Melissa Phelps
Hi there! My name is Melissa Phelps. I am a 21 year old Colorado native and this is my second year coaching ACES. I have another job working as an AVID tutor through the Cherry Creek school district.
I started swimming for the Parkview penguins when I was 9 years old and then moved to MACS at the age of 11. I swam for MACS for almost 5 years and made sectionals for breaststroke. During my Junior year, I made the switch to ACES and swam at the Cherokee location.
I swam all 4 years of high school as well. My first year of high school we had to Co-op with Eaglecrest high school because our school was still new and had not yet started a swimming program. My sophomore year, I started a petition to get our own swim team and swam my next 3 years at Cherokee. I was Team captain for two of those 4 years and made it to state (4A) in every event except the 100 fly. During the summer of '08 I helped coach the Parkview Penguins.
After graduating high school, I went to the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Co. I chose not to swim because at that time I was pretty burnt out and struggled with incredibly fickle shoulder stability. I missed it tremendously at times, but my body made the decision to hang up the towel for competition. Honestly, even as a swimmer I had a tendency to look out for my peers as a coach.
I get so much excitement from seeing the kiddos that I am responsible for, improving their times and growing in their confidence as a swimmer. I believe very strongly in the mental aspect of swimming and am constantly thinking of ways to help my swimmers be mentally prepared and strong for their swimming. I am absolutely stoked to be given the opportunity to work with ACES because I believe in the staff and the program.