How Birmingham Swim League Simplified Operations While Growing Its Team

James Barber knows that coaching a growing swim team means managing more than workouts.

On any given day, he’s thinking about lane space, practice plans, the weather, family requests, and the financial decisions that keep the team running. As head coach of Birmingham Swim League, he wants the administrative work behind those decisions to be straightforward.

“I don’t like things to waste my time."

That expectation helped lead him to Captyn. Since making the switch, James says the platform has made it easier to manage team operations, access financial reports, and handle everyday administrative tasks without adding unnecessary steps.

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Growing a team with limited space and time

Birmingham Swim League is a year-round competitive swim team serving Central Alabama. James brings more than three decades of coaching experience to the program, including time in collegiate swimming and with the resident national team in Colorado Springs.

During the interview, James shared that the team had nearly doubled in size over the previous year. That growth was exciting, but it also brought a familiar challenge: finding enough space for swimmers across the facilities the team uses.

“I always tell coaches there’s two things you can’t fake in this business, and that’s space and time."

He enjoys the creativity required to solve those challenges. But he also knows that a growing team gives a coach plenty to manage outside the water. For James, even a nonprofit swim team needs the information and processes to make sound business decisions.

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Looking for a simpler way to manage the details

When James returned to club coaching, he had to learn parts of team administration that weren’t central to his previous collegiate roles, including billing. He appreciated the convenience of an online system, but found some routine tasks frustrating.

Sending meet entries and moving an athlete between groups seemed to take more steps than they should. He began asking a simple question: How quickly and intuitively can I get this done?

“I look at things like, are they intuitive or not? Is it easy for me to do this? How fast is it?”

A former athlete and fellow coach recommended Captyn after hearing his frustrations. James scheduled a conversation with the Captyn team and included Birmingham Swim League’s accountant, who wanted to understand how billing would work.

For James, the appeal wasn’t one feature alone. It was the combination of a cleaner experience, accessible information, and support when he needed it.

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Getting help through the transition

Changing systems came with some work. James says moving data from the previous system, particularly meet results and athlete best times, was trickier than he expected. The import worked for most swimmers, but a few records needed additional attention.

With help from Katie on the Captyn team, James identified what he believed was an issue with how the data had been exported from the previous system and was able to complete the process.

That support stood out to him throughout the transition. James says his questions received quick responses, and he appreciated the regular follow-up calls after onboarding.

“Just never had that level of support before, which has been refreshing."

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Financial information when and where he needs it

One of James’s favorite parts of Captyn was also one he hadn’t expected: financial reporting.

James lives in Tuscaloosa and travels to Birmingham for practice, so he often handles business from his phone. Being able to pull up financial reports without waiting until he’s back at a computer helps him see the information he needs while managing a growing team.

“To be able to pull up the financial reports, you know, from my phone, unbelievable."

The information also helps Birmingham Swim League’s accountant. James says the accountant can access the financials, export the information, and import it into QuickBooks.

That visibility matters to James because running the program involves financial decisions as well as coaching decisions.

“I’m trying to run a business here. I’m building a business, I’m running a business.”

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Fewer steps for everyday requests

James has also found practical uses for Captyn’s coupon tools. For example, some coaching staff members have children on the team and receive certain team services at no cost.

He says setting up a coupon for that arrangement was much simpler than the process he anticipated using previously. He can also see who has used a coupon without maintaining a separate record himself.

“It was really that easy with Captyn."

Those small administrative tasks add up across a season. James says the team can process some work more quickly than before, including tasks he sometimes gives to assistant coaches.

In another Captyn customer story, Fusion Swim Team describes using mobile access to handle team administration on the go. Birmingham’s experience is different, but both teams value being able to manage important work without being tied to a desk.

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Making room for the work that matters

Captyn can’t create more lane space for Birmingham Swim League. James still has to balance facilities, schedules, and the needs of a growing program. But he says the software has helped streamline team operations and made financial information easier to access.

That fits the way he thinks about coaching: helping people get from where they are to where they want to be. For James, the work starts with being present for athletes. He makes a point of calling each swimmer by name when they arrive and throughout practice.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to be able to hit the deck every day."

If your team is looking for a simpler way to manage the business side of swimming, explore Captyn for swim teams and schedule a demo.

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