The Arizona Cheetahs Track Club opens its 2010 season January 9 with a free clinic and youth rally at Chandler High School.

The 9 a.m. clinic serves as a testing tool of the young track athlete’s ability. The ages range from 6 to 18, but the vast majority is usually ages 9-13.

“We have scheduled the Chandler Police to come speak at this clinic, and we’re trying to get a player from the Cardinals and some coaches from ASU to speak,” voordinator Yative Tiger said. “We like them to speak to the kids since they look up to these professionals and may have the same dream.”

The Cheetahs hosted 60 kids last year comparing to about 150 kids in prior years. The small turnout was due to the economy and a lack of promotion, Tiger said.

The club points toward a couple meets every year. The first, in February, is the 20th annual Indoor Classic in Flagstaff. Athletes from other states as far as Indiana come to this meet.

The next big meet is the Phoenix Invitational in April. More athletes from other states come out to compete in at that meet.

The next meet is the State Championship, where qualifiers move on to regionals, which will be in Colorado this year.

“There are six meets a year on a regular schedule, and then some kids qualify to the next level and can go to eight-10 meets,” Tiger said.

The Cheetahs have a different philosophy from most track clubs.

“We call ourselves the club where athletics meets academics,” Tiger said.

The Cheetahs tutor kids who have trouble in school and offer a mentoring program along with a track team.

“The philosophy is to get the kids strong mentally and physically so they can make it in society as well as their sports,” Tiger said. “Our training is used to strengthen both physical and mental skills.”

A majority of club members have been running with the Cheetahs since they were young, Tiger said.

“The Cheetahs offer a family environment, and when you join the team, you’re part of a family, and what’s why the kids stay so long because they feel they are a part of a family as well as an athletic team,” Tiger said.

Not everyone who runs with the Cheetahs is aiming to become a track star. Plenty of kids are striving to become other types of athletes, and the program helps them gain endurance, speed and strength.

The track club originates back to 1989 with the founder, Norine Richardson. She started the program with just her son and three kids. Each year it continued to grow.

Richardson ran track at Arizona State University and, as prosecutor for the City of Mesa, wanted to start a track program that included tutoring and mentoring. Richardson still remains the president and head coach of the organization.