Hi OBST families,

We are back in the water today, makos! I am so excited to see everyone! :)

I will have caps and t-shirts to pass out to athletes today. We did run out of our caps and a shipment is on order. I have a list of 19 previous athletes who will need a cap once that shipment arrives. All new athletes and transferees will receive their gear today.

FYI JR/SR families: Practice runs through 7 p.m., but please be mindful that the facility also closes at 7 p.m. The aquatics staff will need to clean/lock up the facility after everyone exits. Kindly keep post-practice locker room usage at a minimum or remain efficient. Please don't dilly dally in the locker rooms!

If you're looking ahead at competitions, feel free to confirm athlete attendance throughout the season as all meets are open to do so via the sign-up calendar in SwimTopia. The first meet is Sept. 19-21 in Panama City Beach, Florida (USAS athletes only) and I will need to confirm attendees by noon on Wednesday, 9/3.

To reiterate from last week...

If you have not received an e-mail from SwimTopia about account set-up, please let me know. At least one parent from each family should have access to their SwimTopia account by now. I can always follow through with a password reset if need be. SwimTopia is crucial for communication, competition sign-up, and all things related to OBST.

Whether a seasoned mako or just joining OBST, year-round swimmers or those who plan to compete in any USA Swimming competition, must be a member of USA Swimming. All USAS athletes will renew their membership come September 1st! Please WAIT to pay for membership until 9/1. If you renew or join before 9/1, you will be charged again on said date for the next term (Sept '25 - December '26). If an athlete is a transfer from another team, you are more than welcome to initiate the team transfer, membership renewal is separate and will follow for those athletes on 9/1 too.

Please be mindful of the day of the week and your swimmer's schedule as orange, junior, and senior groups practice times fluctuate a bit during the week. Tuesdays/Thursdays include a 30 min dry-land workout for those three groups as well. Sneakers please! All practice schedules are posted here: https://obstmakos.swimtopia.com/schedule-and-fees

Best,

Coach Dakota