Overview
This article provides a practical guide to structuring your Camps & Clinics style programs in Sprocket. The Camps & Clinics module is designed to be flexible — the key is choosing a structure that balances user experience, operational clarity, and financial accuracy.
The goal is to help you create:
A clean, intuitive registration experience for families
Logical internal organization for staff
Accurate financial and participation reporting
Understanding the Hierarchy
The Camps & Clinics module follows a clear structure:
1. Program (Top Level)
The highest-level container
Typically seasonal or category-based
Controls overall visibility on your website and date ranges
2. Grouping (Middle Level)
Organizes related registrations
Ideal for coach-based, skill-based, or activity-based structure
Controls eligibility and registration form settings for all registrations underneath it
3. Registration (Individual Offering)
What players actually register for
Can be session-based, drop-in, or both
Contains pricing, capacity, and specific schedule details
Structuring Options: Different Ways to Organize
There is no single “correct” structure to set up your programming. Below are a few ways to think about your organization.
Option 1: Skill or Level-Based Grouping
Best for: Entry-level programming where simplicity is key.
Example Structure
Program: Beginner Clinics – Spring 2026
Grouping: Ages 8–10
Beginner Fundamentals (Session 1)
Beginner Fundamentals (Session 2)
Grouping: Ages 11–14
Intermediate Skills Clinic (Monday)
Intermediate Skills Clinic (Wednesday)
Why This Works
Reduces clicks
Parents quickly find the right age group
Clean dashboard presentation
Ideal for high-volume beginner traffic
Best Practice
Keep descriptions either:
At the Grouping level (for shared information), OR
At the Registration level (for specific details)
Avoid duplicating descriptions in multiple places to keep the shopping experience simplified.
Option 2: Category-Based Grouping
Best for: Clubs running different offerings for one kind of program.
Example Structure
Program: Beach Volleyball – Summer 2026
Grouping: Seasonal Beach Training
4-Week Training Block
8-Week Training Block
Grouping: Drop-In Sessions
Monday Beach Drop-In (Single Session)
Tuesday Beach Drop-In (Single Session)
Grouping: Tournaments
Beginner Summer Beach Tournament Series
Advanced Summer Beach Tournament Series
Why This Works
Allows different registration types within one umbrella
Clear separation between structured sessions and drop-ins
Makes capacity management easier
Best Practice
Use:
Session-based registrations for structured training blocks where athlete attendance is expected for a set period
Drop-in registrations when athletes can attend flexibly
Combine both when needed for hybrid programs, knowing the capacity settings will never allow for more players across both session and drop-in registrations
Option 3: Season-Based Grouping
Best for: Clubs offering a select number of programs each season.
Example Structure
Program: Fall 2026
Grouping: Skill Clinics
Hitting Clinic
Spiking Clinic
Endurance Clinic
Grouping: No-School Camps
Thanksgiving Week Camp
Labor Day Camp
Why This Works
Parents quickly find the program for the season they have in mind
Creates repetition so families always know what to look for, any time of year
Puts all offerings in one place to quickly compare dates, costs, and details
Example Seasonal Flow
Winter: Dec–Feb
Spring: Mar–May
Summer: June–July (take into account eligibility updates for grade/age group)
Fall: Aug–Nov
Option 4: Coach-Based Grouping
Best for: Clubs offering private lessons, group lessons, or coach-specific training and clubs with advanced athletes who know the coach they want to work with.
Example Structure
Program: Specialty Training – Spring 2026
Grouping: Coach Luke
Private Lessons
Small Group Lessons
Advanced Hitting Clinic
Grouping: Coach Maria
Private Lessons
Defensive Skills Clinic
Why This Works
Parents immediately find their preferred coach
Reporting becomes easier — you can filter by grouping (Coach Luke) to see all revenue and participation tied to that coach
Eliminates scattered registrations across multiple programs
Best Practice
Avoid ongoing, open-ended structures. Instead:
Use seasonal programs (e.g., Winter, Spring, Summer)
Ensure programs are ending at the conclusion of each season to account for eligibility changes
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Open-ended programs with no real end date
Too many nesting layers on the dashboard, creating too many clicks
Mixing unrelated offerings inside the same grouping
Building around internal terminology that parents don’t understand
Decision-Making Framework
When creating a new Camps & Clinics structure, ask:
Is this seasonal or ongoing?
Will parents search by coach, skill level, season, or category?
Do we need drop-in functionality?
Can we reduce clicks?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a Program, Grouping, and Registration in Camps & Clinics?
A Program is the top-level container, usually organized by season or category.
A Grouping organizes related registrations under that Program and controls shared settings like eligibility and registration forms.
A Registration is the individual offering that athletes register for. It includes pricing, capacity, and schedule details.
How do I decide what my Groupings should be based on?
Start by thinking about how parents search.
Do they look by:
Age group?
Skill level?
Coach?
Season?
Category (e.g., beach, tournaments, camps)?
Your Groupings should reflect how families naturally look for programs — not just how staff organizes internally.
Should I put descriptions at the Grouping level or the Registration level?
Choose one location whenever possible.
Use the Grouping level for shared information across multiple offerings.
Use the Registration level for details specific to that session.
Avoid duplicating descriptions in both places, as this can clutter the shopping experience.
When should I use Session registrations versus Drop-In registrations?
Use session-based registrations when athletes are expected to attend for a defined block of time.
Use drop-in registrations when attendance is flexible and athletes may attend individual dates.
You can combine both when needed, knowing capacity will not allow more participants than the set limits across session and drop-in registrations.
What is the most common mistake when structuring Camps & Clinics?
The most common mistakes include:
Creating open-ended programs with no seasonal reset
Adding too many nesting layers
Mixing unrelated offerings inside the same Grouping
Using internal terminology that families do not understand
Keeping structure simple improves both family experience and reporting clarity.
Should Camps & Clinics programs be seasonal?
Yes. Even for ongoing offerings, it is best practice to use seasonal Programs (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall).
Ending Programs at the conclusion of each season helps:
Maintain eligibility accuracy
Keep reporting clean
Prevent long-term structural confusion