Hi OBST families,

I am sorry we had to cancel the Ready, Set, Bloom swim meet this past weekend. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans.

I had every intention to reschedule the meet within the current season, but with our last practice being Friday, May 15th, we have little time or availability. So, if you paid for your swimmer's meet entry in cash, you will notice a credit was placed on your Sportsman Web account; if you paid with a credit card, a refund was issued to the card used.

We have a pretty packed schedule for our summer season thus far! As of now, it looks like the Mobile County Aquatic League (MCAL) will welcome us as probationary members this summer to see if it is a good fit for recreational competition. Therefore, I have marked the rec meets that I plan for us to attend as "tentative" until MCAL confirms their summer schedule at their next board meeting on 5/17. I will confirm and update these details as soon as possible. Otherwise, the other meets on the calendar are USA Swimming competitions that require USAS membership for your athlete to attend.

I am very excited to share that we have our own line of completely custom apparel and team swimsuits, which will soon be available to order through Agon Sport! From May 4th - May 15th, I will have a sizing kit in-house. So, for the remainder of the season, if your athlete is continuing to swim this summer, I will pull them out during practice at some point to document their appropriate size. Our rep informed me that most of Agon's sizing is closest to Speedo. I will attach some preview

As always, thank you for being a warm community and family of athletes. Please continue reading for important calendar dates as we near the conclusion of our Winter/Spring season.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
5/2 Rosalie Lester (13)
5/7 Ava Bissell (12)
5/30 Kannon Sandlin (9)

IMPORTANT DATES

5/2-5/3 GPAC Flip Flop Invitational
This weekend's meet is run untraditionally in which age groups "flip-flop" and the 3rd and 6th session include all age groups together. It's super fun! Just make sure to pay attention to the schedule as warm-up time's may differ across athletes.

*** All timelines are included in the heat sheet that is now posted on GPAC's meet dashboard. Also attached below.***

SATURDAY:
7:00-7:40 Warm up for mile (Open)
7:45-8:30 1500 free (2 heats)
8:35-9:10 Warm up for session II (Open) - 12 & Over Athletes
9:15-11:15 12 & Up IMX Session 
1:30-12:10 Warm up for all ages session (assigned) - Only applies to William Buck, Penelope Key, and Arielle Williams
12:30-3:30 Session 3

SUNDAY:
7:00-7:40 Warm up for 800 (Open) - Only applies to Brooklyn Key
7:45-8:45 800 free (4 heats)
8:50-9:20 Warm up for Session 5 (Open) - 12 & Over Athletes
9:30-11:30 12 & Up IMX session
11:45-12:15 Warm up for all ages session (assigned) - Only applies to William Buck, Penelope Key, and Arielle Williams
12:30-3:30 Session 6 

There will be a food truck on site Saturday and Sunday from 11-3 for spectators and Swim & Tri will be on site on Sunday. Please remind your families that the building won't be open until 6:45 AM each morning, and the deck is closed to parents and spectators. We hope to have the HLS building open for non-athlete members and spectator restrooms.

5/4-5/15 SWIM SUIT SIZING
As mentioned above, we will be purchasing team apparel and swim suits from Agon Sport moving forward. I have been working with Agon's custom design department  for a handful of weeks now and I am really excited about our vision. Agon has been super reliable and efficient! I am hoping to eliminate our previous ordering mishaps in which people purchase a non-returnable suit that is the incorrect size. I think everyone will be really happy with what's in store.

I will be pulling athletes out one-by-one during practice over the next two weeks to document sizes regardless of returning athlete for the summer or not. (For those who return in the fall or whatever the case may be, at least we will have a starting point.)

5/5 NO PRACTICE
I'll be attending my daughter's End of School Year performance and celebration that evening. So, enjoy the night off!

5/15 Last Day of Winter/Spring Season

5/15 Entries Due for GPAC Tom Lalor Invitational
This is when commitments are due in SwimTopia. The meet invitation for this meet is attached if you would like to view events and other details. We MIGHT only attend Saturday & Sunday if we don't enter a lot of 400 IMers.

5/20 Entry Fees for GPAC Tom Lalor Invitational Due by NOON!
I will attach entry fees to Sportsman Web accounts after receiving entries. Payments must be received by 5/20.

5/26 Summer Swim Begins!
The first day of our summer practice schedule begins this Tuesday.

LOOKING AHEAD...
6/5-6/7 GPAC Tom Lalor Invitational
6/13-6/14 CAT5 Aquatics Long Course Open
6/18 CCM Rec Meet (Tentative)
6/25 Lake Forest Rec Meet (Tentative)
7/7 Home Swim Meet
7/14 Bay Minette Rec Meet
7/11-7/12 CMSA Summer Invitational
7/17-7/19 SES Summer LC Championship
7/15 Fall Registration Opens
7/23-7/25 MCAL City Championship (Tentative)
7/31 OBST Awards Banquet
8/10 Fall Season Begins

SWIM & TELL
I'd like to take a moment here to recognize Amelia Chiseev and Lizze Key. These girls were recognized in USAS' National IMX Challange Scoring for the past short course season. Congrats, ladies!

MAKO OF THE MONTH
Congratulations to May's Mako of the Month, Lizzie Key!

Lizzie AKA "Wanda" is a mighty force of spunk and energy. Lizzie's personality brings teammates together and her drive motivates others to see their own potential. There isn't a bigger cheerleader on deck and she can even out-kick some of our senior boys! She's all muscle in a spirited little package. You go, girl!

Best,

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