Frequently asked questions

At AZL, you can learn to swim as well as improve your swimming skills, learn to snorkel, practice competitive swimming and play water polo.

Typically, lessons and training are conducted in Dutch. However, most instructors and trainers have a sufficient command of the English language to guide English-speaking students. Ask about the possibilities.

Yes, AZL accepts the Ooievaarspas. In that way you can get up to 100% discount on membership, in line with the terms and conditions of the Ooievaarspas.

AZL is a sports club working entirely with volunteers, many of whom have full-time jobs in addition to volunteering. Therefore, we prefer contact via e-mail. The e-mail addresses of the various departments can be found on the contact page.

AZL’s home base is swimming pool De Fluit, located at Fluitpolderplein 1, 2262ED Leidschendam.

Yes, mail for AZL can be addressed to: Algemene Zwemvereniging Leidschendam, Fluitpolderplein 1, 2262ED Leidschendam.

At AZL, we naturally like to hear that we are doing something right. Even better, we like to hear when something could be better, so that we can continue to improve. If you have any feedback or suggestions for improvement, please let us know. This can be done with the person or department concerned, but of course also via the board. You can also use our feedback form for this purpose (Currently, the form is only available in Dutch, but do not hesitate to fill in your answers in English).

In the first instance, you can report complaints to the department concerned. This can be done verbally, by e-mail or by letter. If you cannot resolve the matter together, you can then report the complaint to the board or directly to the chairman. See the contact page for contact details.

You can also leave a review at  Google Reviews.

Yes. You can reach the AZL confidential cousellor by email at vertrouwenspersoon@azlzwemmen.nl. If you cannot come to an agreement with AZL’s confidential counsellor, or prefer to discuss the matter with an independent professional, please contact NOC*NSF’s Centre for Safe Sport. The Centre Safe Sport’s freephone number is 0900-202 5590. This helpline with professional counsellors is available Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 5:30pm. You can also contact it by email at centrumveiligesport@nocnsf.nl. Anonymous reporting, or chatting outside office hours, is also possible. For instructions or for more information, visit the Centre for Safe Sport website: https://centrumveiligesport.nl.

Changes can be sent by e-mail to the relevant department or directly to the membership administration. Email addresses can be found on the contact page.

Membership can be cancelled quarterly. Cancellation must in all cases be made in writing by letter or e-mail (opzeggen@azlzwemmen.nl). Notice of termination must reach the membership administration no later than one month before the end of the quarter.

Membership is entered into for an indefinite period and can be terminated quarterly in the interim.

You become a member of a sports club and so you pay membership fees, or contribution. The membership fee is set annually by the general members’ meeting. The current membership fees can be found in the ‘Downloads’ section.

At AZL, membership fees are debited by direct debit. When registering, you fill in an authorisation for this purpose.

Dues are debited at the beginning of each quarter.

For the ClubApp, the e-mail address known to the member administration is used. If there are multiple e-mail addresses in the member administration, only the primary e-mail address will be used.

Only one ClubApp account can be created per member, linked to the primary e-mail address.

If you use the same e-mail address at the other club as at AZL, you do not need to create a new account. You can then easily switch between the two clubs within the ClubApp. If you use a different e-mail address, you will have to create a new account. You will then have to log out and in again each time with the other account.

If several family members are registered with the same e-mail address in the membership administration, you can easily switch between family members within the ClubApp without having to log out. If family members are registered with different e-mail addresses, then a separate account must be created for each e-mail address. To switch, you will then have to log out and log in again with the other account.

The change must first be approved by the membership administration before being processed. Then the data must be synchronised in the ClubApp. This happens every night around 5:00 am. As long as a change has not yet been processed, the personal data screen is temporarily not visible.

The settings within the AZL ClubApp are chosen so that no one can see other people’s data in the ClubApp.

On the home page of the AZL ClubApp, you can choose ‘reset password’. Follow the instructions to create a new password.

See our AZL ClubApp manual on how to create an account and log in for the first time.

Check whether notifications within the AZL ClubApp are enabled (Menu -> My notifications -> settings). If everything is on here, check in your phone’s settings whether the ClubApp’s App notifications are enabled.

No. The AZL ClubApp is available for Android phones in the Google Play Store and for iPhones in the App Store. There is no ClubApp for Windows phones.

You can use the AZL Member Login to view your details and make changes. Go to My AZL for more information.

Through your personal account in the AZL Member Login, you can currently view your data with the member administration and easily make changes. You can also indicate here that you want to terminate your membership. More functions will be added in the future.

For the Member Login, the e-mail address known to the member administration is used. If there are multiple e-mail addresses in the member administration, only the primary e-mail address will be used.

Only one Member Login account can be created per member, linked to the primary e-mail address.

If several family members have the same e–mail address in the member records, the member login for these members cannot be used through one account. In that case, the individual family members can create a separate account with the member number as the username (the member number can be retrieved via appbeheer@azlzwemmen.nl). If the family members are registered with different e–mail addresses, a separate account must be created for each e–mail address. To switch between family members, you must then log out and log in again with the other account.

The change must first be approved by the membership administration before it is processed. As long as a change has not yet been processed, the personal data screen is temporarily not visible.

