After his uncle Rıfat Pasha was exiled to Fezzan in Ottoman Tripolitania due to opposition to the Sultan Abdul Hamid II (reigned 1876–1909), her mother registered Selim Sırrı in 1882 as a boarding pupil at the private Galatasaray High School.

During his visit to Istanbul in 1907, he became acquainted with Selim Sırrı Bey via his friend Frenchman Juery, a teacher at the Galatasaray High School.

Selim Sırrı Bey was asked by Pierre de Coubertin to form the National Olympic Committee of Turkey.

Working as an instructor of physical education at a school in İzmir and writing sports articles in the magazine Servet-i Fünun, he had to wait for the establishment of the National Committee until the declaration of the Second Constitutional Monarchy in 1908 due to the political situation in the Ottoman Empire.

[6] This folk music became the Gençlik Marşı (literally: "Youth Anthem") known as "Dağ Başını Duman Almış" in 1917 with Turkish lyrics written by Ali Ulvi Bey (Elöve).

[3][7] Selim Sırrı Tarcan worked as an instructor for physical education at various high schools until the proclamation of Turkish Republic in 1923.

[3][8] He initiated establishment of reoccurring gymnastics festivals in 1916, which were the basis of today's events held on 19 May, the Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day.

[1] Selim Sırrı Tarcan is credited with being the pioneer of volleyball in Turkey as he taught the basics of this sport to instructors between 1920 and 1924, providing the necessary infrastructure for future development.

[citation needed] The Gülbağ Selim Sırrı Tarcan İ.Ö.O., a primary education school in Şişli, Istanbul is named also after him.