Vallejo Aquatic Club celebrates 70th anniversary

VALLEJO — The Vallejo Aquatic Club is celebrating their 70^th anniversary this year. The nonprofit club offers a variety of coached swimming experiences in a supportive environment where athletes can gain the skills and confidence necessary to compete at their highest level. While most of their programs are for school-aged people, they also have swimming teams for adults.

The club will host its 70th anniversary pool party on Sunday, June 7 at 2 p.m. at Cunningham Aquatic Complex. Anyone in the community is welcome to attend free of charge. There will be a BBQ, fun relay races and other in-pool games, a photo slideshow of the club through the years, and Vallejo Aquatics 70th Anniversary merchandise for sale.

The club is described on its website as a diverse and welcoming swimming community committed to developing athletes of character. They foster a culture of accountability, respect, and sportsmanship that empowers their members to develop a strong work ethic, a positive mindset, and the motivation to achieve their goals in the pool and beyond. 

The club’s six swim groups for kids are based on age and swimming ability. The Hammerheads group, for ages 5 to 8 years old, focuses on building comfort and confidence in the water and learning the basic swimming strokes. The most elite group for high school-aged youth is the Thresher Sharks, which focuses on peak performance, competing at the highest levels, and preparing for collegiate swimming.

In addition, the club offers Learn to Compete Clinics for athletes ages 4 to 12 of all skill levels, from the newest and most hesitant swimmers to kids who are completely confident in the water. The clinics begin teaching basic swimming skills and progress to competitive racing techniques. They emphasize pool etiquette and safety, prioritizing fun, and learning what it means to be part of a team.

There is also an adaptive version of the Learn to Compete Clinic exclusively for swimmers with special needs.

The club offers a Masters Swim program for adults of all abilities. “If you want to keep swimming throughout your adult life, we can keep you in the water,” Head swim coach Sophie Waterson said.

The Vallejo Aquatic Club is part of Pacific Swimming, the third largest of USA Swimming's 59 regional associations, which provides club members opportunities to compete in regional and national swimming meets and championships.

Grant funding is available to help qualified members pay dues and competition fees. “We really try to serve the undeserved,” Waterson said. “We get a lot of kids that wouldn't have this opportunity if it wasn't for someone giving it to them, and we're that someone.”

The difference between a club membership and simply going to the pool to swim by yourself, is training by professional swimming coaches. Waterson said that camaraderie is also a benefit of club membership. “You have people working out with you, which is really nice when you're just lap swimming,” she said.

All of the club’s swimming classes and clinics are held at the Cunningham Aquatic Complex, which has an outdoor heated Olympic sized pool, and is one of the only pools in the country with a hydraulic flooring system that allows the shallow end of the pool bottom to be raised or lowered.

Club secretary Stephanie Jones said that her 13 year old daughter Jasmine has been attending the club’s swimming programs for six years and has participated in regional championships. She said that swimming is a life skill and the full body workout is great exercise. “Anytime you play a sport, you have to learn how to set goals for yourself, and those are all great skills for our young people to learn,” she said.

Jasmine said that her swimming experience has been a lot of fun. "It helped me build my confidence,” she said.