From Stopwatch Struggles to Seamless Swim Meets: How Swimmingly Transformed the ERRA Barracudas
Executive Summary:
Managing a swim team of 170 young swimmers requires efficiency and simplicity. The ERRA Barracudas faced challenges with outdated, manual timing systems that led to long meets and frustrated volunteers. By switching to Swimmingly, this Virginia-based team transformed its meets into streamlined, enjoyable experiences.
Key Results
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Time Savings: Meets now consistently finish by 9 PM, cutting at least an hour from previous durations, making the process more manageable for families and volunteers.
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Increased Volunteer Engagement: Swimmingly’s intuitive interface reduced the learning curve, encouraging more parents to step into key roles with confidence.
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A More Enjoyable Meet Experience: The app eliminated logistical chaos with paperless operations and real-time updates, ensuring an efficient, stress-free environment for swimmers, parents, and volunteers.
About the ERRA Barracudas and Rick
The ERRA Barracudas have been a staple in their local league since the early 1980s. With 170 swimmers ranging in age from five to 18, the team prides itself on fostering a strong community of dedicated parents and volunteers. However, outdated timing methods and complex meet management systems caused logistical headaches that made meets stressful rather than enjoyable.
Rick Erb, a longtime volunteer and parent, has been involved with the team for 17 years, with his wife serving as team president. His experience gave him unique insight into the inefficiencies that plagued their meets—until they discovered a better way.
The Challenge: Long Meets and Overwhelmed Volunteers
Before adopting Swimmingly, the Barracudas relied on manual timing with stopwatches, paper DQ cards, and Meet Manager software. These outdated methods led to:
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Lengthy meets: Often pushing against the 10 PM league deadline, forcing event cancellations.
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Volunteer struggles: Training new volunteers was challenging due to the complexity of Meet Manager.
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Paper-heavy operations: Clipboards were everywhere, creating confusion and inefficiencies.
Rick recalled, “There were nights when we had to cut the meet short because we physically couldn’t finish in time.” It was clear that a modern, intuitive solution was needed.
The Solution: Switching to Swimmingly
Rick and the Barracudas embraced Swimmingly early on and have continued to benefit from its evolution. “We started using Swimmingly in its second year, and from the very beginning, Charlie and the team listened to our feedback and made improvements,” Rick shared.
Key features that transformed their meets:
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Paperless, wireless setup: Eliminated the need for stopwatches, clipboards, and extensive pre-meet preparation.
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Simplified volunteer roles: Parents felt comfortable stepping into key meet positions without extensive training.
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Real-time results and flexibility: Automated adjustments meant no more waiting around after the meet to finalize results.
“Most people are more comfortable using an app than they are trying to figure out a team computer,” Rick pointed out.
The Results: Faster, Easier Meets with Less Stress
The impact of Swimmingly was immediate:
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Meets consistently finish by 9 PM, cutting an hour or more from their previous durations.
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Volunteer needs decreased, reducing timers per lane from three to two.
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Paperwork and post-meet processing eliminated, allowing results to be finalized instantly.
“The real-time results and automated adjustments have been a huge help—no more waiting around after the meet to finalize everything.”
The Verdict: “Just Do It.”
When asked if he would recommend Swimmingly, Rick didn’t hesitate: “Absolutely. I tell people all the time—just do it. It’s faster, easier, and makes running meets way more enjoyable.”
For swim teams looking to simplify meet operations, Swimmingly offers an intuitive, stress-free experience that enhances efficiency while keeping the focus on the swimmers.
Swim Meets, Made Simple
📧 Questions? Email team@swimmingly.app
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