Club Communication

To encourage improved communication between our membership, coaching staff, and other club representatives; we have put together a quick guide of our communication channels. Please check these sources for information, as they are all updated on a regular basis.

  • Website.  Our website, www.aceotters.com, managed by TeamUnify, is the best source of information.  The site, as well as Team Feed, is updated frequently.  Please check the MEETS & EVENTS and NEWS sections of our website as it will contain information about practice changes, meet information and other information​
  • On Deck App. In the event an urgent message needs to be sent out, push notifications will be sent to those accounts who have downloaded the On Deck app for IOS and Android platforms.
  • Email.  In the event of sudden changes or other important information, an email will be sent out to everyone on our group lists through Team Unify. You may also add swimmer’s emails to the account if you wish that they receive this notices as well.
  • Text Message.  In the event an urgent message needs to be sent out, the TeamUnify SMS text messaging system will be used.  If you would like to receive messages in this format, add a cell phone number to your on-line account and approve text message feature by completing the verification process .  You may also add swimmer’s cell phones to the account.
  • Social Media. ACE maintains official Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest pages that athletes and parents can “friend” or “follow” for educational information and updates on team‐related matters. 

Contacting Coaches

If you have questions and/or concerns regarding your swimmer and would like to speak individually with your swimmer's coach, contact them by emailing the coach directly.

Please understand it may take up to two (2) business days for a reply due to jobs and or school commitments.

If you need to have a face-to-face meeting with a coach before or after a practice session, please first arrange a time to meet via email. Parents are not allowed on the pool deck during practice sessions. 

Communicating During Practices

Please respect the fact that during practice, the coaches’ time belongs to the swimmers. Subsequently,

  • Coaches will not be available during training sessions to speak to parents or others.

Parents should

  • allow the coaching staff to give full attention and concentration to the swimmers while coaching on the pool deck; and 
  • understand that the ACE coaching staff are happy to speak to parents of others regarding the program, answer questions or discuss issues relevant to their child/ children's coaching at an appropriate time. If you need to have a face-to-face meeting with a coach before or after a practice session, please first arrange a time to meet via email. Remember, long discussions may be to be schedules at a time outside of practice as the coaches need to be on the pool deck in a timely manner.

One of the traditional swim team communication gaps is that parents may feel more comfortable discussing their differences over coaching philosophy with other parents rather than taking them directly to the coach. Not only is the problem never resolved that way, but in fact this approach often results in new problems being created.

Some guidelines for a parent raising some difficult issues with a coach:
1. Try to keep foremost in your mind that you and the coach have the best interests of your child at heart. If you trust that the coach's goals match yours, even though his/her approach may be different, you are more likely to enjoy good rapport and a constructive dialogue.

2. Keep in mind that the coach must balance your perspective of what is best for your child with the needs of the team or a training group that can range in size from 10-30 members. On occasion, an individual child's interest may need to be subordinate to the interests of the group, but in the long run the benefits of membership in the group compensate for occasional short-term inconvenience.

3. If another parent uses you as a sounding board for complaints about the coach's performance or policies, listen, but encourage the other parent to speak directly to the coach. He/she is the only one who can resolve the problem.