How BJJ gym software helped Minnesota Top Team make 500+ members feel seen and supported
Growing a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu academy is one challenge. Another challenge was growing to more than 500 members while keeping every athlete seen and supported.
Minnesota Top Team, a 16,000-square-foot MMA and fitness facility, has done both. What began as a 16-member Jiu Jitsu club is now home to over 500 plus members and 35 coaches across BJJ, Boxing, Muay Thai, and fitness programs.
Their success is not just about coaching talent. It is about protecting the experience as they grow.
By combining strong leadership with Zen Planner’s BJJ gym software and SugarWOD for workout tracking, Minnesota Top Team proves that business and community can grow together.
From 16 members to 500+: Growing the right way
Jeremy Clark, co-founder and owner, remembers what traditional fight gyms felt like.
“You were kind of left on your own. My idea was that there was a better way.”
Jeremy Clark, Owner & Co-founder, Minnesota Top Team That better way became the foundation of Minnesota Top Team: no one gets lost in the room.
Today, the gym serves:
- 500+ active members
- 35 coaches
- Athletes ranging from kids to adults in their 60s
- Multiple disciplines under one roof
Notably, research from IHRSA shows that facilities prioritizing community engagement can achieve retention rates up to 30 percent higher than transaction-focused gyms.
For Minnesota Top Team, growth has always been intentional. The goal is not endless expansion. It is sustainable impact.
Why BJJ gym software matters as you scale
As the academy expanded, complexity increased. More classes. More belts. More schedules. More communication.
After 15 years with legacy software, co-owner Jennie Clark made the decision to switch to Zen Planner, a BJJ gym software platform built to support martial arts schools.
Her top requirements were clear:
- A branded mobile app
- Reliable customer support
- Simple class check-in
- Strong reporting and data visibility
“With our previous system, it was time for a change. I needed an app. I needed better reporting. And I needed support I could rely on.”
Jennie Clark, Co-owner, Minnesota Top Team With BJJ gym software in place, members can register for classes directly in the app. Coaches check athletes in quickly. Owners monitor attendance, membership trends, and revenue data in real time.
As reported by McKinsey Digital, businesses that adopt digital management systems report productivity improvements of 15 to 20 percent by reducing administrative burden.
Less paperwork means more coaching.
For Coach Roderick Holloway, Zen Planner is part of his daily routine.
“I use Zen Planner to log everybody into class. It’s nice to see who’s showing up so I can be ready to provide the right coaching.”
Coach Roderick Holloway, Minnesota Top Team Seeing member photos helps him remember names. Reviewing attendance prepares him for skill levels. If someone is running late, then he can adjust his pacing accordingly.
However, attendance tracking and communication go beyond being basic operational tools. They are retention tools. This is why, Coach Rachel Bell values the built-in messaging feature.
“If someone didn’t show up, it makes it really easy to find their profile and text them.”
Coach Rachel Bell, Minnesota Top Team Bain & Company states that increasing customer retention by just 5 percent can increase profits by 25 to 95 percent.
BJJ gym software gives coaches visibility. That visibility helps members feel seen.
Motivation and accountability with SugarWOD
Operations are only half the story. Engagement drives long-term results, and that’s where SugarWOD comes in.
SugarWOD allows members to:
- View workouts in advance
- Log lifts and track personal records
- Automatically calculate percentage-based lifts
- Comment and fist bump other athletes
“Members love seeing their progress over time,” says Roderick. “And the fist bumps don’t hurt either.”
According to the Journal of Medical Internet Research, social accountability significantly improves fitness adherence and long-term participation. SugarWOD helps build that accountability.
It connects the 5:15 a.m. class to the 6:30 p.m. class. Even though they do not train together, they are able to see each other’s scores, comment, and celebrate wins.
For a growing academy, that shared visibility strengthens culture.
Community is the real differentiator
Jeremy usually hears the full impact months or years later.
- A member navigating divorce.
- Someone coping with loss.
- An athlete rebuilding after addiction.
“We made sure that was the best hour they had,” he says. “And later you find out it was a turning point.”
At scale, that kind of impact requires structure. BJJ gym software like Zen Planner supports the structure while SugarWOD supports the motivation.
The mission remains simple which is to grow correctly. With clear systems, coaches stay prepared, members stay engaged, and community stays intact.
At 16,000 square feet and 500+ members, Minnesota Top Team could easily feel impersonal.
Instead:
- Coaches know who is walking through the door
- Attendance gaps trigger outreach
- Belt progress and class history stay organized
- Workout performance is tracked over years
- Owners have real-time reporting insight
Zen Planner and SugarWOD integration provide the operational backbone and strengthens member accountability respectively.
Together, they allow Minnesota Top Team to scale without sacrificing connection.
Ready to grow with BJJ gym software already?
If you are looking for BJJ gym software that supports both operations and community, the right system makes the difference.
Book a demo today to see how Zen Planner can help you simplify admin, empower coaches, and improve retention. Also, do explore the SugarWOD marketplace to unlock access to proven programming from trusted coaches.
FAQs about BJJ gym software
- What is BJJ gym software?
BJJ gym software is a management platform designed specifically for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu academies. It handles billing, scheduling, attendance tracking, reporting, and communication in one system. - How does BJJ gym software improve retention?
By tracking attendance and highlighting member trends, gym owners can proactively reach out to students who miss classes, helping reduce churn and improve lifetime value. - What does SugarWOD do for BJJ or MMA gyms?
SugarWOD is workout tracking software that allows athletes to log performance, calculate percentages, track progress, and engage with their community through comments and fist bumps. - Can large BJJ academies stay personal?
Yes. With structured systems like Zen Planner and SugarWOD, large academies can maintain personal attention while managing high member volume. - Is BJJ gym software only for Jiu Jitsu academies?
While designed for BJJ, many martial arts, MMA, and hybrid gyms use BJJ gym software to manage multiple disciplines under one roof.
About the Author: Mike Wuest
