THE AIMS

At the Derby County Academy we aim to make the player the focal point of the Academy and all our efforts are generated towards securing and improving players who will have the ability to eventually play for the first-team.

The welfare of the player will be paramount.

To achieve this we have put the following objectives in place:

* The Academy acknowledges its responsibility to set high football, academic and social standards.

* We will provide a disciplined environment where students will work together taking pride in themselves and their surroundings.

* We recognise that good behavior will be achieved if all those involved in the Academy have a clear and mutual understanding of the aims of the Academy and if systems of training and welfare are implemented efficiently.

* We will promote and support good outcomes in terms of health, development and educational achievement of our students.

* We expect all adults who have contact with students to provide good models of behavior, be honest and take the feelings of others into account.

* We will seek opportunities for celebrating students' success and recognise achievement, effort and good behavior.

* We will enable parents and other members of a student's family to be as involved as is practicable in a working partnership with the Academy.

ACADEMY CONTACTS

Derby County Football Academy
Morley Road
Oakwood
Derby
DE21 4TB

Telephone: 01332 340105
Fax: 01332 293514
E-mail: academy@dcfc.co.uk

FIND THE ACADEMY

From Derby city centre

Take the A52 towards Nottingham. Pass the exit to Wyvern Centre and Pride Park. At the next exit (approximately half a mile) take the road signposted A6005 Borrowash. At the end of the slip road take the first left signposted ring road, Oakwood and Chaddesden. You pass Asda on your left and after 200 yards at the roundabout turn right towards Oakwood, Morley and Breadsall. Go to the end of this road (approximately one-and-a-half miles) and at the next roundabout turn right again signposted Morley and Breadsall. The Academy entrance is on your right after approximately 150 yards.

From the north or south

Leave the M1 at junction 25 and take the A52 towards Derby. After approximately eight miles, as you approach the city, leave the A52 at the exit signposted Spondon and Chaddesden. At the end of the slip-road take the fourth exit signposted ring road, Oakwood and Chaddesden. You pass Asda on your left and after 200 yards at the roundabout turn right towards Oakwood, Morley and Breadsall. Go to the end of this road (approximately one-and-a-half miles) and at the next roundabout turn right again signposted Morley and Breadsall. The Academy entrance is on your right after approximately 150 yards.

From the west (A38 and A50)

Travel eastwards along the A38 from the direction of Birmingham and Burton on Trent. Leave the A38 at the Toyota car plant south of Derby to join the A50 eastbound - signposted A50 to M1 south, Nottingham, and East Midlands Airport. Leave the A50 at junction two signposted A6 Derby. At the first roundabout go straight across on to the new dual carriageway signposted Derby A6, Nottingham and Matlock. At the next roundabout (three-quarters of a mile) take the second exit signposted ring road A5111, the north M1 and Nottingham A52. Please note - do not take the first exit on to the ring road A5111. At the end of this road (three-quarters of a mile), where the road splits, keep in the right-hand lane signposted A6005 Borrowash and Chaddesden. At the next roundabout go straight ahead on to Acorn Way - signposted to Oakwood, Morley and Breadsall. After a further mile, at the next roundabout, turn right, signposted Morley and Breadsall. The Academy entrance is on your right after approximately 150 yards.

MISSION STATEMENT

In our Academy we aspire to achieve the highest standards, both on and off the field, through hard work, commitment, respect, discipline and teamwork.

PER VIRTUTEM VINCEMUS - by excellence we shall succeed.

THE FUTURE

Derby County Football Club's Academy and training centre underlines a long-term desire to enhance Derby's reputation as one of the country's leading clubs.

One of the oldest names in British football, Derby County has a stadium to match its European ambitions.

Pride Park Stadium, opened by The Queen in July 1997, is acknowledged as being one of the finest of the modern stadia and is category A-listed for international matches.

The new Academy answers the criteria demanded by the Football Association's youth development recommendations in its Charter for Quality document.

Managed by ten full-time and 15 part-time staff, all fully committed to setting high standards both on and off the field, the Derby County Academy comprises of 130 junior players from under eight to under 18.

All Academy players have shown the potential to achieve at the highest level.

The ultimate aim for players is to progress through the Academy system and emerge as a Premiership-standard player for our first-team.

For those players who do not reach the required high standards to progress within the Academy framework, they take with them invaluable experience gained during their time with us.

In order to maximise young player potential, we strive for excellence in every aspect of our work.

We adhere strictly to the Charter of Quality, which clearly lays down the blueprint for the future of youth football.

CHILD PROTECTION

The club operates a child protection policy, a copy of which is available from the Academy office.

The document sets out the general policy of Derby County Football Club regarding the protection of all children and young persons from harm and abuse, whether trialists or registered players with the Derby County Academy.

