2025 Swim Coach Insights Report: Culture, Accountability & Tools

To better understand the evolving needs of swim coaches, we expanded our original research with new surveys, interviews, and conversations across high school, college, and club programs.

What we found was eye-opening.

Swim coaches are drowning in admin work. They're cobbling together 3 to 5 different tools just to manage practice plans, attendance, communication, and meet prep. And while many are trying to track athlete readiness and accountability, almost all of them said the same thing:

"We don't have a system. We have duct tape."

This report outlines the most pressing challenges swim teams face in 2025, what’s working, and what top-performing programs are doing differently.

Our findings are summarized below—designed to be helpful whether you coach a large D1 college program or a small high school team. Please share this with your fellow coaches so we can all grow together.

What’s New Since the First Report?

February of this year, we released our first comprehensive Swim Coach Research Report. Since then, the CrewLAB team has continued interviewing and surveying coaches across the country to see how workflows, pain points, and team dynamics are shifting.

• More teams are experimenting with digital tools, but adoption remains inconsistent.
• Coach burnout is increasing, especially at smaller programs without support staff.
• Accountability remains the #1 concern, but now there’s added urgency around athlete engagement and well-being.
• Coaches want less tech, not more apps. They want fewer tabs and logins, not just more tools.
• Culture is emerging as the differentiator—teams that thrive often prioritize connection over complexity.

Accountability is Slippery

While nearly every coach tracks something, few feel confident their athletes are truly “bought in” outside the pool.

• 92% of coaches said they worry about athlete follow-through outside the pool.
• Only 16% feel confident their athletes read team messages or updates.
• The majority still rely on Instagram DMs, texts, or emails to track engagement.
  

Without visibility into effort and mindset, it’s hard to build long-term momentum.

"I send out a schedule. Maybe 20% of them actually look at it.

Most Platforms Still Fall Short

• Google Sheets and whiteboards are the most common tools—especially for clubs and high school teams.
• Larger teams often use 5+ systems to run day-to-day ops, often with multiple systems just for communication.
• What’s missing is centralization—a single place to track progress, give feedback, and manage communication.

"I have to open five tabs just to update the team. It’s chaos."

Culture is the Differentiator in 2025 for Swim Teams

• Top coaches use daily check-ins and feedback loops.
• They create space for mental health and motivation tracking.
• They empower athletes to take ownership of their progress.

Top Pain Points Swim Coaches Reported in 2025

• Too many tools, not enough time
• Lack of athlete accountability
• Inconsistent communication
• Disconnected tracking systems
• Budget constraints limiting access to solutions

One D2 coach put it bluntly:

"We spend more time chasing people for updates than actually coaching."

4 Key Opportunities for Coaches in 2025

Coaches want simplicity, clarity, and tools that support team culture. Based on our research, here’s what they need most:

• Simplify Your Stack: Ditch the 5+ app chaos. Use a single hub to manage training, communication, and team health.

• Track More Than Times: Time isn’t everything. Use wellness check-ins, recovery data, and effort tracking to round out the picture.

• Create Feedback Loops: Build systems where athletes hear from coaches regularly—and are responsible for responding.

• Reinforce Culture: Make core values visible and actionable daily. Use prompts, rituals, and habits that anchor your team.

Why CrewLAB?

We built CrewLAB to be the central hub for teams. To allow coaches to focus on the most important part of their job. Coach.

This year, we've been working directly with coaches from D1, D2, D3, Club, and high school programs to make CrewLAB the coaching software built specifically for swim teams.

Being built with swim coaches. Refined by their feedback.

“CrewLAB has made it easier for the athletes to track their workouts in the off-season, and it allows them to stay accountable with each other. It’s helped them stay motivated because they can see what their teammates are doing. Really, they just don’t want to be behind when we come back in the fall.”

— Jake Dacus, Head Coach, Monmouth College

• Centralize communication, training, and team culture in one app
• Track effort and accountability without nagging
• Make athletes more responsible for their progress
• Save time on admin work and get back to actual coaching
  
  

Join the CrewLAB Innovator Program

• Run your team on CrewLAB Premium for just $200 for the rest of the year
• Receive 20% off Garmin gear for your whole team
• Lock in a preferred long-term rate for 2026
• Connect directly with our team to shape the platform

We've already helped top-tier teams like Princeton and Richmond streamline operations and get the best results in years.

Let’s bring that same innovation to your program—whether you coach a high school, club, or college team.

Apply Now → Leaders in Sport: Innovator Program

Let’s Connect

I’m Joe Rapaport, Head of Swimming at CrewLAB—and a former swimmer and coach. CrewLAB is built with you in mind—because I know what it’s like to juggle coaching, admin, recruiting, and culture all at once.

Let’s make coaching fun again.

📆 Book a Meeting

📧 joe@crewlab.io

🌐 crewlab.io