Hello OBST families current and new, 

I am looking forward to the kickstart of our summer season! We have a solid season ahead and I could not be more proud to witness the growth and success of this sport in our city. OBST turns a year old as of this August and to see our team jump from 8 to 44 athletes is as exciting as it is motivating! 

I have a lot of information to provide, so please bear with me and read ALL of the details provided so that you and your swimmer(s) are well informed and prepared. 

1. I would like to hold a parent meeting to go over a few topics and policies, especially pertaining to swim meet protocols, as we will host our first invitational rec meet on June 24th. I'd like to have this take place on Tuesday, May 27th at 6:15 p.m. This would be conducted immediately following the first practices as Junior and Senior group will finish at 6 p.m. Swimmers are welcome to join, of course. 

2. As the primary contact, you should have received an invitation to create an account with SwimTopia shortly after registration. Please complete your account set up and confirm that all information for you and your swimmer(s) is accurate. We utilize SwimTopia as our website and main source of communication for posting news, sending team-wide updates, etc. SwimTopia also offers an app in which I also encourage you to download for easy access from your phone to receive notifications and mark competition commitments. You will receive a weekly newsletter from me every Monday throughout the season which is also published on the website. 

3. If your swimmer is a member of USA Swimming, their SwimTopia account should attach to their USAS membership and place your athlete in "good standing". If your account is not connected to a USAS and should be, please let me know. I will need you to provide the membership ID# and I can input it into SwimTopia. 

If you are planning to compete in USAS meets outside of rec meets, you will need to be a member of USA Swimming. This is not mandatory, but for athletes who wish to compete at a higher level of competition. In order to join under OBST, you will need to follow registration steps here: https://omr.usaswimming.org/omr/welcome/B76C5D99FAD541

4. Our swim meet schedule is in SwimTopia and can be viewed here once logged in: https://obstmakos.swimtopia.com/swim_meets

With this in mind, if you would please go ahead and confirm your RSVP for all of the currently open-to-register meets, that would be greatly appreciated! The most urgent being for USAS athletes, the GPAC Tom Lalor Invitational @ UWF June 6th-8th. The entries for that meet are due on 5/20! 

5. Lastly, if you could please familiarize yourself with the OBST Handbook and also utilize it as a tool for any questions you might have. I will always have my door open, but I do try to provide as much information as possible in the handbook. Access it here: https://obstmakos.swimtopia.com/parent-information

Please don't hesitate to reach out if you need anything. Let's go, Makos!

Dakota Heflin
Orange Beach Swim Team, Head Coach
Programs Coordinator | Parks and Recreation
City of Orange Beach
P. O. Box 458 | 4853 Wilson Blvd.
Orange Beach, AL 36561
o: 251-974-7946
c. 941-993-2734
www.orangebeachal.gov