For high school athletes aspiring to play in college, it can be easy to get wrapped up in the stress of getting a spot on the roster. But, it's also important that the program you sign to is going to help you be the athlete that you want to be without getting injured. 

With conference meets and NCAAs being the most important part of a team's season for national rankings, most swimmer's careers are spent training for one “tapered” meet at the end of the season.

For those new to championship meets, taper is the period of time leading up to a major meet, where swimmers cut distance and intensity in practices in order to allow their body to be fully rested going into competition, without losing their endurance. Most collegiate teams conduct some form of taper, but their success varies depending on the coaches' and athlete's approach.

These 3 questions will help you get an idea of what your college swimming career and tapering strategies would look like at different schools.

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1. What does taper look like for your team?
This question is a good starting point for discussing your future career on a team because it allows you to get an idea of what kind of taper you would have on the team.

Does everyone do the same taper? Do athletes meet with the coaching staff to determine tapers? Do the coaches adjust athletes tapers year to year? 

Depending on your experience with taper in high school, you may already have an idea of what taper works best for you. If you haven't tapered, this is an opportunity to learn about the relationship between coaches and their swimmers. You can learn if the coaching staff is flexible with their training schedule, and how much one-on-one time you can expect to have with your coaches during the season.

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2. Does the team taper for a meet during the fall semester?
Asking a coach about a midseason meet is important for two reasons. First, you'll get an idea of what racing practice you'll get during the season. Ask if the team travels for tapered meets and if they bring the whole team. If only a select group of athletes gets to travel, would you be in that group? If you wouldn't be, is that something you are ok with?

You'll also get the chance to understand what meets and competitions will affect end-of-season lineups and relays. A tapered Fall meet lets you test out your college training, and make any necessary changes to ensure you can achieve your goals. 

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3. Does your team usually reach their goals at conference?
A team can be very fast, and very successful, but if athletes in a program aren't improving, it can be a sign that something either isn't working in their training regime, or the way their coach tapers their athletes should be changed. The difference between a good and bad taper can significantly impact how an athlete performs at their conference meet, even if they've trained hard all season long. Knowing if athletes improve season to season, and within each season is incredibly important in assessing a team's taper strategies. 

This question can also be used as a segway to tell coaches about your goals, and how fast you hope to be by the time you'd join their program. 

While bringing up specific aspects of a team to a potential coach can be intimidating, they are looking for athletes that will love their program and succeed in it. Talking about your expectations for taper, and the buildup to it can help make the decision of where you want to go a little bit easier, and show the coaches you take your training seriously.

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Image source: USA Swimming

* Originally published on March 9, 2022, by Peyton Wright