunteer-led non-profit organization that provides one-on-one sports and recreation programs for children and young adults with cognitive and physical disabilities at no cost to their families or caregivers.  KEEN’s mission is to foster the self-esteem, skills and talents of its athletes through non-competitive activities, allowing young people ages five to twenty-one facing even the most significant challenges to meet their individual goals.  Our programs are based on a single principle: pair a trained volunteer with an athlete and let them discover together all that they can do. 

Since 2008, KEEN New York has been offering programs for families from all over the NY metro area at locations in Manhattan, the Bronx and Brooklyn. Today, over 200 KEEN Athletes participate in programs each year. These include outdoor basketball, gym-based sports, arts and crafts, swimming and special events.

At KEEN Basketball, athletes learn the skills needed to play basketball (dribbling, passing, shooting) and then put what they have learned into scrimmage games. At KEEN Sports, athletes may throw a football, ride a tricycle or use adaptive equipment such as therapy balls and tumbling mats.  At KEEN Arts and Crafts, athletes draw, color, and create. At KEEN Swim sessions, athletes and coaches swim and play with a variety of inflatable equipment under the guidance of trained lifeguards. In addition to its regular programs, KEEN also has created annual events such as KEENBall Family Day (an outdoor program where athletes, volunteers and families come together for a fun-filled day), KEEN Night at Fordham Women’s Basketball games, and special sessions at the Fashion Institute of Technology.  

KEEN New York is part of a national organization that was founded over 20 years ago. Based on the idea that parents are paying for everything out of pocket, exhausted and looking for opportunities where their children can play, be accepted and socially and emotionally grow - all the while getting a little exercise and learning some independence - KEEN has become a respite for families, a free source of enjoyment for our Athletes and an opportunity for Volunteers to network and learn a little more about children with special abilities.

It is with our heartfelt thanks that you consider making a donation of support, so that we may continue to offer more programs to more children in more communities in NYC!