February-march 2009 Shark Attack Newsletter

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Vallejo Aquatic Club P.O. Box 5846 Vallejo, CA 94591 (707) 553-swim www.vallejoaquatics.org

February - March 2009

Shark Attack The Official Newsletter of the Vallejo Aquatic Club Presidential Proclamation Thank you to all of the families that worked the February Meet. Long Course season is approaching which means summer is too. We have lots of activities planned for the summer so watch for announcements.

2008 - 2009 VJO Board Debbie Rodinsky, President

Go Sharks Debbie Rodinsky

Angelynne Yee, Vice President Dove Butler, Treasurer Jennifer Unger, Secretary Diane Powell, Membership Debbi Tucker, Officials Debbie Rodinsky, Interim Meet Director Debbie Cameron, Newsletter

Coaches

Swim-A-Thon July 21, 2009 2 hours! 2 hundred laps! 2 much fun!

Coach Tuffy Williams Coach Aaron Jon Toch

Start Collecting Now!

Coach Lesley Toch

5 VJO Swimmers Make Far Western Cut – 2 Compete at Championships in Morgan Hill Two members of the Vallejo Aquatic Club competed April 2-5 at the Short Course Far Westerns Championships in Morgan Hill. This meet draws the fastest Age Group swimmers from across the United States. 10 year-old Alyssa Powell competed in 7 events and posted lifetime bests in 6 of them, making finals in the 50 Back and 50 Fly. She notched three new PRT times (Pacific Reportable Times) in the 50 Back (34.09), 50 Fly (31.70), and 100 Fly (1:14.47). Alyssa’s other events included the 50 Breast (38.74), 100 Breast (1:25.22), 100 I.M. (1:14.02), and 200 I.M. (2:44.98). Team Captain Max Tiuseco swam in 4 events, making 3 finals and narrowly missing a Sectional cut in the 100 Free. He got second swims in the 100 Free (49.43), 200 Free (1:50.30), and 200 Back (2:09.99), and also competed in the 500 Free (5:04.95). The two received their medals from Olympians Tara Kirk and Matt Grevers!! Ashley Sotelo, Ares Elmore, and Andrew Butler also qualified for the meet but were unable to attend.

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Reflections from the Deck

Coach Tuffy NOTES FROM THE TUFFGUY Now is the time for

you to start preparing for summer swim meets. There are not many chances for you to swim this summer so prepare NOW! Come to practice as often as possible; every day if you can. Get as much swimming experience as you can before the REAL Championships. Remind your parents that there are still rooms available at the Discovery Inn in Ukiah (we have about 12 rooms still reserved under Vallejo/Tuffy). During the summer there are many team activities so stay active and read the team calendar. If you are going on vacation, please tell your coach

meet that featured a flooded pool on Sunday—it certainly was an epic stretch for us. I’ve recently been thinking about success. A big part of any competitive sport is the measurement of achievement. Swimming, however, is one of a few sports in which “wins” and “losses” do not play the central role. We, as participants in this fine endeavor, are left to decide which rubric we use to determine success.

Coach Aaron Jon What a fabulous February and March we had! We hosted a swim meet, had a team Movie Night, swam at a Napa meet with terrible rain, hosted a Fish Fry, had a Spaghetti Feed and Talent Show (along with a Dessert Contest that I’m personally hoping becomes a new tradition), and finally competed at a Junior Olmpics

There’s phenomenal video of coaching great John Wooden discussing his thoughts on his career (to view: http://bit.ly/Jaba4), during which he defines success as “peace of mind attained only through self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do the best of which you are capable.” Sir Winston Churchill describes success as “the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” These are but two of the many interpretations of success.

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when you are leaving and when you will return. The coaches have set up a team dual meet with WCAN (Wine Country Aquatic of Napa) for June 6th. Everyone swims. Short Course. See your coach. OUR NEXT HOME C/B/A MEET WILL BE NOV 14-15 '09. MAKE PLANS NOW TO BE IN TOWN AND AT THE MEET. WE NEED EVERYONE TO SWIM AND PARENTS TO WORK!!!!

How do you define success in your life? As a swimmer, son or daughter, student, etc.? I’d like to ask our team, both swimmers and parents, to contribute their definition of success, whether is self-created or borrowed from another source. Anyone (yes, parents too!) who provides one will receive a treat from me!

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SHARK PROFILES February - March 2009

Marshall “Marshmallow” Zia

Age: 13

Favorite Strokes: Breaststroke Favorite Meet Events: 200m Breaststroke, 100m Breaststroke, 100m Freestyle Role Model: His Dad Future Goal(s): To get at the very least a 4.5 or above average. Maybe go to a foreign university Hobbies: Piano, video games Favorite Song: Remember by Flow Favorite Movie: Enter the Dragon Favorite Book: The Titans Curse (Percy Jackson Series) When Marshall grows up, he wants to be a judge. Interesting Fact(s) Marshall would like to share: “It gets kind of irritating to be the only one not born in the States. I mean it’s cool and all, but you know…”

Roland “Joby” Miniano Favorite Strokes: Freestyle, Breaststroke, Backstroke Favorite Meets: VJO Swim Meets Role Models: His Parents Future Goal: To go to college and finish his studies Hobbies: Basketball & playing video games Favorite Songs: Frontline by Pillar Favorite Movie: Stepbrothers Favorite Book: Bible When Joby grows up, he wants to be a nurse or an ER nurse If Joby could change one thing, it would be “being annoying to others” Interesting Fact(s) about Joby: He is easy to be with and very friendly.

