City of Opelika 2026 Summer Swim Team
FUN * FAMILY * FAST
Our Philosophy
Swimming is a life long skill and your first experience on a swim team should be positive, fun, educational, and exciting. While still competitive – the goal of the Summer Swim Team is to grow the swimmer’s joy and love for the sport.
Practice length with depend on age and ability, and will focus on distances swum within the ARPA system (25s – 100s). We’ll have game days, team socials, and other fun experiences all while working hard and making lifelong friends.
IMPORTANT: This program follows ARPA rules and main competition focus will be the ARPA District and State Meets in July. We do host and attend several swim meet in towards the end of May and into June, but to swim at the ARPA District and ARPA State Meet for Opelika Swim Team you must be an Opelika resident, attend school in Opelika, or Opelika needs to be the nearest city with a swim team if your city does not.
Team Requirements
Requirements / Registration / Evaluation
In order to join the summer swim team the swimmer needs to be able to swim 1 lap freestyle (25 yards) unassisted. Swimmers not able to swim the lap freestyle should sign up for Summer Blast Swim Lessons (registration opens April 16th for swim lessons).
Evaluation Dates will be April 24th from 4:30 – 5:30p and 25th from 11:30a – 12:30p pm. Evaluations are for new swimmers only.
Swimmers who have been on swim team previously (including Fundamentals) or attended CAMP OST do not need to participate in the evaluation.
For the evaluation swimmers will be asked to:
- Tread Water for 15-20 Seconds in 6 feet deep water
- Touch the bottom of the pool in 6 feet deep water
- Kick 25 yards of freestyle / backstroke
- Swim 25 yards of freestyle / backstroke
Cost for summer swim team is 150.00.
New swimmers will not pay full price of registration until after the evaluation. Swimmers who do not pass the evaluation will be refunded the 5.00 paid during their initial registration.
General Practice Schedule / Attached Calendar
2025 – 2026 Summer Swim Calendar
Summer Meets:
- Thursday June 2: Opelika (OST) Hosts Valley (VST)
- Thursday June 11th: OST (OST) Hosts Auburn (AUB) and Talladega (TALL)
- Monday June 15th: OST at Prattville (PSL)
- Thursday June 25th: OST Host Tallassee (TTS) and Prattville (PSL)
- Friday / Saturday July 10th and 11th: OST hosts ARPA District Meet (must be eligible per APRA rules)
- Friday / Saturday July 24 and 25: APRA State Meet in Albertville (must qualify)
APRA State Qualifying Times:
2026 ARPA State Qualifying Times
Swimmers are required to attend 2 meets.
Parent Requirements
Parents are required to help run our home swim meets.
We will have online volunteer sign up. We need parents to Volunteer for 1 meet!
We will discuss volunteer needs at the parent meeting on May 4th.
Volunteer Needs:
- Organize / Label Ribbons
- Timers (this is a big one)
- Head Timer
- Paper Runner
- Bull Pen (help get 10 and U organized)
- Hospitality