Do we need medical verification from our Doctor?
Yes, our enrollment agreement mandates it. This confidential documentation is necessary for participation in parasports categories and competitions. Moreover, it helps us identify any required accommodations for your swimmer while they are part of our team. It is NOT required for non-disabled swimmers.
Does your team offer grants, scholarships or bingo to pay for training?
Our team's training expenses are traditionally less than those of many other swim teams offering comparable programs for athletes with disabilities. Although there are numerous grants and scholarships available for swimmers with physical or cognitive disabilities, these are individual awards that the swimmer must apply for and secure to cover our program costs. Regrettably, we do not have any team grants or scholarships available for new swimmers.
How come you do not accept non-disabled swimmers?
Our organization, Artistic Swim AWD-USA, supports our team, as part of the mission/goals to offer sports opportunities to swimmers with disabilities and to broaden the reach of artistic swimming to athletes with disabilities who aspire to compete at higher levels. While we do NOT turn away non-disabled swim applicants, our priority enrollment are for swimmers with disabilities. If we have openings, we will consider non-disabled athletes who meet our assessment criteria and can also commit to competing in mixed abilities duet/trio/team routines along with athletes with disabilities (AWD) on our team.
Given the small size of our swim team, non-disabled athletes—and even those with disabilities—might find more opportunities with other local teams with AWD training programs or mainstream artistic swim teams, especially if we have no current openings.
If I am accepted to the Team, do I get to chose who coaches me?
Our team offers trained and seasoned coaches for every level. We boast a roster of dedicated coaches and coaching assistants experienced with a diverse range of swimmers. Given our team's intimate size, coaches occasionally rotate among the Tiers, allowing all team swimmers the opportunity to become acquainted with and learn from our entire coaching staff.
Can't I just join your team for recreational swimming?
Our program provides recreational competitive swimming for beginners (Tiers 1 and 2), with a primary focus on competing. We are dedicated to the long-term development of athletes in our sport and other aquatic disciplines, especially for swimmers with disabilities who are looking to engage in the sport or physical activities for life. For individuals seeking non-competitive training, many local artistic swim teams offer recreational, seasonal, and summer programs. For additional details, please visit www.californiaartisticswimming.com

When are the training sessions each month & how much is it?
We recognize that some of our swimmers may have commitments to other activities, such as band practice, sports, or community service. However, we expect full dedication to our part-time training program. The monthly fee is a flat rate covering pool usage and administrative expenses. All our coaches are volunteers; we do not have any paid staff. The flat rate for each program is designed to allow for maximum training time. Our training program includes the first 3 Saturdays (1pm-3:45pm) each month, October through May, and up to TWO Weds each month as 'extra sessions'.  Monthly costs are not prorated for missed practices or late arrivals, except in cases of verified medical issues relating to an impairment, where we do provide credit for the days missed. Cost for each program varies and changes every season based on our pool rental/admin costs. Please email us for the program you are interested in. We are currently operating for the 2026 season, which ends on August 31st, 2026. Our 2026 season begins in October 2025. Open enrollment begins in late August and ends on Nov 1st. Swimmers transferring from other artistic swim teams accepted at any time during our season if we have an opening.

When & where are the practices held?
We hold our practices on SAT afternoons (1pm-3:45pm) at a local community center pool in the Cambrian area of west San Jose. We offer 'extra sessions' (not requires but highly recommended) for figures training (technical training) twice a month on Weds evenings from 6:30pm to 8pm at an indoor pool in Campbell.