PCY Tigersharks Swim Team Communication

Our PCY team website platform provides several easy and valuable communication tools. Parents and swimmers need to check both their e-mails and the website regularly to stay informed.

News Posts – These contain short bits of information with links to more details housed within our website. Please follow the links to get all information about the topic. 

Team Feed - This is located on the front page of our website and mobile site. This will include picture updates and general updates about the team that are not urgent.

Texts & Push Alerts – These allow us to send out immediate alerts to specific groups when a last-minute change needs to be made (eg. weather cancelations). Each family needs to complete the process of entering information for Text Messaging, Email, and "Push" alerts as described below.

It is important to go back to the website and check for updated swim meet posts the week prior to the meet.

• Details including estimated timelines, warmup times, meet times, etc. are typically sent to teams and/or updated the week of the meet.
  • Once posted and no longer listed as “tentative”, these details are  unlikely to change but adjustments are sometimes made by the host team on short notice.
  • All changes will be posted to the body of the event page. The original meet information packets posted are rarely ever updated by the meet host, and are not able to be updated by PCY.
    • “Meet Information” packets are meant to be used primarily for meet details, procedure, and technical guidelines and not as a firm listing of start times and specific formatting.
  • Families should regularly check the website and event pages for updates and changes. Major updates will be emailed out and alerts sent through Team Unify.

Although rare, TeamUnify experienced a bug with their email and alert system in early December 2016 that prevented messages from going through with no way of teams knowing. It is for this reason that it is critical that families check the website regularly for information.

Tigershark Messaging and Alert System

Through TeamUnify, the coaching staff has a number of ways to communicate with swimmers and families. Using the coaches’ OnDeck app for phones and tablets, coaches can send e-mail, text (SMS) and “push” alerts for last minute schedule changes due to weather, facility or emergency situations. In order to activate these communication tools, it is important that families accurately enter and verify specific contact information. Please follow these simple instructions for each communication tool used by PCY coaches.

Account Information:

When logged in to your account in Team Unify, click on “My Account” (be sure to look at the “Account” tab). On this page there are fields designated as ‘Email 1’, ‘Email 2’, ‘Email 3’, and two fields designated as SMS (cell phone-text and push alerts) followed by a drop down box for ‘Carrier’. For SMS, please enter your cell phone #, select the carrier, click SAVE at the top, then go back down and click the button next to the SMS/Carrier that says UNVERIFIED. A text will be sent to your phone with a numerical code. Enter this code into the designated box and click VERIFY.

Member (Swimmer) Information (Most Useful for Senior Swimmers):

Just like it is on your main ACCOUNT page, each Member (Swimmer) page has Email and SMS fields for information to be entered and verified. If these Member page fields are not filled in, messages and alerts will default to the information entered on the Main Account page. Parents of older swimmers may choose to enter their swimmer's information on the member pages which would then send messages and alerts specific to the Senior Groups to the swimmers themselves.

In order for coaches to send messages to Rosters and Individuals, these fields on EACH MEMBER (Swimmer) page must also be filled out in addition to the main account page. For SMS, please enter your cell phone #, select the carrier, click SAVE at the top, then go back down and click the button next to the SMS/Carrier that says UNVERIFIED. A text will be sent to your phone with a numerical code and/or a link to click on. Enter this code into the designated box and click VERIFY, or click the link to VERIFY.

Message/Alert Types:

Coaches can send e-mails, texts (SMS), and “push” alerts (On Deck users only) according to Roster Group, Billing Group, or by selecting individual Accounts and Swimmers. To ensure these messages and alerts are received, information must be entered and verified in multiple locations within each account.

“E-MAIL”s are short and non-urgent. Your individual e-mail address(es) must be entered and then verified. Once e-mail addresses are entered, click the SAVE button at the top. An e-mail will automatically be sent to the address to verify and activate it’s usage.

“PUSH” alerts are alerts that pop up on your phone just like alerts you get from many apps. PCY Members must have downloaded and logged into the OnDeck app. Users must also ensure to enable "notifications" from the app.

“SMS” alerts are text messages. For these to work, cell phone numbers need to be entered, the carrier/provider selected, and the number then verified by clicking the VERIFY button next to it. A code will be sent to the number entered and you will then enter your account on the screen of your computer.