Communication

Effective communication between parents, swimmers and coaches is essential to maintaining a successful team and meeting the goals and expectations of all concerned.  The Iowa City Eels uses a variety of methods to establish and maintain communication with parents and swimmers.  The goal is to keep members up-to-date and informed on all club activities.  The more active a role parents take in assuming the responsibility for keeping informed, the more successful we will be.  Ask a lot questions, talk to the coaches, volunteer for committees and attend board meetings.  In matters of communication, teamwork is the name of the game!

Club Website

The website is one of the most important communication tools we have.  It is important that you read it carefully for information from the coaches, upcoming events, practice schedule changes, news about swimmer achievements, education articles, etc.  Use the club website to keep your calendar updated.

Club Calendar

The club calendar of events will be kept on the Iowa City Eels Website..  This will help your family make plans in advance to attend Club activities.  The Calendar will include dates of meets; meet sign-up deadlines, social events, board meetings, fundraising activities, etc.  It will be the parents responsibility to keep this calendar updated throughout the year as changes are made or events added by using the newsletter, website, etc.

Coaches Door (Mercer), Bulletin Boards

The coach's door at Mercer and the bulletin boards at both pools are good sources of important information.  The bulletin board at Mercer is located outside the ICE office.  The bulletin board at Coralville is located in the hallway and to the left of the entrance into the pool area.

ICE Notebooks: (Mercer-located at on the filing cabinet)

Upcoming swim meet invitations are available in the notebooks.  These will give you dates for the meets, events offered, and times for swimming sessions.  Directions to the meet and accommodation lists for the area are also listed.

Other information in the notebook will include time standards, board meeting minutes, newsletters, a roster of registered swimmers & parents to help with carpooling and Club Bylaws.  Check this often and regularly for new information.

E-mail List

There is an e-mail list of current swimmers.  If you would like your name included on this in order to receive club announcements or last minute changes, send your e-mail address to dspellman@iceels.org. This is by far the most timely and efficient way to receive news of any scheduling changes, etc.

File Cabinet/Box

Your swimmer will have a file at the pool you indicate as your primary pool at registration.  It is important for your swimmer to check this file at least once a week for important announcements, ribbons, pictures, etc.  The file is located outside the ICE office at Mercer and will be unlocked during swim practices.  There is a portable file box at Coralville that the coaches will take out on deck during practices.

Communication with Coaches

Continual, open communication between coaches and parents is necessary to assure that we reach our club and swimmer goals.  The coaches are available for parent and/or swimmer conferences by appointment.  Please call the ICE office (351-2226) and ask the Coach to schedule a conference or leave a message on the answering machine requesting an appointment.

The period of time your child is practicing, the Head Coach and/or assistant coaches are supervising your child.  They know your child's limitations and needs, so please respect the coaching staff for their knowledge and experience.  The level of respect and courtesy you display towards the coaches directly influences the swimmers' behavior.

Please refrain from approaching the coaches on deck during practices.  For this period of time the coaches are preoccupied with the training of your swimmers, and they should not be distracted.  In addition, the Club's insurance policy through USA Swimming does not permit parents on deck during practices.  If you need to discuss something with the coaches, please call to make an appointment.  The coaches want to address your questions; it is just impossible to do this during practices.