Sportabzeichen for Kids in Frankfurt: Who Can Test, What Counts as Swimming Proof, and Why Children Pay No Fee
Any child can earn the Deutsches Sportabzeichen from the calendar year in which they turn 6, with or without a sports club, and in Frankfurt the Sportkreis Frankfurt processes the test card and certificate for children and young people at no charge (adults pay 3.50 EUR, plus 1.50 EUR for a metal badge). A child needs at least a bronze result in each of four groups (endurance, strength, speed, coordination) within one calendar year, plus a swimming proof in the first year, which for under-18s only has to be shown once. Frankfurt's Turn- und Sportvereine run the training and the tests, and the Sportkreis says their test dates are to be found on the Bewegungslandkarte.
What the Badge Is, and Who Runs It in Frankfurt
The Deutsches Sportabzeichen is a fitness badge awarded by the Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund (DOSB), and it is not a competition. Children do not race each other, they only have to reach fixed results for their age. In Frankfurt, the Sportkreis Frankfurt coordinates it. It says that 22 Turn- und Sportvereine offer preparatory training and carry out the tests, with around 80 examiners from the clubs and from institutions such as the airport fire service.
You do not have to join a club. The Sportkreis states that anyone can take part, whether or not they are a member of a Turn- or Sportverein. If you want a club for the rest of the year anyway, our guide to finding and joining a sports club in Frankfurt explains how that works.
The Rules Your Child Has to Meet
The DOSB’s test guide for 2026 sets out the basics:
- The children’s badge is open to girls and boys from the calendar year in which they turn 6. The adult badge starts in the calendar year of the 18th birthday.
- The conditions for the age reached in the year of the test apply.
- All results have to fall within one calendar year, 1 January to 31 December, and the badge can be earned once per year.
On the DOSB page, the content is four groups, endurance, strength, speed and coordination. One exercise from each group has to reach at least bronze. The exercises on offer, such as running, jumping, throwing or cycling, differ by age and sex, so the examiner tells you which results count for your child’s age class.
Swimming Proof: The Part Parents Often Miss
The swimming proof is a separate requirement. It has to be shown in the year the badge is first earned, and the DOSB lists what counts.
| Child's age | What counts |
|---|---|
| Under 12 | 50 m swum in one go, no time limit, or the Deutsches Schwimmabzeichen, Junior-Retter or Deutsches Triathlonabzeichen Jugend |
| 12 and older | 200 m in a maximum of 11 minutes, in one go, or a recognised swimming badge given by DLRG, DSV, Wasserwacht, DRK or ASB |
| Any age | 15 minutes of continuous swimming (open water allowed), or a swum endurance or speed discipline of the badge itself |
For the children’s badge, a single proof is enough and it never expires before the 18th birthday. It does not carry over to the adult badge, so swimming has to be shown again in the year of the 18th birthday. For adults the proof is valid for five years. A certified person has to supervise: examiners with a swimming entry, DLRG and other instructors, swimming teachers or pool staff, as the rules name them. If your child already holds a Deutsches Schwimmabzeichen, bring the certificate along, because it is accepted for under-12s.
Finding a Test Date in Frankfurt
The Sportkreis says that all test dates of Frankfurt clubs, for athletics, swimming, cycling, gymnastics and other disciplines, are to be found on the Bewegungslandkarte, a DOSB map of sport offers (its wording is “künftig”, so the map may not yet show every club). The Landessportbund Hessen gives the same pointer for 2026 and suggests contacting the Sportabzeichen contact of your Sportkreis if a date is unclear. Check the club’s own page for how to register before you come.
Because the whole badge must fall within one calendar year, start early: a child who misses one group in December has to begin again in January. The Sportkreis lists athletics, swimming, cycling and gymnastics as separate kinds of dates, so expect more than one visit.