The policy fully supports and complies with the child protection policy of the FA and Premier League.

Derby County Football Club believes that the general well-being, welfare and safety of all young persons and children involved in its Academy are paramount.

It will fulfil its responsibilities by ensuring best practice in child protection matters, carried out in a spirit of partnership and openness with the players and their families (and the relevant authorities).

It does so in the belief that placing the welfare of players at the centre of its concern provides a solid foundation for the development of the young players of the future and for effective child protection practice.

A child protection co-ordinator is an appointed person who can be contacted at any time if a player has any concerns about their welfare or safety.

EDUCATION PROGRAMME

Education development and progress at school are seen as very high priorities and all players are expected to ensure that they work hard and make good progress both at school or at a college.

The Academy makes contact with the schools of all players and monitors on a regular basis the progress that is taking place.

Coaching and education staff at the Academy will support you in every way that they can.

In particular we will:

* Run pre-training work sessions for all Academy players as required.

* Have qualified staff available to support and advise you on school issues.

* Monitor the work you are doing at school and give advice as required.

* Discuss your school progress on a regular basis.

* Issue half-yearly education reports for you, your parents and your school.

* Liaise with your school.

We recognise that your progress at school will be vital to your future career choices, whether this turns out to be in professional football or in any other walk of life.

Education scholarship

The full-time scholarship players enjoy the very best in education provision.

Players select individualised courses of study dependent on qualifications attained and interests.

We have a history of academic success with players attaining qualifications at a high level and gaining university places as an option, should the football not progress to the required standard.

MEDICAL SUPPORT

Sports medicine and sports science is an extremely important aspect of player support.

The medical welfare and physical development of Academy players allows for the player to continue to hone their skill in the knowledge that their physical, physiological and psychological development is being catered for.

Further, where injury does occur, then the professional medical support system will ensure that the player can return to training/playing in the quickest and safest possible time frame.

The Academy sports medicine and sports science department is staffed by two senior full-time physiotherapists with extensive experience in football sports medicine, and a part-time doctor.

Each player undergoes a full medical examination by the Academy doctor as part of the Academy registration requirement.

A doctor's clinic is available each week in order for players sustaining injury during weekend games to be reviewed.

Where ongoing physiotherapy treatment is required, a clinic is available on an evening basis every weekday.

The Academy also operates under the Premier League Medical Care Scheme and therefore, if further specialist investigation is required, then it is available within a very short time frame.

This provides expert support in relation to the development of all Academy players from a physical, physiological and psychological perspective.

The department has already been very proactive in relation to a player's education and development by producing detailed handbooks on flexibility and mobility exercises for players to perform at home, both in-season and close-season.

In addition, a handbook entitled Nutrition for Football is available and this will be of assistance to players, coaches, parents/guardians and landlords/landladies.

By providing the very best of medical care, health education and sport science support any parent/guardian can be assured that their son is being given the opportunity to develop their skills to the optimum.

RECRUITMENT

We recognise that recruitment is a major factor in producing a successful Academy, so our recruitment objectives are to:

* Develop a system which will identify the best boys locally who are within our travelling time limits.

* To be very selective when signing Academy players.

* To encourage and foster the progress of Academy players through to reserve and first-team level.

Players may be invited for a six-week assessment period. Successful players will then be offered a place in the Academy, within the FA regulations for the registration of players.

This means that once a player signs, the registration is binding for the duration of the specific period, for both parties.

It can only be cancelled by mutual consent.

A player may only join another Academy, with the permission of the Academy he already attends or at the end of his contract, providing the Academy is prepared to pay compensation.

Release and retention

From nine to 16-years-old, a boy may sign for one or two years depending upon his age group and at the end of the period, the player will be informed whether the club wishes to retain or release him.

Release is a difficult time for all involved and we aim to be as sensitive as possible in the release procedure.

Nevertheless, release is always hurtful so we try to stress to all players the importance of enjoying the Academy experience one year at a time.

They must remember that at the end of the day, very few players will make it all the way through to a full-time career in professional football and the achievement of playing Academy football is very significant in itself.

FOOTBALL PROGRAMME

Technical programme

The Academy technical programme is the focal point of the player's football education.

For the younger players the emphasis is on the development of skills and technical excellence through a series of fun but challenging exercises and game-related practices.

As the players progress this sound technical base is supplemented not only by tactical information but also lifestyle management.

The Academy wants to produce "low maintenance" players who have an understanding of factors such as diet and nutrition, physical fitness and the important role that mental preparation now plays in the life of an athlete.

Our aim is to produce technically gifted players who achieve their full potential and are equipped to cope with the demands of the modern game.