Oxford United in the Community primary schools tournament - November 2023

On 29 November we brought a five-person team to Oxford United in the Community's primary schools tournament for local year 5/6 students. We spent the day engaging with 100+ young players from five primary schools, during their breaks in between matches. We brought several of our "roadshow activities" - activities that combine neuroscience and football concepts - to start conversations on how neuroscience relates to football. 

The prism goggles activity (which shifts the wearer's vision, making it harder to shoot straight until the brain adapts) was popular, as always, and some of the goalies got creative, experimenting with how the goggles impacted their ability to save goals. Meanwhile we also had our BART station (Balloon Analogue Risk Taking), where students had to decide how much risk to take when inflating balloons as large as possible without popping them. Students also got the chance to match up cards showing areas of the brain and corresponding football actions they control. Elsewhere on the pitch, students completed fitness and memory tests and our team helped them plot the data points on a graph to see if the two results have any connection.

Our energetic team were all smiles despite the near-freezing temperatures! Thanks to.....

Carinne (Public Engagement Manager), Akudziwe and Izabelle (PhD students), Louise, Education Lead, and Football on the Brain's Public Engagement Officer, Hanna, who did a short interview for OUitC's media team.