Children and teens are lacing up their tennis shoes and hitting the track and field in a new club in North Central Phoenix.

So Swift Athletics is a USA Track & Field-affiliated Youth Track & Field Club that trains and mentors youths ages 5 to 18 years old. The club’s mission is to offer a fun, welcoming environment for athletes to have a positive and meaningful experience while learning track and field fundamentals.

Tawnie Martin, founder and coach of So Swift Athletics and a Phoenix native, has been serving in the USA Track & Field Arizona Association for more than five years. She is a Level 1 USATF coach who specializes in mid/long-distance and block starts. She works as the sprint coach at Sunnyslope High School.

Participants in So Swift Athletics meet from 5:15 to 6:45 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Children and teens of all skill levels are welcome to join. The runners practice at Sunnyslope High School at 35 W. Dunlap Ave. and, on occasion, at other locations. They also participate in meets around the Valley.

There is a monthly cost for membership and uniforms. For cost information, contact Martin at soswift athletics@gmail.com. For more details on the club, visit facebook.com/SoSwiftAthletics.