JOIN VALLEJO AQUATIC CLUB

Vallejo Aquatic Club (VJO) was founded over 60 years ago with the goal of providing a competitive, year-round and affordable swim club to all members of the community.  VJO aims to serve all levels of swimmers - from our beginning pre-team all the way up to our elite senior swimmers, and even Olympic swimmer Natalie Coughlin once swam for VJO!  Our team is like a family - we spend a lot of time together at practice, swim meets, and fun social outings like movie days and rock climbing.  We want to include everyone who wants to swim - and offer scholarships and other financial assistance, as well as sibling/family discounts, and a new refer-a-friend program. Please contact our membership chair at info@vallejoaquatics.org; president@vallejoaquatics.org; jenniferthiem@vallejoaquatics.org for more infomation about becoming a VJO Shark!

Contact VJO:

Vallejo Aquatic Club
P.O Box 5846
Vallejo, CA 94591-5846 
EMAIL: info@vallejoaquatics.org; jenniferthiem@vallejoaquatics.org
(707) 553-SWIM 

For Application forms please click here

Frequently Asked Questions:

What do I need to bring to practice?  You will need the following: swim suit, goggles, swim cap, floating fins.  VJO has kickboards you can use during practice, but most swimmers eventually purchase their own.  For Junior and Senior group swimmers, please ask your coach for your additional equipment list.

How can I contact my coach:  The best way to contact your coach is by email and arrange a time to meet if needed.  Parents can speak with coaches on deck *before* and *after* practice.  It is best not to try to discuss questions or other issues with the coahes when they are working with swimmers in the water.

When can I sign up for my first swim meet?  You coach will let you know when you are ready for your first swim meet.  In most cases, they will let you know which events you are ready for and how to sign up and what to do the day of the meet.  Please review the Swim Meet Info page prior to attending your first meet, and feel free to contact a coach or Board Member if you have any questions.

What if I am having trouble paying my monthly dues?  If you are unable to pay or will be late with payment, please contact the Treasurer ASAP.  The sooner you communicate with us, the sooner we can help you come up with solutions - we have several forms of financial assistance and are always willing to work with you if you are experiencing a hardship.  However, if your account becomes delinquent and you do not give us notice, we will have to keep your swimmer out of the water until we can reach an agreement.

When will I move up to the next level/age group?  Your coach will determine when you are ready to move into another group. This is partially determined by age and partially determined by level.  Please look at the links for each group for a general idea of what is required for each group.  The coaches meet regularly to discuss swimmers, so you can rest assured they are always evaluating each swimmer.  If you have any concerns or questions about your swimmer's progress, do not hesitate to speak with your coach.  Please also read this article about the parent-swimmer-coach relationship.

Why are volunteer hours required?  VJO is a not-for-profit volunteer run organization.  We offer elite coaching at a relatively reasonable cost.  We depend on our families to volunteer to keep the team running.  Our Board members are all parent volunteers, and our home swim meets - which not only provide a terrific opoortunity for our swimmers to compete with other local competitive swimmers, but also provide the majority of our operating budget for the year - run solely on parent volunteer hours.  We simply cannot exist without parent volunteers. If you would like to help or have a particular skill or talent you would like to contribute, please contact out volunteer coordinator.

What if I cannot attend and volunteer at a home meet?  Contact our Volunteer Coordinator right away.  Although 10 volunteer hours are required of each family at each home meet, we have *many* other opportunities for you to help and make up these hours if you are unable to attend.  You must give the Coordinator advance notice, however, that you will not be attending the meet, to avoid a penalty

Can I attend a Board meeting?  Absolutely - we encourage you to attend and stay informed.  Board meetings are generally held on the second Wednesday of the month in the Cunningham Pool portables.

Why do I need to join Pacific Swimming?

Can we take a break for the winter?

What if I swim for a rec team during the summer/fall, can I still swim with VJO in the off season?

The Vallejo Aquatic Club (VJO) is a non-profit organization with the purpose of providing supervised training in competitive swimming for young athletes. VJO is a member of the Pacific Swimming, the Local Swimming Committee (LSC) of the United States Swimming (USS).

VJO is run by Officers composed of parents of swimmers. They are elected by the members of VJO in good standing at a general membership meeting. The Officers and Committee Chairpersons appointed by the President and approved by the Officers comprises the Board of Directors which formulate and set the rules in operating VJO. The members of the Board of Directors are all volunteer parents of swimmers.

VJO employs USA-S registered coaches. They teach swimmers techniques in improving swimmer's performance. They also determine if a swimmer is ready to participate in swim meets.