Handing In the Test Card and What It Costs
When all the disciplines and the swimming proof are signed off, the test card goes to the Sportkreis. The Sportkreis asks you to hand it in together with the swimming proof at its Geschäftsstelle, Wächtersbacher Str. 80, 60386 Frankfurt, where the result is recorded and a certificate is issued, and a badge if you want one.
| Item | Children and young people | Adults |
|---|---|---|
| Processing and certificate | Free | 3.50 EUR |
| Metal badge in bronze, silver or gold | Free | 1.50 EUR |
The contact page lists the office hours as Monday 14:00 to 18:00, Wednesday 10:00 to 13:00 and Thursday 14:00 to 16:00, closed on Tuesday and Friday. Phone +49 69 94 14 71 11 or email info@sportkreis-frankfurt.de if you cannot come during those hours. The fee page does not break out the badge for children in words, only that children and young people pay nothing, so ask when you hand the card in whether a badge is included.
A Simple Plan for the Year
- Check the age. Your child can start in the calendar year of the sixth birthday.
- Prepare the swimming. Under 12: 50 m. From 12: 200 m in 11 minutes. Or bring a recognised swimming badge.
- Look at the Bewegungslandkarte for Frankfurt club dates and write to the club first.
- Collect the four groups in one calendar year, with the examiner signing the test card each time.
- Hand the card in at the Sportkreis, with the swimming proof.
- Repeat next year if your child wants a second badge: the swimming proof does not need to be repeated until the year of the 18th birthday.
Compliance Note
This guide describes the rules of the DOSB for 2026 and the pages of the Sportkreis Frankfurt and the Landessportbund Hessen as read in October 2026. Fees, office hours, test dates and venues change, and clubs set their own appointment rules. Confirm the current details with the Sportkreis or the club before you travel.
FAQ & Common Pitfalls
Does my child have to be in a Frankfurt sports club to take the Sportabzeichen?
No. According to the Sportkreis Frankfurt, anyone can take part, whether or not they belong to a Turn- or Sportverein. The clubs only supply the training and the examiners. You normally contact the club that offers a test date, which is why the dates are worth checking before you travel.
From what age can a child take it?
From the calendar year in which the child turns 6. The DOSB rules apply the age a child reaches in the year of the test, not the age on the day, so a child born in December can already test in the year of the sixth birthday. The children's badge covers ages 6 to 17, and the adult version starts in the calendar year of the 18th birthday.
What counts as swimming proof, and does my child need it every year?
Swimming must be shown in the year the child first earns the badge. Under 12, the DOSB accepts 50 m swum without a time limit, or the Deutsches Schwimmabzeichen, the Junior-Retter or the Deutsches Triathlonabzeichen Jugend. From age 12 it is 200 m in no more than 11 minutes, or one of the named swimming badges when issued by organisations such as the DLRG. Continuous swimming for 15 minutes also counts. For the children's badge a single proof is enough. It is not valid for the adult badge, so the proof has to be repeated in the year of the 18th birthday.
What does it cost in Frankfurt?
For children and young people the Sportkreis says it is free. For adults it charges 3.50 EUR for processing the test card and a certificate, and 1.50 EUR for a badge in bronze, silver or gold. Clubs may have their own rules for training, so ask when you book a date.
Where do I hand in the completed test card?
At the Sportkreis Frankfurt, Wächtersbacher Str. 80, 60386 Frankfurt, together with the swimming proof. The office records the card and issues a certificate and, if you wish, a badge. According to the Sportkreis's contact page the office is open Monday 14:00 to 18:00, Wednesday 10:00 to 13:00 and Thursday 14:00 to 16:00, closed Tuesday and Friday. The page does not say whether a card can be sent by post, so call +49 69 94 14 71 11 before you post anything.
How do I find a test date near me?
The Sportkreis says the dates of all Frankfurt clubs for athletics, swimming, cycling, gymnastics and other disciplines will in future be found on the Bewegungslandkarte, the DOSB's map of sport offers. The Landessportbund Hessen points to the same map for 2026 and adds that you can ask the Sportabzeichen contact of your Sportkreis. Check the club's own page, since some ask for registration first.
Which result does my child need?
One discipline from each of four groups, endurance, strength, speed and coordination, each at least at bronze level, all in one calendar year from 1 January to 31 December. The requirements depend on age and sex, and they are set out in the DOSB's performance catalogues, which the examiners at the club work from. The badge can be earned once per calendar year.