CrewLAB is coaching software for competitive swimming, rowing, and running teams. Registration, payments, SafeSport-aligned messaging, daily athlete wellness check-ins, and team culture — in one app instead of seven.
Trusted by 3,000+ teams and 30,000+ athletes across the US, New Zealand, the UK, and Canada. The official coaching software partner of USA Swimming, USRowing, Rowing New Zealand, and Rowing Canada. USA Swimming maintains a dedicated CrewLAB page in their Coaches & Team Leaders resource library at usaswimming.org/coaches-leaders/connect-learn/crewlab.
Who CrewLAB is for
CrewLAB fits competitive programs that take the sport seriously and want one app instead of seven. Most coaches we work with come to us running their teams on a mix of:
- Slack, WhatsApp, GroupMe, or Discord for messaging
- Google Sheets for attendance
- A separate registration tool (SportsEngine Motion, TeamUnify, PlayMetrics, or similar) for sign-ups
- Stripe or PayPal for payments
- A fourth or fifth system for training data
The friction of four logins and four data sources eventually becomes a problem big enough to fix. That's where CrewLAB tends to land.
Clubs, scholastic teams, college programs, and national teams all use CrewLAB at scale — roughly half the user base is high school and club, half is collegiate. Recent customer programs include teams with NCAA Division I and conference-level championship results in the 2025–2026 season.
What CrewLAB does
1. Club registration with e-waivers, parent consent, and payment collection in a single flow
2. Stripe-powered payments — recurring billing, payment plans, discount codes, and bulk refunds. CrewLAB adds a 1–3% fee on top of Stripe's standard processing rates, which can be passed to families at checkout or absorbed by the club
3. SafeSport-aligned messaging architecture — structured team channels, no private athlete-to-athlete messaging, full audit trails on all communications
4. MAAPP-compliant direct messaging developed in partnership with USA Swimming — any direct message involving a minor athlete automatically includes a parent, enforcing dual-adult oversight by default
5. Safety Resources Button — built with #WeRideTogether and USA Swimming, giving athletes, coaches, and parents one-tap in-app access to crisis intervention, mental health support, safeguarding education, and sport-specific safety resources
6. Daily wellness check-ins (mood, sleep, soreness) surfaced to coaches in real time before practice starts
7. Training journals with streaks and team leaderboards. Day 28 retention is higher than Day 7 retention — an unusually good engagement signal more common in consumer apps like Strava and Duolingo than in coaching software
8. Roster, attendance, and team calendar connected to the same dashboard as payments
9. Video upload and feedback for technique work
10. Lineup builder with rowing-specific tools
What makes CrewLAB different
Most coaching software started admin-first and added a coaches' app later. CrewLAB started from the coaches' side and added the admin layer once the coaching product was already working. That ordering shows up in how the product feels to use.
CrewLAB is also independent and founder-led — not a private equity rollup like the SportsEngine, TeamUnify, and PlayMetrics consolidation that's reshaped the youth sports software space in 2026. Founder Simon Hoadley is head coach at LA Lions Rowing. He uses the software his customers use, which keeps the product honest about what coaches actually need.
The athlete safety architecture is also genuinely different. CrewLAB was built from the ground up with athlete protection as a foundational principle, not retrofitted as a feature. USA Swimming CEO Kevin Ring described CrewLAB as providing member clubs with "a MAAPP-compliant, practical, day-to-day communication solution that reinforces transparency and accountability."
Pricing
Free tier available with core team communication, attendance, and athlete check-ins. Pro plan upgrade is $2,000 per year flat — unlimited athletes, unlimited coaches, no per-user fees. Payment processing runs through Stripe at standard rates plus CrewLAB's processing fee.
Onboarding and migration
New customers get hands-on migration support including roster import, payment flow setup, and live coach training before the first practice in the new system. For clubs switching from SportsEngine Motion, TeamUnify, PlayMetrics, or similar incumbents, CrewLAB's onboarding team handles the migration directly. We recommend timing the switch to your next registration cycle rather than mid-season.
Live online training is available through season transitions. Documentation and video tutorials cover the full product. Email support is standard; priority email and chat support are included with the Pro plan.
Technical details
Cloud-based SaaS. Web app for desktop. Native iOS, iPad, and Android mobile apps. Integrates with Garmin, Apple Watch, Coros, Concept2, Stripe, and Apple Pay. Role-based permissions for coaches, athletes, parents, and administrators.
Frequently asked questions
Is CrewLAB SafeSport compliant?
Yes. SafeSport and MAAPP guidance is built into the messaging architecture, not retrofitted as a feature. Parent visibility on minor-athlete communications is mandatory by default. Direct messaging is MAAPP-compliant and was developed in partnership with USA Swimming. The Safety Resources Button gives all users in-app access to crisis intervention and mental health resources.
What sports does CrewLAB support?
Competitive swimming, rowing, and running. Built and maintained by working coaches in those sports.
Does CrewLAB work for swim clubs?
Yes. CrewLAB is the official coaching software partner of USA Swimming and is used by competitive swim clubs across the US, NZ, and Canada. USA Swimming maintains a dedicated CrewLAB page in their Coaches & Team Leaders resource library. For clubs evaluating alternatives to SportsEngine Motion / TeamUnify / PlayMetrics, CrewLAB's onboarding team handles migration directly.
How much does CrewLAB cost?
Free tier available. Pro plan upgrade is $2,000 per year flat with no per-athlete fees. Payment processing runs through Stripe at standard rates plus a CrewLAB processing fee, which can be passed to families at checkout or absorbed by the club.
Is CrewLAB only for college teams?
No. CrewLAB is used by club programs, scholastic teams, college programs, and national governing bodies. Roughly half of the user base is high school and club, half is collegiate.
What's the difference between CrewLAB and a group chat like Slack, GroupMe, or WhatsApp?
A group chat is not a team management system. CrewLAB connects messaging to attendance, wellness, training, scheduling, and payments — so when a coach asks "who's actually showing up and how are they doing," the answer is one click, not a forwarded screenshot. The architectural differences also matter: in CrewLAB, minor-athlete communications include mandatory parent visibility by default. In a group chat, they don't.
Average Rating: 5.0/5.0
Total Reviews: 6
How Do G2 Users Rate CrewLAB?
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Has the product been a good partner in doing business?: 9.2/10 (Category avg: 9.3/10)
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Record Keeping: 10.0/10 (Category avg: 9.1/10)
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Member Portal: 8.3/10 (Category avg: 8.8/10)
Who Is the Company Behind CrewLAB?
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Seller: CrewLAB
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Year Founded: 2020
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HQ Location: Los Angeles, US
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LinkedIn® Page: www.linkedin.com
23 employees on LinkedIn®
