CASE STUDY
Bucknell Men's Crew: Building championship depth through data-driven training
ABOUT
CREWLAB PLAN
Pro
Bucknell Men’s Rowing competes as a club-varsity program and has built a reputation as one of the most competitive club rowing teams in the nation. Under Head Coach Dan Wolleben’s leadership since 2007, the program has achieved back-to-back Mid-Atlantic Rowing Conference titles and earned their first-ever gold medal at ACRA National Championships.
Powered by CrewLAB, Bucknell Men built a culture of depth and connection
Bucknell Men’s Crew adopted CrewLAB to transform how their athletes track training, stay connected during off-campus periods, and build team cohesion. The platform replaced their basic Google Sheet system with a comprehensive tool that provides personal reflection, peer motivation, and coaching insights.
Within one winter season, the program saw measurable improvements in fitness, erg scores, and team depth—particularly among previously less-motivated athletes.
The challenges
Before CrewLAB, Bucknell Men’s Crew tracked important workouts on Google Sheets, but the system lacked personal reflection, athlete engagement, and meaningful coaching touchpoints.
Coaches had limited visibility into athletes’ daily habits, recovery, and mental state.
The program needed a solution to:
- Keep athletes motivated and connected during off-campus training periods
- Elevate less-motivated athletes who were in the bottom tier of the program
- Build stronger team cohesion when athletes were training independently
- Give coaches insight into athlete wellness and training consistency beyond just workout data
Our solution
CrewLAB provided Bucknell with a comprehensive athlete management platform that went far beyond workout tracking.
Athletes logged daily training, nutrition, hydration, sleep, and personal reflections—creating a holistic view of their development.
The social features allowed teammates to like, comment, and support each other’s workouts, fostering strong team connection.
The platform’s daily check-in questions prompted athletes to think about recovery and wellness habits they wouldn’t normally prioritize.
Coaches gained access to race readiness analytics and individual athlete data that informed personalized conversations about improvements and consistent habits. The visibility into “secret information that the athletes never told you before” transformed how coaches could support their team.
The proof is on the podium
4th
Overall Team Points
ACRA National Championships
Winner
3V8+
ACRA National Championships
4th
2V8+
ACRA National Championships
RETURN ON INVESTMENT
Deeper program depth: Less-motivated athletes were elevated through positive feedback leading to stronger overall team depth
Measurable winter training gains: In just one winter season, the team logged more workouts and saw erg scores drop significantly
Tighter team culture: Athletes returned to campus in January with tighter bonds, leading to strong performance at ACRA national championships
“Just in that one winter season we saw more workouts being done, more fitness being gained, erg scores dropping, and also team cohesion being tighter when we came back together in January, which was awesome.”