CASE STUDY
How CrewLAB gave NAC athletes a platform to stay accountable, bring each other up, and push harder together.
ABOUT NEWPORT AQUATIC CENTER
CrewLAB Plan: Pro
The Newport Aquatic Center (NAC) is a non-profit organization with a mission to inspire and develop athletes of all backgrounds through Olympic-style rowing, kayaking, and canoeing.
With a strong sense of community and high standards, the junior rowing program has grown to become one of the best youth programs in the United States.
Powered by CrewLAB, NAC Junior Women had back-to-back record-breaking seasons.
The Newport Aquatic Center (NAC) is a powerhouse in junior rowing, known not just for its results but for its unmatched team culture. As one of the most competitive programs in the country, NAC sought ways to keep their athletes motivated, connected, and consistent, especially during the off-season.
The coaching staff was looking for a way to keep their athletes motivated when they weren’t together, as well as a way to encourage everyone to do extra workouts. Enter CrewLAB.
The result? Stronger athlete-led accountability, elevated team culture, and back-to-back record-breaking seasons.
The challenges
NAC had speed at the top—but they needed more depth to be truly competitive across every lineup.
Coaches offered optional practices and extra workouts to build that base, but getting buy-in was tough. The work often went unseen, and the athletes who did show up didn’t always feel recognized.
Without a system to track progress or celebrate effort, it was easy to skip the extra work—and hard to build momentum across the full team.
They needed a way to keep athletes connected, motivated, and moving forward together.
Our solution
That’s where CrewLAB came in. At first, it was just a tool to log workouts. But very quickly, athletes turned it into something bigger. It became a shared space for motivation, jokes, support, and connection.
“I use it to keep myself accountable, but also to keep everyone else accountable. We can like each others workouts, so I know that others saw what I did and it feels really good.”
It became their virtual locker room.
“CrewLAB has definitely helped me as an athlete because it pushes me. I’m competitive with other people – if they’re a split faster than me on that workout that day, I try to go a split faster than them the next day.”
With CrewLAB, NAC athletes challenged each other, backed each other up, and built something coaches couldn’t create alone: a team-led culture of excellence.
The proof is on the podium
Winner
Team Points Trophy
2024, 2025 Southwest
Junior Rowing Championships
Winner
V8+
Southwest
Junior Rowing Championships
Winner
2V8+
Southwest
Junior Rowing Championships
winner
U17 V8+
Southwest
Junior Rowing Championships
Winner
V4+
Southwest
Junior Rowing Championships
Winner
4+ B
Southwest
Junior Rowing Championships
2ND PLACE
3V8+
Southwest
Junior Rowing Championships
2nd place
U17 V8+ B
Southwest
Junior Rowing Championships
2nd place
4x
Southwest
Junior Rowing Championships
RETURN ON INVESTMENT
CrewLAB gave NAC the structure and visibility they needed to close the gap between their top performers and the rest of the roster. Athletes became more consistent. More teammates did the extra work. And those efforts no longer flew under the radar—they became a point of pride and motivation.
“We had a great season, I knew my entire team was backing me up.”
With stronger accountability and a shared sense of purpose, NAC built depth, connection, and momentum.
“CrewLAB helps the team to build as a whole and make sure that we’re bringing everyone up together.”