Sports League Management Platform

Axe and knife throwing is a unique sport with its own leagues and even world championships, especially popular in the USA and Canada. Competitions are held in two main formats: short knockout tournaments and long-term leagues (around 7 weeks), where ranking tables are built over time.

To run these competitions properly, organizers needed reliable software that could track every throw, calculate scores, and keep leaderboards up to date.

The client came to us with an existing product that had been live since 2019. Their primary objectives were to maintain the existing functionality's stability, ensure smooth day-to-day operations, and continually introduce new features to meet the evolving needs of both players and organizers.

Early on, the client frequently reached out to us via Slack with urgent fixes and small improvements. We worked through these systematically, optimized the code, and stabilized the product. Today, the platform runs reliably without constant intervention, allowing the client to focus on growth rather than troubleshooting.

In 2023, we carried out a large-scale migration: moving the platform from Vue 2 to Vue 3, updating Firebase to the modular API, replacing Vuex with Pinia, and switching from Vue CLI to Vite. Vuetify and all other libraries were also updated to the latest versions. This two-month effort significantly improved the performance, stability, and scalability of the platform.

Every year, international organizations change official rules (for example, adding a new type of throw). We continuously adapt the software to reflect these changes so that players and organizers always stay compliant with global standards.

Previously, venue owners paid for using the system only after events had taken place. We implemented a subscription model via Stripe, which provided the client with a more predictable and stable monthly income. Later, this model was extended to players as well, giving them access to additional features such as virtual leagues.

The idea first appeared during COVID but was later abandoned. We relaunched and significantly improved it. Now players can compete from home, submit their results online, and if there’s no available opponent, the system assigns a bot. This attracted more participants and enabled the launch of full-fledged seasons.

We added a simple chat for league participants — now they can communicate directly on the tournament page. It includes read indicators and auto-scroll to the latest message, so players always stay up to date without losing track of the conversation.

Previously, after a league ended, a fixed fee (e.g., $5 per player) was automatically deducted from the venue. We improved this approach: now venue owners can accept payments directly from players through our service. The money goes straight to their account, while the system automatically deducts a commission. This gave organizers more control and transparency, making the financial model much more flexible.

The client-facing side of the app was refreshed: leagues are now shown by geolocation, player profiles display complete statistics across seasons and disciplines, and a leveling system (from amateur to advanced) was introduced.

Previously, administrators manually created seasons, calculated hours, and exported data. We automated most of these processes — from setting up seasons to generating reports.

The app became stable and reliable, freeing the client from daily technical issues.

The system gained new revenue streams through subscriptions and transparent payments via Stripe.

A strong community was formed: more than 30,000 users, with over 10,000 active players.

The platform became more convenient for both players (statistics, virtual leagues, chat) and organizers (automation, payments, analytics).