Leonard J. Kaplan Center For Wellness

What Leonard J. Kaplan Center For Wellness does

The Leonard J. Kaplan Center for Wellness is a 216,000-square-foot university recreation facility operated by the Department of Recreation and Wellness at UNC Greensboro, a public university within the University of North Carolina System. The facility primarily serves current UNCG students, with secondary access for faculty, staff, alumni, retirees, and local residents, offering fitness, aquatics, competitive sports, outdoor adventures, esports, and holistic wellness programming. Core assets include a Natatorium with two pools (10-lane competitive and activity pools with vortex/zero-depth entry), a 23,000 sq ft weight/cardio floor, multi-activity courts, a 54-foot indoor climbing wall, a 3,300 sq ft Esports Arena opened April 25, 2022, and the 40+ acre Piney Lake outdoor recreation property eight miles south of campus. The center organizes 17+ sports clubs involving 700+ students, 10,000+ annual intramural participations, and 50+ adventure trips and events annually.

The business model is hybrid and institutionally embedded. Current UNCG students access the facility through a student activity fee bundled with tuition; non-students purchase memberships at tiered rates (e.g., faculty/staff $22/month via payroll deduction, retiree $240/year, alumni $290/year, recent alumni transitional $70/semester) or buy guest passes at $10/visit. Supplementary revenue includes facility rentals ($50/court/hour for external groups, $10–$12/lane/hour for the lap pool), American Red Cross-affiliated safety and certification courses ($50–$250 depending on course and audience), outdoor equipment rentals ($2–$12/day), locker and towel services, and event-based programs like Spartanfest, RecFest, SOOP first-year orientation trips, and the Spartan Summit / Crush the Crux climbing competitions. The center employs approximately 300 student workers during the academic year, overseen by Assistant Directors across Aquatics & Risk Management, Competitive Sports, Fitness, Communications & Outreach, Outdoor Adventures, Esports, and Member Services.

There are no proprietary technology products, software platforms, or AI capabilities. The operation runs on standard facility-management software (Virtual EMS for reservations, MyRecWell portal for member access) and conventional marketing channels including Instagram (@uncgrecwell), Facebook, a weekly 'RecWell Happenings' email newsletter, campus events, and a Spartan Fit Club loyalty program. Critically, this is not an investable commercial entity — it is a publicly funded academic department within a state university whose collected fees flow into the broader UNCG institutional budget, not into a standalone P&L.

Name

Leonard J. Kaplan Center For Wellness

Legal name

UNC Greensboro Department of Recreation and Wellness

Website

https://recwell.uncg.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Leonard J. Kaplan Center for Wellness is a 216,000-square-foot university recreation facility at UNC Greensboro serving students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members through fitness, aquatics, sports, outdoor, and esports programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

University Recreation and Wellness Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Campus Recreation Centers & Fitness Facilities Operations (EDALAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Group Fitness, Personal Training & Wellness Coaching (EDALAIAE), Wellness Program Design & Accountability Coaching (HSADAGAC)

Keywords

• Campus recreation services
• Fitness facility programs
• Aquatics and wellness
• Outdoor adventure trips
• Competitive sports leagues

Headquarters

HQ city

Greensboro

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Student Activity Fee Access: Students enrolled at UNCG with student activity fee have included access to recreation facilities as part of their tuition/fees.
2. Non-Student Memberships: Faculty, staff, alumni, retirees, and community members purchase memberships at various rates (semester, summer, annual). Faculty/staff can opt for payroll deduction at $22/month.
3. Facility Rentals: University departments, student organizations, and external groups rent facilities including gym courts, studios, natatorium, meeting rooms, and outdoor spaces at hourly rates.
4. Safety and Certification Courses: Revenue from CPR/AED courses, lifeguard training, and swim lessons offered to students, members, and community members.
5. Equipment Rentals: Outdoor adventure equipment rental including tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, climbing gear, and camping supplies at daily and multi-day rates.
6. Guest Passes: Members can sponsor up to two guests per visit at $10/guest. Punch cards available for $40 (5 visits).
7. Locker and Towel Services: Day, semester, and annual locker rental and towel service purchased by members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Leonard J. Kaplan Center for Wellness is a 216,000 square foot university recreation facility operated by the Department of Recreation and Wellness at UNC Greensboro. It delivers fitness programs, aquatics, competitive and club sports, outdoor adventure trips, esports, safety certification courses, equipment rentals, and a wellness framework covering Eight Dimensions of Wellness. Memberships, facility rentals, certification courses, and program registrations are sold to students, faculty, staff, alumni, retirees, and community members.

