16 Nimish Patri
This season, I worked with the varsity swim team as part of IST, contributing to athlete evaluation tools while also being actively involved on deck at practices and meets. The role gave me a clear view of how data can move beyond analysis and directly support coaching decisions and athlete development in real time.
Projects
Top 14 Swim Tracker
This project focused on helping coaches identify which athletes would benefit most from smaller, more individualized practices. We built a framework that combined FINA scores, attendance, and how receptive athletes were to feedback, recognizing that performance alone does not capture development potential. I worked closely with coaches and other IST members to define these inputs and translate them into a consistent ranking system for each gender. The result was a practical tool that made selection decisions more transparent and aligned across staff, while still reflecting both measurable performance and day-to-day engagement in training.
Top Swimmer Ranking
This project created a structured ranking of swimmers based on past meet performance. Using race times converted into FINA scores, we were able to compare athletes across different events in a consistent way. I worked with IST members to organize the data and with coaches to ensure the rankings reflected how performance is evaluated in competition. The final output was a clear and reliable ranking system that supported decisions around meet lineups, tracked athlete progress over time, and gave swimmers a better understanding of where they stood within the team.
On-Deck Involvement & Real-Time Data Support
Alongside these projects, a significant part of my role was being present at practices as a staff member and working directly with athletes and coaches. During sessions, swimmers wore TritonWear sensors that provided real-time metrics, which I monitored and helped interpret in the moment. Rather than just collecting data, I used it to support conversations with athletes about their goals, highlight areas where they were improving, and identify specific weaknesses to focus on. This required domain knowledge and constant coordination with coaches and other staff to ensure the data aligned with what was being emphasized in training. Being on deck made it clear that the value of analytics comes from how well it integrates into the coaching process, not just from the numbers themselves.
Reflections
Overall, this was a very meaningful experience working closely with the swim team and contributing both through projects and on-deck support. The strongest aspect was how integrated the work was with coaches and athletes, which made the outputs directly impactful rather than theoretical. Moving forward, I would like to see the team build on this by developing more code-driven and deeper analysis as data access improves, since current work is still limited by early-stage infrastructure. This experience gave me a strong foundation in applying analytics within a team environment, and I am looking forward to seeing where this goes in the future.