Swimming
The WhatsApp bot for swimming coaches: squad RSVPs and attendance
A swim squad trains on a schedule and travels to meets, and both depend on knowing who is coming. Pitchside sends the session in WhatsApp, collects a reply from each family, and keeps the squad and attendance lists together.
20 coaches get 30 days free, with no card and one coach phone. The trial page checks how many places are left.
You message the bot first. It never adds anyone to a group chat.
Coach
Squad training Tuesday 5:30am at the pool. Lane 4, warm-up 5:30, dive starts 5:50.
Pitchside
Sent to 16 families. 11 in so far.
Parent
Yes - Noah
Pitchside
Noted. Noah is in for training.
An example of the messages, not a real club.
Training, and then a meet
Training messages carry the pool, the lane and the start time, so a swimmer knows where and when to be behind the blocks. Meet messages carry the venue, the warm-up time and the events a swimmer is entered in. The bot sends whichever one a coach needs to the squad, so a family gets one clear message instead of a notice board.
Squad numbers before a session
A coach plans lane space and sets around how many swimmers are coming, and a meet entry is easier to settle once the replies are in.
- Send training or a meet to the squad in one message.
- See each family's reply as it arrives.
- Find the families who have not answered, and nudge once.
- Check the count before you set lanes or leave for the pool.
A reply is intent, and attendance is the record
A parent replying yes says a swimmer intends to be there. The coach marks the swimmers who actually trained or competed. The bot keeps the reply list and the attendance list separate, so a record of attendance is never built out of good intentions.
Families keep the app they have
Parents reply in WhatsApp and never sign in to anything else. A coach sets the squad up by messaging the bot, and the bot never adds anyone to a group chat.
See how the WhatsApp bot runs a sessionQuestions coaches ask
Do swimming families need another app?
No. Replies happen in WhatsApp, and neither a swimmer nor a parent creates a Pitchside account or installs anything new.
Can one coach run several squads and lane groups?
Yes. The coach phone covers one coach across every squad they run, so separate training groups do not each need their own subscription.
Does the bot track times or race results?
No. It carries the session details and the attendance record. Meet times and results stay with the club and the meet organiser, which is where they belong.
Price and coverage
The price, and where it works
A$4.99 a week for one coach, paid in Australian dollars. A coach phone covers one coach however many teams they run, and parents and players never take a seat. No club listing is needed to run the bot.
WhatsApp setup is configured for Australia, the UK, New Zealand, the US, Canada and Singapore. Coaches elsewhere cannot finish setup yet.
At the Reserve Bank of Australia rates for 14 October 2026 (USD 0.7002 and GBP 0.5275 for each Australian dollar), A$4.99 is about US$3.49 or GBP2.63. Checkout is in Australian dollars, so your bank's own rate and any fees can change the amount you see. Reserve Bank of Australia exchange rates.
20 coaches get thirty days of the bot free in the founder test.