Product overview

The Leonard J. Kaplan Center for Wellness is a comprehensive university recreation facility offering diverse wellness programs and services. The center operates as a unified facility combining a 216,000 square foot main building with satellite outdoor facilities (Piney Lake). Core programs include Group Fitness with multiple class formats (Pilates, dance cardio, strength, spin), Competitive Sports (Club Sports and Intramurals), Aquatics (Natatorium with competitive and activity pools), Outdoor Adventures (adventure trips, climbing wall, Piney Lake), Esports Arena, and a Wellness Program based on Eight Dimensions of Wellness. Supporting services include safety certification courses (Lifeguarding, CPR/AED), equipment rental, and the Spartan Fit Club loyalty program. The facility serves UNCG students, faculty, staff, and community members through membership-based access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Group Fitness Classes In-person and on-demand group fitness classes including Bootcamp, Pilates formats, dance-based cardio (Hip Hop, Latin Rhythms, Zumba), Spin, Stretch & Strength, and Core/Stretch sessions offered to members and students at the Kaplan Center.
• Competitive Sports (Intramural & Club Sports) Structured sports programming including intramural leagues with 10,000+ annual participations and 17+ student-led club sports covering baseball, basketball, soccer, rugby, esports, martial arts, equestrian, and more.
• Aquatics Program Lap swimming, recreational swimming, aquatics events, swim lessons, and aquatic fitness activities offered within the Natatorium, which houses a 10-lane competitive pool, an activity pool with vortex and zero-depth entry, dry sauna, and outdoor sundeck patio.
• Lifeguard Certification Courses American Red Cross authorized Lifeguarding certification courses including full courses, recertification, waterfront module, and lifeguard instructor certification for individuals 15 years and older, offered at tiered rates for UNCG students, members, and community participants.
• CPR/AED and First Aid Courses American Red Cross certified CPR for Professional Rescuers, AED, and First Aid courses in blended learning format with two-year certification, plus CPR Challenge and recertification courses priced separately for students, members, and community members.
• Outdoor Adventures Trips 50+ guided adventure trips annually covering backpacking, bouldering, canoeing, caving, hiking, rock climbing, coastal kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, whitewater kayaking, and rafting, ranging from afternoon outings to multi-day expeditions.
• Outdoor Equipment Rental Rental of camping gear (tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, stoves, coolers), climbing equipment (shoes, crash pads), and yard games at daily and multi-day tiered rates for students, members, and community members.
• Facility Rentals Hourly rental of gym courts, lap pool lanes, studios, natatorium, meeting rooms, and outdoor spaces to university departments, student organizations, and external groups, with event staff billed at $18/hour and lap pool lanes at $10-$12/lane/hour.
• Climbing Competitions Annual climbing events including Spartan Summit (top-rope, Spring) and Crush the Crux (bouldering, Fall) with gender-neutral Beginner through Advanced divisions, priced at $15 for UNCG students and $20 for other competitors.
• Spartan Outdoor Orientation Program (SOOP) First-year student orientation adventure trips including Highlands Backpacking and Spartan Base Camp at $100-$125 per person, covering transportation, meals, equipment, camping, and activity fees during the August pre-semester window.
• Team Development Programs Shared experience programs for UNCG student groups, faculty, and staff using a 3-level challenge course or ground-based activities at Piney Lake to foster team cohesion and camaraderie.
• Memberships (Student, Faculty/Staff, Alumni, Retiree, Affiliate, Community) Recreation memberships for UNCG students (included via student activity fee), faculty/staff ($22/month payroll deduction or semester/annual rates), alumni ($70-$290), retirees ($80-$240), Glenwood neighborhood affiliates, and community members, available by semester, summer, and annual terms.
• Guest Passes Daily guest access for members' guests at $10/adult or $10/minor per visit, plus a 5-visit punch card option for $40 enabling sponsored day use of the facility.
• Locker and Towel Service Day, semester, and annual locker rental (free day, $30/semester, $90/annual) and towel service ($1/day, $15/semester, $45/annual) available to members and visitors at the Kaplan Center.

Quantifiable outcome

• 216,000 square feet of recreation space with 23,000 sq ft dedicated weight/cardio space
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Activities & Campus Events (ACE)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Collaborated on Spartanfest Pool Party event held in Fall 2023. ACE organized gaming contests and activities alongside RecWell aquatics programming to welcome students during their first week at UNCG.
• Office of Intercultural Engagement (OIE)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnered with OIE and No Labels student organization to host the Pride Pool Party event in Spring 2023, promoting diversity and inclusion through aquatic recreation.
• American Red CrosscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAuthorized Provider for American Red Cross health and safety courses including Lifeguarding, CPR/AED for Professional Rescuers, and First Aid certifications. All courses are American Red Cross affiliated with certifications valid for two years.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Crunch Fitness: Multi-tier commercial fitness chain offering group fitness, personal training, and specialty programming — comparable multi-segment recreation operator competing in adjacent price tiers.
• Planet Fitness: Low-cost commercial gym operator with broad mass-market appeal — competes with the Kaplan Center for price-sensitive faculty, staff, alumni, and community members in the Greensboro market.
• Equinox: Premium commercial fitness operator with group fitness, personal training, spa, and wellness programming at flagship-scale facilities — comparable to the Kaplan Center's premium programming breadth and physical plant scale.
• Life Time Fitness: Operates large-format fitness and recreation facilities with extensive programming (fitness, aquatics, climbing, kids' camps, wellness) — directly comparable to the Kaplan Center's full-service wellness model but as a commercial premium chain.
• 24 Hour Fitness: Large commercial gym chain offering fitness, group classes, and aquatics at scale — comparable multi-program facility operator competing for the same Greensboro community/faculty/staff segment.

Emerging players

• Barry's Bootcamp: Premium boutique fitness brand delivering high-intensity group training — comparable differentiated fitness programming competing for alumni and community share in the Greensboro metro.
• Orangetheory Fitness: Boutique fitness franchise focused on group personal training and performance programming — competes with the Kaplan Center's group fitness and personal training offerings for health-conscious community members.
• CorePower Yoga: Specialized yoga and fitness studio chain with group class programming — comparable as a competitor for the Kaplan Center's group fitness and mind-body wellness offerings (Pilates, Yoga, Zen Zone).

Direct peers

• NC State University Wellness and Recreation: UNC System peer operating comparable campus recreation programs (fitness, aquatics, outdoor adventures, intramurals, club sports) at a large NC public university — directly comparable in mission, geography, and program structure.
• UCLA Recreation: Operates large-scale university recreation facilities (multiple sites, aquatics, fitness, adventure, intramurals) at a major public research university — the closest direct peer in mission, scale, and programming mix to the Kaplan Center.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UNCG
• Facebookfacebook.com/uncg1891
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/leonard-j.-kaplan-center-for-wellness
• Instagraminstagram.com/uncgrecwell

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Leonard J. Kaplan Center For Wellness