Hello to OBST parents both seasoned and new,

I hope all of you travel, celebrate, and enjoy your holiday season safely and happily with your loved ones. Before you are consumed in all the merriment, I wanted to go ahead and inform all about a couple of topics before we close out the year in preparation for 2026. 

Firstly, to our new families, welcome to the Orange Beach Swim Team! We are so happy to have you join the Mako Nation and look forward to our new athletes' growth alongside our seasoned swimmers. I can't wait to see everyone's smiling faces back in the water come Tuesday, January 6th!

You should have received an e-mail from SwimTopia asking you to create/complete your account. If you haven't done so, please do as this is the platform we utilize to host our website, mark competition commitments, publish monthly newsletters, etc. I recommend downloading the app as well and setting notifications on to ensure you are always up to date.

In addition to SwimTopia, we have been utilizing the communication app called "Slack". You should also have received an invitation to collaborate with OBST in your inbox. Once you join Slack, I will be alerted and make sure you are a member of your child's group. This allows parents and myself to communicate without the exchange of cell phone numbers. My door is always open, please feel free to use my cell contact if necessary, Slack just makes things a bit easier as our team grows.

I suggest downloading Meet Mobile as well. USA Swimming will report competition events and results on this platform in real time. If your child is a USAS athlete, you will frequently use Meet Mobile for digital heat sheets and swim meet results. There is an annual subscription.

Moving forward, a couple of topics to discuss:

1. The first day of practice is Tuesday, January 6th. 

• BLUE swimmers that attend OBES will be picked up by myself at the crosswalk at 3 p.m. Together, we will walk over to the aquatics center and their practice is held from 3:15-4 p.m. on M/W/F. 
• ORANGE will immediately follow at 4 p.m. and run through 5:00 p.m. on Mon/Fri, with Tues/Thurs running from 3:30-5 p.m.
• JUNIOR & SENIOR will run from 5:00-7:00 p.m. on Mon/Fri and Tues/Wed/Thurs will start at 4:30 p.m. and end at 6:30 p.m. 
• Beginning in mid-March, groups (with the exception of blue) will have dry-land workouts on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the first 30 minutes of practice. I suggest arriving to practice in your suit (with clothes over your suit if desired) to take part in dry-land so that you can hop into the water fairly quickly afterwards. Sneakers and/or closed toe shoes are preferred in case the use of medicine balls or other weighted equipment is involved.
• PLEASE HAVE A WATER BOTTLE AT PRACTICE!
• You may view other required equipment per group online or in the handbook.

2. When convenient, please take the time to go over the official handbook attached. (You may also view it on our OB and Swimtopia websites.) It is assumed you are knowledgeable about policy and expectations as you had to answer "yes" when prompted about reading the handbook to move forward in registration. 

3. As a USA Swimming club team, in order for your child to compete at USAS-sanctioned swim meets [GPAC (Pensacola), Southeastern Swimming, etc.], they will need to have a membership with USA Swimming. If you are a new athlete transferring over from another team, please begin your transfer process ASAP, as your swimmer will have a 60-day unattached period before joining OBST. Transferees may swim for OBST, their points will just not be scored during this time. If you are a returning athlete, please make sure that your USAS membership is active for 2026. To establish, transfer, or renew membership , click here: 
https://omr.usaswimming.org/omr/welcome/B76C5D99FA...

The following meets are scheduled in our area and once your swimmer is a member, they have the option to compete in or qualify for:
Jan 16-18 GPAC Winter Invitational @ P'cola
Feb 13 - 15 Region 4 Champs @ P'cola
Feb 27 - Mar 1 Winter SC Southeastern Championship @ Huntsville
April 4 - Ready, Set, Bloom! Spring Meet @ Home

There will be more to come. 

I am ecstatic about OBST's continuous growth. We've been making our mark in the competitive swim world! It is a privilege to coach athletes, contribute to their character, and develop champions. It is something I don't take lightly and have all the passion in my heart for. Go Makos!

If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to me. I will be traveling to GA/NC for Christmas, but will have access to my e-mail and such.

Have the happiest holidays and new year! I'll see you in 2026!

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