Chat Channels

Chat Channels are designed to centralize and streamline team communication—without needing group texts or third-party apps.

Every Chat message in CrewLAB is time-stamped and stored securely, with access limited only to Team Members. Features include:

• Unlimited Chat Channels
• The ability to mention Team Members
• The ability to add attachments, links, emojis, and GIFs

Team Chat

Every CrewLAB Team starts with a default “Team Chat” Channel where all Team Members—Coaches, Captains, and Athletes—are automatically added. Supporters are not part of the Team Chat. Team Chat cannot be deleted.

Additionally, default channels include “Coaches & Captains,” “Coaches,” “Coaches & Supporters,” and “Supporters.”

Custom Chats

Custom Chats can be used to keep communication focused topically (e.g., Technique, Nutrition, Playlists, or for a specific event like a race) or by subgroup (e.g., Varsity vs. Junior Varsity, by sport specialization like Sprinters and Distance Group). Everyone can create new chat channels as long as there is at least one Coach in it.

To create a Custom Chat:

1. Click the pen and paper icon in the Chats tab.
2. Select any combination of Team Members to be in the Chat.
3. Name your Chat Channel and (optionally) add a short description.

Direct Messaging

Direct messaging rules vary by role and age to ensure safe, compliant communication within CrewLAB.

Athletes (18 and Over)
Athletes who are 18 or older may message a Coach directly or start a new group chat. Athletes cannot message other athletes directly.

Minor Athletes (Under 18)

Minor athletes must either link a parent/guardian to their profile or have a second coach added to the conversation before messaging a coach directly. Once a parent/guardian is linked, CrewLAB automatically adds them as a view-only member to their child’s DMs, making direct messages with minors just as easy to create as with adult athletes, while staying safe, transparent, and SafeSport-compliant.

Linking a Parent to a Minor Athlete’s Profile

To add a parent to your profile, follow these steps:

1. Go to your profile by clicking on your profile picture.
2. Navigate to the Details tab.
3. Under the “Parents” dropdown menu, select “Add Parent.”
4. Click “My parent is already on CrewLAB” or send them an invitation to join CrewLAB.
5. Choose the correct parent from the list.
6. A connection invitation will be sent to the parent

Coaches can also send a parent invite on behalf of an athlete.

Accepting the Connection Invitation (Parent/Supporter)

To finish linking a Parent to an Athlete, the parent must accept the invitation:

1. Click on your profile picture.
2. Confirm the connection under the “Connected Athletes” dropdown.

Once a parent is linked to a minor athlete’s profile, the parent will automatically be able to observe all Direct Messages that the minor athlete is part of. As an observer, parents cannot send messages.

SafeSport Compliance

CrewLAB Chat Channels are built to support SafeSport-aligned communication:

• All Chat Channels are fully visible to Coaches.
• A Coach must be present in all group Chat Channels.
• Athletes cannot message other athletes directly.
• Minor athletes must link a parent or add a second Coach before initiating a direct conversation with a Coach.
• Parents linked to a minor athlete automatically observe all of that athlete’s Direct Messages.
• While Chat content can be deleted by Coaches or the Team Member who sent the content, all Chat activity and content is permanently logged and auditable.
• All file uploads and media are attributed by user and timestamp.
• All Chat content can be reported to Coaches for review.

These safeguards ensure CrewLAB can be used responsibly and transparently in school, club, and governing body environments.

Archiving Chats

Chats cannot be deleted—they can only be archived. Archiving a chat removes it from the active chat list for everyone in the channel.

To archive a chat:

1. Click on the chat you want to archive.
2. Click into Settings.
3. Select “Archive Chat.”

Only a Coach or the person who created the chat can archive a chat. Archived chats can be unarchived at any time by accessing them from the archive icon.

Threads

Threads allow you to reply to a specific message and keep related conversations organized in one place. All replies to a message appear in a dedicated Threads tab.

To start a thread, hold down a message and select “Reply.” To view an existing thread, open the replies section on that message. To find all threads across all chats, navigate to the “Threads” tab on the Chats overview page.

Message Search

You can search for messages, chats, threads, or groups directly from the search bar in the Chats tab. Search by a person’s name or a keyword to quickly find what you’re looking for.

Pinning Messages

To pin a message on mobile, hold down the message and select “Pin to this chat.”
To pin a message in the web app, right-click on the message and select “Pin to this chat.”
You can access all pinned messages from the pin icon inside the chat.

Attachments

Within any Chat Channel, you can send:

• Images or files from your device (e.g., PDFs, maps)
• Animated GIFs
• Website links

To add a file:

• Tap the + button in the message bar
• Select “Upload from Library,” “Add a GIF,” or “Upload File”
• Send your message

Frequently Asked Questions