Creating and Updating Athletes

Learn how to create new athlete profiles and update existing athlete information in Huddleswim.

Creating a New Athlete

Step 1: Navigate to Athlete Creation

Go to your team's Athletes page
Click the "Add Athlete" button
The athlete form will open

Step 2: Required Information

Complete the following required fields:

Basic Information

First Name: Athlete's legal first name
Last Name: Athlete's legal last name
Gender: Select Male or Female
Grade Level: Required for High School teams, optional for Club teams

Team Assignment

Team: Automatically assigned to your current team
Team Type: Inherited from your team settings

Step 3: Optional Information

Add additional details to create a complete profile:

Personal Details

Middle Name: Full middle name
Preferred First Name: Nickname or preferred name (e.g., "Mike" for "Michael")
Date of Birth: Required for Club teams, optional for High School teams

Competition Information

Division: Select the competition division for the athlete
USS Number: Auto-generated USA Swimming ID number (read-only)
Notes: Internal notes about the athlete (not visible to the athlete)
Inactive Status: Mark athlete as inactive to filter from selections

Step 4: Save Options

Choose how to save the athlete:

Save Athlete: Creates the profile and returns to the athletes list
Save and Add Another: Creates the profile and opens a new form for quick batch entry

Updating Existing Athletes

Accessing Athlete Records

Navigate to your team's Athletes page
Find the athlete you want to update
Click on the athlete's name or use the action menu (three dots)
Select Edit from the dropdown

What You Can Update

Personal Information

First name, middle name, last name
Preferred first name
Date of birth
Gender (if needed)

Academic Information

Grade level
Notes and comments

Competition Settings

Division assignment
Active/inactive status

Note: USS Numbers are automatically generated and cannot be manually edited. They update automatically when name or birth date information changes.

Team Management

Transfer between teams (Admin only)
Archive athlete records

Important Notes About Updates

Historical Data: Updating athlete information doesn't affect historical results
Active Status: Marking athletes inactive filters them from most selections but preserves their data
Division Changes: Updates will apply to future meet entries
Name Changes: Be careful with name changes as they may affect result matching

Division Management

Understanding Divisions

Divisions help organize athletes for competition purposes:

High School Teams: Typically use divisions like JV, Varsity, etc.
Club Teams: May use age groups or skill levels
Competition: Divisions can be used for event entry restrictions

Creating New Divisions

If you need a division that doesn't exist:

Navigate to Settings → Divisions
Click "Create New Division"
Enter division name and optional codes
Save the division
Return to athlete form and select the new division

Bulk Operations

Bulk Import

For creating many athletes at once, use the bulk import feature.

Bulk Updates

Export athlete data to Excel/CSV
Make changes in the spreadsheet
Re-import to update multiple athletes

Data Validation

Automatic Checks

Name length and character validation
Date format verification
Grade level ranges
Gender field validation

Manual Verification

Double-check spelling of names
Verify birth dates for age calculations
Confirm division assignments
Review notes for accuracy

Best Practices

Data Entry

Use consistent naming conventions
Include preferred names when different from legal names
Add relevant notes for coaching staff
Keep division assignments current

Regular Maintenance

Review athlete roster at start of each season
Update grade levels annually
Mark graduated athletes as inactive
Clean up old or duplicate records

Privacy Considerations

Notes field is for internal use only
Be mindful of sensitive information
Follow your team's data policies
Consider parental consent for minor athletes

Common Issues and Solutions

Duplicate Athletes

Problem: Same athlete appears twice
Solution: Use the merge athlete function or delete duplicate
Prevention: Check for existing records before creating new ones

Name Mismatches

Problem: Athlete name doesn't match results imports
Solution: Update name to match official records
Prevention: Use consistent naming from the start

Division Errors

Problem: Athlete assigned to wrong division
Solution: Update division in athlete profile
Note: May affect existing meet entries

USS Number Issues

Problem: USS Number shows asterisks instead of letters/numbers

Cause: Missing required information (first name, last name, or birth date)
Solution: Complete all name fields and birth date
Note: USS Number generates automatically when all required fields are present

Grade Level Issues

Problem: Incorrect grade showing for athlete
Solution: Update grade level in athlete profile
Timing: Best done at the start of each school year

Integration with Other Features

Meet Entries

Athlete profiles are used for meet seeding
Division settings affect event eligibility
Active status determines availability for selection
USS Numbers are included in official meet export files

Results Tracking

Athlete profiles link to performance history
Names must match for automatic result association
Historical data tracks improvement over time

Recruiting Tools

Athlete profiles feed into recruiting reports
Performance data helps with college placement
Contact information supports communication

Adding Athletes to Your Team