Mission Statement
Our program mentors teach and trains youth ages 6-18 by providing a positive environment and an alternative to the negative factors facing today’s youth.
In the pursuit of excellence, we are striving to get our youth to believe in themselves, take risks in life, overcome adversity, handle defeat, thrive on challenges and become winners, by developing the positive outlook that turns "ordinary" competitors into winners. Teaching them how to focus their commitment, overcome obstacles, and achieve greater personal satisfaction; and giving everyone the opportunity to achieve success at his or her own level, thus fostering self-confidence and motivation. Training is structured to strengthen the athlete’s mental attitude as well as their athletic ability - helping them realize their potential both on and off the track, covering the psychological concepts concentration, winning, losing and competing successfully.
History
The Arizona Cheetahs Youth Program was established in 1989 to mentor, teach and train youth.
We assist 200 – 300 youth ages 6-18 each year. Our program was developed to provide a positive environment and an alternative to the negative factors facing today’s youth by Norine Richardson, a retired Judge for the City of Mesa. This vision came to her while working as a prosecutor and seeing the youth come through the system. Knowing that youth enjoy sports, she started a track team, which quickly evolved into a youth program, offering mentoring and tutoring. Our program is more than the traditional sports programs, as we use this vehicle to change the course of lives by improving self-esteem and self-worth in order to produce responsible adults to live and work in our communities.
Our Purpose
We help develop a strong academic base, discipline, self-control and self-confidence in our youth.
We want to increase college entrance through scholarships whether academic or athletic. Training is structured to strengthen the athlete’s mental attitude as well as their athletic ability. We help our youth realize their potential both on and off the track, covering the psychological concepts concentration, winning, losing and competing successfully. The needs and/or problems we address is reducing teenage pregnancy, high school dropout, selling and using of drugs, gang involvement, violence and other negative factors that are rapidly rising. We find that the youth that are financially disadvantaged are the ones that are more susceptible to a life of crime and our program helps alleviate some of these problems by encouraging a constructive commitment to positive activities year-round.
USATF Youth
The Arizona Cheetah’s is a non-profit organization (501(c)(3)) and is a member of the USA Track & Field Association’s youth division. The same USA Track & Field Association (“USATF”) that host the Olympics.
In USATF’s youth program, anyone who places 1st, 2nd or 3rd in his or her state competition advance to the Junior Olympic Regional Championship (“Regionals”). The site for Regionals rotates throughout each region. Arizona is part of Region 10, consisting of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Border Texas and Utah. If you place 1st, 2nd or 3rd in your region, you advance to the Junior Olympic National Championship, which is held each year in a different location throughout the country. The national championship has approximately 10,000 athletes entered into the competition and thousands of fans, college recruits, ex-Olympians and other interested parties. It is the largest, most visible, developmental program in the world. Through USATF’s youth program, we are a part of the grassroots, which will help develop future stars who will follow in the footsteps of Maurice Greene, Marion Jones, Stacy Dragila, John Godina, Regina Jacobs or Allen Johnson.
Our Program
Our program is set up to help develop a strong academic base, discipline, self-control and self-confidence in our youth.
We want to increase college entrance through scholarships whether academic or athletic. The activities of the Arizona Cheetahs are planned and directed by an all-volunteer advisory board of coaches and parents. Training is structured to strengthen the athlete’s mental attitude as well as their athletic ability. We help our youth realize their potential both on and off the track, covering the psychological concepts concentration, winning, losing and competing successfully. We attempt to increase our youth’s economic status as an adult by breaking cycles of poverty. We promote health and long life and keep the youth physically fit. Academic advisors monitor grades and tutor. We teach computer skills, how to write papers, how to complete job applications and interviewing techniques. Mentors counsel youth with family problems and other personal issues and assist them in setting and obtaining goals and discussing ways to they can be achieved. Coaches have taken kids into their homes to help parents and to give structure and balance. We also help our youth complete college applications to increase chances of entry and teach them how to network with people and tap into community resources that are not readily apparent.
Want More Information?
Join our email list for details on our upcoming practices & track meets.
Thanks for subscribing! Add azcheetahs@yahoo.com to your address book and look out for our next email with the latest news and information.
Arizona Cheetahs News
2024 Track Season
The 2024 Track season starts on Saturday, January 6, 2024 at 9:00 AM at Chandler High School – Football Field/Track Chandler, AZ 85225Practice will continue every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday thereafter at Chandler High @ …
Home Exercises
While watching TV or just sitting around at home, there are exercises you can be doing to get better and faster. Push-ups increase upper-body strength; particularly in the chests, front of shoulders and back of …