Forging Connections: How Lab Management is Facilitating Mutual Growth Between Athletes and Brand Partners

It’s Tuesday night, leading up to the 2023 CrossFit Games and Cooper Marsh stands amongst his friends, family, clients, fellow leaders and innovators in the industry, creators and journalists. He raises a glass and toasts to his Lab Management colleagues and all those that came to celebrate and support the team and the hard work that it took to take them to this point. He is joined by Daniel Robbins, one of the co-owners of Lab Management. Some background: Before they were the Lab Management of today, Marsh and Jason St. Clair ran the company of the same name, while Robbins and Matt O’Keefe, after amicably parting ways with Loud and Live in March of 2022, were running Title Sports, a competing agency, representing athletes like Katrin Davidsdottir, Annie Thorisdottir, and Justin Medeiros among others. This content is available exclusively to Members Become an member and start enjoying full access to all our community and sports content, and an ad-free experience. PROMO Exclusive content Ad-Free web/app experience Comments on articles Exclusive 15% WIT discount $1 per month for the first 4 months, $8 each month after Get Started for $1 Exclusive content Ad-Free web/app experience Comments on articles Exclusive private Facebook Group Regular coffee breaks hang outs Exclusive 15% WIT discount Get Started $5/month billed annually Already a member? Log In. Robbins and Marsh first met in Boulder, Colorado at the 22.1 Open announcement, and began making plans for a merger, to unite as one agency under the existing name, Lab Management. They agreed that there were only so many marketing dollars to go around, and instead of competing over the same resources, they would be better off to combine forces and continue to represent athletes, aiding them in their pursuit of full-time CrossFit and professional athlete status. By the 2022 CrossFit Games, agreements had been made and after minor details were ironed out, the merger took place and the Lab Management that we know today was formed: a partnership between St. Clair, Marsh, Robbins and O’Keefe. Lab Management today: Though the agency is still in its youth, Lab Management represents some huge names in the sport, with a mix of newcomers, veterans and legacy athletes. Their newest clients signed are Games rookie Abbie Domit, affiliate cup champion Jorge Fernandez, and Semifinal athlete Hannah Black. “You’re only as good as the connections that you have,” said Robbins, and major connections they have indeed. The big picture: One of the largest unknowns when it comes to the manager-athlete relationship is the role of the manager. What exactly is someone like Robbins doing to help support his clients, who train full time without the fall-back of a 9 to 5 job? And what incentive does a budding professional CrossFitter have to sign a contract with an agency like Lab Management? One of the major roles that the manager fills is helping to gather sponsorships and build partnerships with brands. Robbins explains that while money can be made winning events, “sponsorship is the lifeblood of any CrossFitter.” “They are making most of their money ‘off the field.’ LAB is a boutique agency, getting in the trenches with their clients. There’s a lot of meat on the bone if you make the right connections and play things the right way. The sponsorships and partnerships are so important,” said Robbins. “Athletes have a huge sway over spectators and fans. Everyone has grips, shoes, jump ropes. Everyone is watching that. The amount of DMs that these athletes are getting, asking about their clothes, accessories, etc. is crazy. And there’s no age limit on that type of marketing–all ages, all walks of life, all levels of competition–athletes have influence over all that space,” Robbins continued. The athletes need to focus on their training and they need to compete, but they also need to foster partnerships so that they can continue training, and competing. A big part of the Lab Management team is facilitating said sponsorships and partnerships that they can build with brands they trust. And while building multiple partnerships per athlete is important, the priority is to find brands and relationships for his athletes that can offer mutually beneficial components. “We are here to partner with these brands and make sure they succeed, with our athletes, and grow together,” added St. Clair. One such brand is the beverage company, Yerbae, who reached out to LAB in 2020, and after an ongoing dialogue over time, a close relationship formed and in the words of Robbins, “something amazing has come out of it.” “When brands reach out to us, we try to give everyone a conversation. You never know what will turn into an amazing partnership,” said Robbins. It’s clear when speaking to Robbins, that LAB has the utmost care and respect not only for their athletes, but also for the brands with whom they work, curating organic connections that will withstand the test of time, and as St. Clair mentioned, the mutual growth of the athletes and their partnered brands is what LAB is forging with each connection. And that diligence, commitment and careful curation shows. Before throwing their party in Madison last month, Robbins recalls that it took three to four months of planning. They locked in the space for the event long ahead of time, and reached out to brands like Yeti to provide gifts for attendees. It was important for them to connect with content creators, athletes, brands, and other professionals in the space. They wanted to help facilitate networking as they recognize that CrossFit is a small space, and it benefits everyone to make connections and build friendships. They invited other agencies, their “competition,” because at the end of the day Robbins feels that their work speaks for itself, and they have positive momentum. Robbins: “We want to continue to do right with our partners, and do right by our athletes. It doesn’t matter how good you are, or how good you aren’t, you need athletes that people are interested in. How do you get them? You do things the right way and help make a difference for them.”

Forging Connections: How Lab Management is Facilitating Mutual Growth Between Athletes and Brand Partners

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