Well here we are once again…on the edge of a taper looking down into the rocky cliffs below with tears in our eyes. You would think that after 5 months of intense training and hard work, that this would be the easy part…ah well, I have gotten to know my swimmers well enough to know how to design each of their tapers and know how they are going to react when they start. Some coaches will do a mass team taper and some coaches will take it to the individual. There is no one perfect formula. The better you know your swimmers and the more times you have tapered them, the better off you will be to give them a taper that works. Even then, a swimmer could change in a year and not need the “extra day”. Some of my swimmers started on Monday and some won’t start until next Monday or later. My message to them…just follow the bouncing ball man…

Bottom line is this…no one can argue that a taper in itself is not effective. I have said this before on the site but when it comes down to it…if you trust your coach to train you for half of a year…well you sort of have to trust them to get you there in the final stretch. You may be able to cram for a college exam but you can not cram for a meet. One week out from a meet…nothing you can do at that point to change the future. It has already been decided for you. Maybe you can refine a turn or a start but the work is over. Enjoy the rest and the taper that your coach has laid out for you.

After all, when its all said and done I am just going to go kick your ass for another 6 months so why not enjoy the rest while you can?

-Love,
Coach Nate