The check
Is it the club, or the badge?
Pick the club and what you were offered. You get the straight answer in the club's own words, and a card you can forward to the group.
If you are paying, it is a development centre, not an academy.
Preview
How the check works
Three questions decide it.
Who is running it?
The club, the club's charity, or a company using the badge. Only the first can register a player.
Is money changing hands?
Academy places are free by rule. Clubs pay for genuine trials. If you are paying, it is coaching or an event.
What does the club itself say?
Most clubs publish their recruitment policy. The card quotes it, so the answer is theirs, not ours.