What you need to know about the licence process, provincial age-group meets and training load if your child wants to race.
Many children who have learned all four strokes want to race at some point. For a child who has met the stopwatch at in-club galas and seen their times drop, the next step is becoming a licensed swimmer. In this article we answer the questions families most often ask when they want to join our squad.
What is a licence and how do you get one?
To take part in official meets a swimmer must hold a licence for a club affiliated with the Turkish Swimming Federation. The club applies for the licence; the family provides a copy of the ID card, a passport photo and a medical certificate from the family doctor showing that there is no obstacle to swimming. The licence is renewed every season. At Kulaçsu our squad coach handles the process; the family only hands over the documents.
Which meets do swimmers enter?
Swimmers first compete in provincial age-group and inter-club meets. The competition rules the federation publishes each season set which distances each age category swims, the qualifying times required to enter and the criteria for progressing to national meets. A qualifying time is a time the swimmer must already have achieved at an official meet in order to enter a competition. So season planning starts with aiming for qualifying times at provincial meets.
How much training is involved?
For ages 8-10, three sessions a week of around 2,500 metres each are enough. As swimmers get older the number of sessions and the distance increase gradually. Overloading children at an early age raises both the risk of injury and the chance they will lose interest in the sport. That is why our squad limits weekly load by age and focuses dryland work on shoulder stability and flexibility.
Balancing school and swimming
Competitive swimming requires discipline but should not come before school. Our weekday sessions start at 17:30 and finish at 18:45; during exam weeks families may skip a session. Meets are usually at weekends and the season calendar is shared with families at the start of term.
Costs
The monthly squad fee covers sessions, dryland training and handling of the licence process. Meet entry fees, race caps and transport are paid separately. Club kit (tracksuit and cap) is bought once at the start of the season.
The parent’s role
In competitive swimming a parent’s most important job is support, not coaching. Talking about effort rather than times after a race, giving the child space after a disappointing swim and protecting sleep and nutrition routines make the biggest contribution in the long run. At the start of every term we hold an information meeting with squad parents to discuss the season calendar and our training principles together.
How do I attend the trials?
Squad trials are held at the start of every term. To attend, a swimmer must be able to swim a legal 200-metre individual medley. The trial assesses a timed 50 metres, turn skills and how well the swimmer adapts to training. Swimmers who do not pass continue in the Strokes group and can try again next term. You can book a place at a trial session on our booking page.