If your child loves cricket, you have probably already worked out that there is more than one way to keep them playing outside of school hours. Two of the most popular options are a school holiday camp and a regular after-school club. Both can be brilliant, but they work in very different ways.
This guide breaks down how each option works, what it costs in terms of time and money, and how it fits into a longer coaching pathway. By the end, you should have a clearer idea of which suits your child, or whether a mix of both might be the answer.
What is a cricket camp?
A cricket camp, like our Easter Camp, runs during the school holidays rather than during term time. It is usually a full day, or a run of consecutive days, packed with coaching, games, and match scenarios.
Camps are led by qualified coaches and tend to move at a faster pace than a weekly club session. Because everyone is there for several hours in one go, there is time to work on batting, bowling, and fielding in the same day, rather than spreading it thinly across a single hour each week.
Our Half Term Camp is a good example. It gives children a concentrated block of cricket during a week when school is not on, which suits families who want their child active and occupied during the holidays without a long-term weekly commitment.
What is an after-school club?
An after-school club is a regular session that runs once a week during term time, usually straight after the school day finishes. It is a lighter, more routine commitment. Children turn up at the same time each week, see the same coaches and teammates, and build skills gradually over the course of a term rather than in one intense burst.
This kind of regular, low-key structure is similar to the wider idea of wraparound childcare that runs before and after the school day, which the government has been expanding across England to support families with primary school aged children. An after-school cricket club sits alongside this, offering something more focused than general childcare but still built around a steady, familiar weekly rhythm rather than an intense one-off block.
Camp vs club: a quick comparison
| Feature | Cricket Camp | After-School Club |
|---|---|---|
| When it runs | School holidays | Term time, weekly |
| Time commitment | Full or half day, short burst | 1 hour per week, ongoing |
| Intensity | High, several hours of cricket in one go | Steady, spread across the term |
| Cost structure | One-off payment per camp | Regular weekly or termly fee |
| Best for | Holiday cover, fast skill bursts, trying cricket for the first time | Building habits, steady progress, fitting around school life |
| Social side | Meets new children each holiday | Sees the same group each week |
Which one helps your child progress faster?
This depends on what your child needs right now. A camp is fantastic for a concentrated push, for example, brushing up on batting technique before the season starts, or simply keeping a keen cricketer busy and active over a break from school. Because the sessions are longer, coaches can cover more ground in a single day than they could in a normal weekly slot.
An after-school club is better suited to children who are still finding their feet with the game, or who need cricket to fit around a busy family diary. The weekly rhythm builds habits, and small improvements each session add up over a full term.
For children who are ready to take things further, our Junior Development Squad offers a more structured pathway that builds on both. Many children use camps and after-school clubs as a starting point, then move into a development squad once they are ready for more regular, higher-level coaching.
Can you do both?
Yes, and many families do. A weekly after-school club keeps skills ticking over during term time, while a holiday camp gives a helpful boost when school is out and there is more time to spare. Neither option cancels the other out. In fact, they work well together as part of a longer-term coaching pathway, with camps topping up what is learned week to week at a club.
Making the right choice for your child
There is no single correct answer here. If your child needs routine and a steady weekly habit, an after-school club is likely the better fit. If you are looking for a way to fill the school holidays with focused coaching, a camp makes more sense. Many parents find that combining both gives their child the best of steady progress and intense practice.
Whichever route you choose, the most important thing is that your child is enjoying their cricket and getting proper coaching from qualified staff. That is exactly what we aim to deliver at HECC, whether your child joins us for a single camp or a full term of weekly sessions.