On the Member Login home page, you can choose ‘nieuw wachtwoord aanvragen’. Follow the instructions to create a new password.

See our AZL Member Login guide on how to create an account and log in for the first time.

Swimming lessons are on Thursdays from 6:30-7:15pm, 7:15-8:00pm and for adults from 8:45-9:30pm. On Saturdays from 3:30-4:15pm, 4:15-5:00pm, 5:00-5:45pm and 5:45-6:30pm.

Lessons at AZL last 45 minutes.

All swimming lessons are held at swimming pool De Fluit in Leidschendam.

In principle, swimming lessons continue as normal during the school holidays, except in the summer holidays. If a lesson day falls on a recognised public holiday, such as Ascension Day, there are no lessons. You will find up-to-date information on this in the swimming lessons calendar.

AZL does not charge a separate fee for swimming lessons. You only pay the membership fee. The current membership fees can be found in the ‘Downloads’ section. However, there is a one-off charge for participating in diploma swimming.

For pupils starting swimming lessons for the first time, there is currently a waiting list in some class hours. Also, for them, there is always some time between registration and the first lesson. This has to do with when a new group is started. This moment differs per class hour. Lateral entrants can generally be placed quickly in an existing group.

At AZL, children can start swimming lessons from their fourth birthday. Starting earlier does not make sense, as the child’s motor skills are not sufficiently developed at that age and, moreover, the taught skills do not stick properly.

At AZL, we work with small groups of 8 to 10 children in the Swim-ABC. Each group has a qualified instructor, who is also assisted by one or more assistants, so that there is enough personal attention for each child.

On average, with 100% attendance at lessons, it takes about 2½ years until the A diploma is obtained.

At AZL, children learn to swim with fun and without buoyancy aids. This way, they become familiar with the characteristics of the water more quickly. AZL works ‘classically’: in principle, the group stays together until the A-diploma and, where possible, even until the C-diploma. Finally, there is a lot of personal attention for your child at AZL, thanks to the efforts of several motivated volunteers per group.

No, at AZL we do not offer a crash course. At AZL, we believe that learning to swim well simply takes time. Children who have followed a turbo swimming course also tend to forget what they have learned more quickly, which ultimately reduces their swimming safety. Of course, in special cases, it is possible to take several lessons a week.

Yes, adults can swim recreationally at AZL as well as get swimming diplomas. There is a special lesson hour for adults on Thursdays from 8:45-9:30pm. However, there is currently no possibility of lessons for adults who cannot yet swim independently due to a shortage of volunteers.

AZL does not yet have online progress records. However, you can always speak to the instructor (after class) or the hostess, after which you can access the paper progress record. You can also view and discuss progress during the scheduled viewing days. For the dates of the viewing days, see the swimming lesson calendar.

During the lesson, you can only ask questions to the hostess. The instructor is busy with the lesson at that time. However, an appointment can be made to speak briefly with the instructor at the end of the lesson. During the viewing days, you will have the opportunity to follow your child’s lesson along the poolside. Then, during the last 10 minutes of the lesson, you can ask the instructor questions.

Yes, from the AZL clubhouse, from the grandstand and from the main hall of the pool, you can basically see all groups swimming.

Three times a school year there is diploma swimming. A few weeks before diploma swimming, there is test swimming, during which there is a pre-test to see if your child will be admitted to diploma swimming.

The clothing requirements can be found here.

No, AZL does not work with a diploma guarantee. We do, of course, make every effort to teach your child to swim well as soon as possible.

Diploma requirements are set by the National Water Safety Council (NRZ). AZL itself therefore has no influence on the requirements and testing criteria. Moreover, as a licence holder for National Swimming Diplomas, AZL is periodically tested by the NRZ. So you know that AZL meets the NRZ’s quality requirements.

In certain cases, a lesson can be made up at another time and in another group, in consultation with the instructor. However, this is only possible if there is space in the other group and if the other group is about the same level of progress.

Besides the Swim-ABC, AZL offers 12 swimming proficiency diplomas and 3 Scubadoe snorkelling diplomas. So this is 18 diplomas all together!

During the viewing day, parents may watch their child’s lesson from the edge of the pool. During the last 10 minutes of the lesson, there is an opportunity to ask questions, for example about progress.

In family swimming, parents and siblings can swim in the lesson themselves and experience how difficult some exercises are, while from the grandstand it often looks so simple. However, there is a maximum of 4 swimming family members per student and family members do need to have a swimming certificate themselves.

There are training sessions on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Training sessions are in swimming pool De Fluit in Leidschendam.

Yes, you can come for three free trial swims by appointment.

There are training sessions on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays.

The training sessions take place in swimming pool De Fluit in Leidschendam.

Yes, you can come and train for free three times on Mondays by appointment.

You need at least swimming diploma B to join Water Polo Starters. After you have obtained your B diploma and are still taking lessons at AZL, you can also join Waterpolo Starters for six months free of charge.

Training sessions are on Mondays, from 6pm-6:45pm.

Training sessions take place in swimming pool De Fluit in Leidschendam.

Yes, you can come and train for free once by appointment.