What to Ask Before Enrolling Your Child in a Sports Academy

You've found a sports academy you like the look of. The brochure is glossy, the location is convenient, and your child is excited. Before you pay the registration fee, this is the conversation worth having — calmly, in writing, with someone empowered to answer.

By the end, you'll have 15 specific questions, the answers a credible academy gives, and the answers that should make you pause.

Why ask, when the brochure looks good

Two reasons:

1. Brochures sell. Sessions deliver. What's printed and what's run can differ. Asking specifics filters one from the other.
2. The cost of switching is high. Six weeks into a 6-month commitment, your child has bonded with friends, knows the coach, and resists change. Ask before, not after.

Reputable academies welcome these questions. Marketing-driven ones get evasive after question three or four. That distinction is the point of asking.

The 15 questions

Coaching

1. Who is the head coach for my child's batch, and what's their playing or coaching background?

A reasonable answer: a named person, their playing history (where they played, at what level), and how long they've coached children specifically. "A team of expert coaches" is not an answer.

2. How long has this coach been with the academy, and is turnover common?

Coaching consistency matters more than the academy's brand. If the coach changes every three months, the structure isn't there.

3. What is the coach-to-child ratio in my child's batch?

A specific number, not a range. Anything over 15:1 for skill sessions is supervision, not coaching.

Session structure

4. Walk me through a typical session, minute by minute.

A credible answer covers warm-up, skill block, drills, scrimmage, cool-down. Vague answers ("we do fun activities and games") flag a thin structure.

5. How are children grouped — by age, by level, or both?

Single-criterion grouping is fine if the academy is small. Both is better. Mixed-age, mixed-level batches usually under-serve everyone.

6. What's the policy on missed sessions or holidays?

Can missed sessions be made up? Is there a holiday schedule? Schools break before and after Dashain — does the academy?

Safety and welfare

7. What's the injury and medical protocol?

The answer should mention first aid on site, a designated person trained in first aid, and how parents are contacted in case of injury.

8. Where is the first aid kit, and who is trained to use it?

A specific, observable answer. If they have to think about this for more than 5 seconds, that's data.

9. Is the venue covered for monsoon, and what happens if a session is rained out?

For sports played outdoors in Kathmandu, this matters from late May through August. Make-up sessions? Refunds? Or just "we cancel and that's that"?

Money

10. What is the full monthly fee, and what is not included?

Get this in writing. Specifically ask about: registration fee, kit/jersey, equipment, tournament fees, water/refreshments, year-end events.

11. What's the refund policy if my child doesn't continue past the first month?

Reasonable answers exist on a spectrum — full refund (rare), pro-rated refund minus registration, no refund after the first session. Just know which applies before you sign.

12. Are there annual fee increases, and how much notice do parents get?

Useful especially for academies you might commit to long-term.

Communication

13. How do parents get updates on their child's progress?

Reasonable answers: monthly written feedback, parent-coach meetings each quarter, an open WhatsApp channel. "You can just talk to the coach after sessions" is acceptable but suggests informality.

14. Can I observe a session before enrolling, and how is that arranged?

Any academy that refuses observation visits is one to walk away from. Period.

15. Is there a trial period or trial session with refund if not satisfied?

Most reputable academies offer trial sessions for a low fee (Rs. 200-500) or include 1-2 sessions in a "first month trial" structure.

Reading the answers

Beyond the answers themselves, watch the style:

• Confident and specific — generally trustworthy
• Confident but vague — be careful; rehearsed sales answers without substance
• Confident with referrals ("you can talk to two parents whose children are in the academy") — strong signal
• Defensive or annoyed by your questions — that's how they'll be when something goes wrong
• Refusing to put fees or policies in writing — walk away

A good academy treats your due diligence as reasonable. A poor one treats it as inconvenient.

What to do with the answers

After asking the 15 questions at 2-3 academies:

1. Compare side by side. Make a simple table — academy on the X, questions on the Y, brief notes in each cell. Patterns become obvious.
2. Discuss with your child. Especially for older children (10+), share what you learned and ask their reaction.
3. Pick the top two and visit for a trial. Watching one session live tells you more than ten brochure pages.
4. Decide. Pay only after both questions and observation have given you a clear answer.

Red flags worth taking seriously

• "We're full but can squeeze your child in" — if they're full, your child won't be in the right batch
• Pressure to pay immediately for a "discount" — discounts that depend on payment in 24 hours are sales tactics, not value
• Resistance to letting you observe — only one valid reason for this exists (data privacy of other children's sessions), and even then they should be able to arrange a workaround
• Coach who can't name what they'll work on with your child in the first month
• Vague answers on injury protocol — this is too important to be hand-waved
• Parents at the academy who avoid eye contact when asked how it is — listen to their hesitation

How Maidaan helps

Maidaan lists sports venues across Kathmandu and Lalitpur where coaching is often hosted, with addresses and published prices where available. We don't certify or vet specific academies — that judgment stays with you, formed by asking these questions and visiting sessions. We make it easier to find candidate venues for your shortlist.

Browse by sport and area on Maidaan venues, or read our parent's guide to sports for kids in Kathmandu for the broader context.

What to do this week

Shortlist two academies for the sport your child wants to try. Send them this 15-question list (or call and walk through it). Visit each, observe a session, take notes. Decide from data, not from the brochure.

For specific sports, see our parent's guide for sports for kids in Kathmandu and safety checklist for kids' sports venues.