International Sports Timing

International Sports Timing (IST) is an American manufacturer of timing systems, scoreboards, and related equipment for aquatic sports, based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It operates as a division of Industrial Service Technology, Inc., an industrial automation and software company at the same Grand Rapids address.¹²³ IST describes itself as a family-owned business that has supplied swimming, diving, and water polo facilities since 1992, and its products documented in this wiki are the SWIMSTART Electronic Start and the under-block lane speakers sold with it.¹⁴

History¶

Industrial Service Technology, Inc., IST’s parent company, was incorporated in Michigan in 1982 and supplies industrial hardware, custom inventory and production software, and connectivity services.²³ IST dates its aquatic-timing operation to 1992.¹ The Better Business Bureau lists Industrial Service Technology, Inc. as the registered entity behind the International Sports Timing name and names Ryan Julian as chief executive.²

The company remains active: its current online catalog carries touchpads, starting systems, software, scoreboards, and clocks as of 2026.⁵ Some accessory lines have left that catalog, however, including the under-block lane speakers, whose status is documented as unclear on their own page.⁶

Products¶

IST’s catalog covers hardware and software for running swimming, diving, and water polo meets.¹⁵

• The SWIMSTART Electronic Start, a portable start system that packages a public-address system, start tone, strobe, and false-start recall in a battery-powered case.⁴
• The under-block lane speakers, a set of 6 watt speakers on a multi-lane cable sold as an accessory to the SWIMSTART, together with 40 watt deck and far-end speakers.⁶
• Touchpads in 60 inch and 78 inch sizes with a non-slip surface.⁵
• Timing software, which IST offers as TimeWare (console software for teams using Hy-Tek Meet Manager) and MeetWare (a full meet and team management system), alongside WorkWare (workout management), PoloWare (water polo), and BoardWare (video scoreboard).⁵
• Programmable digital pace clocks, including wireless two- and four-digit models.⁵
• Electronic scoreboards in video matrix, projected video, and alphanumeric formats.⁵
• Diving equipment, including the SWIMWARE handheld judge’s scoring consoles, which IST describes as letting each judge enter a score directly into its TimeWare or MeetWare software.⁵
• Water polo equipment, including a pace clock and shot clock, and DeckLight in-deck wiring.⁵

In swim timing¶

IST is one of several United States and international suppliers of pool timing and scoring equipment, alongside Colorado Time Systems, Daktronics, and Omega (Swiss Timing). Its SWIMSTART start output is switchable between the normally-open contacts used by IST’s own software, Colorado Time Systems, and Daktronics consoles, and the normally-closed contacts used by Omega consoles, so the starter can drive timing systems from more than one manufacturer.⁴

In competition¶

IST states that its timing equipment has been used by high schools, clubs, colleges, YMCAs, and aquatic centers since 1992, and that it is the official timing system of the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association (NISCA).¹

See also¶

• Vendors: other manufacturers referenced in Libre Aquatics Wiki
• SWIMSTART Electronic Start: IST’s portable start system
• International Sports Timing lane speakers: the under-block speakers sold with the SWIMSTART
• Equipment: the equipment reference
• Sources & citations: how Libre Aquatics Wiki references vendors and manuals

References¶

Footnotes¶

1. International Sports Timing, home page (family-owned aquatic-timing supplier since 1992; swimming, diving, and water polo; official timing system of NISCA). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

2. Better Business Bureau, International Sports Timing business profile (registered as Industrial Service Technology, Inc.; incorporated 1982; Ryan Julian, CEO; Grand Rapids, Michigan address). ↩ ↩² ↩³

3. Industrial Service Technology, Inc., corporate site (industrial hardware, inventory and production software, and connectivity services; Grand Rapids, Michigan). ↩ ↩²

4. International Sports Timing, SWIMSTART Electronic Start (portable start system with strobe, 40 W speaker, microphone, and selectable start output). ↩ ↩² ↩³

5. International Sports Timing, product collections (current catalog: touchpads, electronic starts, digital clocks, scoreboards, and software TimeWare, MeetWare, WorkWare, PoloWare, BoardWare, and SWIMWARE diving judge’s consoles; water polo and DeckLight equipment). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

6. International Sports Timing, Under Block Speaker System (archived 18 April 2024) (a speaker under each starting block, sold as a SWIMSTART accessory; no longer in the current catalog). ↩ ↩²