Age: 13

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SHARK PROFILES February – March 2009

Kim Goyena

Age: 14

Favorite Stroke(s): Back, breast & free Favorite Meet Event: 50 meter events Role Model: Her Mom Future Goal: To go to college, play tennis & swim in the Olympics Hobbies: Reading, eating & sleeping Favorite Song: Mario Kart Love Song Favorite Movie: Ice Princess & Ratatouille Favorite Book: Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban When Kim grows up, she wants to do something in the medical field. If Kim could end one thing, she would end suffering. Interesting fact(s) about Kim: She has four step-brothers and two half-siblings

Jacqueline Kelia Vega

Age: 6 Favorite Stroke:

Breaststroke

Role Model: Nick Jonas Future goals: To finish college Hobbies: Playing DS and listening to music Favorite Song: In Love with the Pizza Girl Favorite Movie: Monsters vs Aliens Favorite Book: My Big Dog When Jacqueline grows up, she wants to be the President of the US. If Jacqueline could change one thing, it would be to have more pets.

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SHARK PROFILES February – March 2009

Carmen Nicole Vega

Age: 10

Favorite Stroke: Backstroke Role Model: Ms. Lesley Toch Future Goal: Go to college Hobbies: Reading, listening to music Favorite Song: You’re Beautiful Favorite Movie: 17 Again Favorite Book: Judy Bloome When Carmen grows up, she would like to become a doctor. If Carmen could change one thing, she would like to stop pollution.

Jessica Lauren Vega Favorite Stroke:

Breaststroke

Role Models: Michael Phelps, “the best swimmer ever” Future goals: To stay in school Hobbies: Playing volleyball & listening to music Favorite Song: It’s a Hard Knock Life Favorite Movie: 17 Again Favorite Book: Coraline When Jessica grows up, she wants to be a veterinarian. If Jessica could change one thing, it would be to have more pets in her life.

Age: 8

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Tidbits from USA Swimming…

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What To Take To The Meet 1. Most important: Swim Suit, Team Cap--and goggles (if your swimmer uses them). 2. Baby or talcum powder--To "dust" the inside of swim cap. This helps preserve the cap and makes it easier to put on. 3. Towels-Realize your swimmer will be there awhile, so pack at least two. 4. Something to sit on. Oftentimes the swimmer area may be located in a gym or cafeteria. Example: sleeping bag, old blanket, or anything that will be comfortable to sit on. The swimmers will be spending a lot of time on it. 5. Sweat suits: bring one. Each swimmer may want to bring two because they can get wet and soggy. 6. Team T-shirts: Two or three. Same reason as above. 7. Games: travel games, coloring books, books, anything to pass the time. 8. Food: Each swimmer is usually allowed to bring a small cooler. It is better to bring snacks. They usually have snack bars at the meet, but the lines are long and most of the time they only sell junk food. Suggestions for items to bring: 1. Drinks: Hi-C, Fruit juice, Gatorade 2. Snacks: Granola bars, Fun fruits, yogurt, cereal, jello cubes, sandwiches Once you have attended one or two meets this will all become very routine. Please do not hesitate to ask any other parent for help or information! These meets are a lot of fun for the swimmers! He/she gets to visit with his/her friends, play games, and meet kids from other teams. He/she also gets to "race" and see how much he/she has improved from all the hard work he/she has put in at practice. Special Parent's Note: The pool area is usually very warm. Therefore, you need to make sure you dress appropriately. Nothing is worse than being hot at a swim meet. It makes the time pass very slowly! At some of the meets, the parents are allowed to sit with the swimmers at the blanket area. If you don't think that a gym floor is comfortable, feel free to bring folding chairs to sit on. Better yet, become an official and get involved! You get to be close to the action and take the focus off of your own child!

Sharks Attack City Hall Plead with City Council to continue funding pool.

Welcome (Back) to the Deck

New Swimmers

Returning Swimmers

Jessica Vega Carmen Vega

Arnold Imperial Carlos Escudero

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Donation Station & Volunteer Central Some great big THANK YOUs to organizations & people who have contriubuted so generously to & in behalf of VJO!

THANK YOU to Carol Quigley for putting the baskets together for the Fish Fry. VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES: At away meets, please make sure to sign up to do some timing. We typically need 3 timers at a time and try to get enough parent volunteers to sign up so that no one has to time for more than 2 hours at any meet. Look for a sign up sheet in the VJO “Village”. At home meets, consider being a Marshal. No certification necessary – just a lot of common sense and a few rules to enforce like making sure that the swimmers use a 3point entry to enter the pool and keeping them moving in the warmup lanes. You also get some of the best unobstructed views of the meet and (this is the best part) you get to WEAR AN ORANGE VEST! Just imagine, spending some quality time helping out the team and being able to make a fashion statement all in the same day – it doesn’t get any better than that!

Life in the Fast Lane The following swimmers achieved new time standards at the following meets: THE “A” TEAM:

JOOOOOOOOO Times:

Far “Out” Western Times…

Napa February Meet: John Butler: 100 Free Chris Rodinsky: 200 Back

Napa February Meet: Ares Elmore: 200 IM Kelley Henderson: 200 Back Tomas Horder: 200 Breast

Spring JOs: Alyssa Powell: 50 Back

“B” Times: Vallejo February Meet: (A, JO and FW times reported last issue) Mirelle Augst: 50 Fly Sarina Chang: 50 Free Regina Horder: 50 Fly Amalia Keilholtz: 25 Free Tim Man: 100 Free, 50 Back Napa February Meet: Mirelle Augst: 100 Fly Chris Rodinsky: 200 Free Colin VanDervoort: 50 Free Sabrina Yee: 50 Free

Ashley Sotelo: 50 Back