Swimming season is coming to an end, and with that end comes the taper. Friends and family members (non-swimmers), hear their swimmer talking about taper being the most wonderful time of year. And it is, but there is also some cons to taper as well.

1.) Taper is the period at the end of the season where swimmers do less yardage, but at a higher intensity level. This is one reason why so many people like it. LESS YARDS!!! WOOHOO!

2.) One bad side is that taper is also the time of the swim year that causes every single swimmer to be moody as heck. So, word of advice? Don't piss any swimmers off or else you'll unleash a fury that you have never seen before.

3.) Another good thing is that taper is the time of year right before Championships, the biggest meet of the year, so you are at your best in the swim season which is an awesome feeling.

4.) Taper is bad for yet another reason: every swimmer that goes through taper WILL BECOME SICK! So, please do not try and prescribe a mild cold or the flu or a cough, because it is none of those things. It is swimming, not a cold, just swimming.

These are the main things about taper that either make swimmers enjoy it or not. They are a very rare breed and constantly need support from one another. This is one of the times throughout the year that swimmers depend on each other the most.

We have to push ourselves to the max. We have to finish at the wall when we wanted to stop ten yards back. We have to keep going if we get a cramp, no sitting out for us. This is the most important part of the season and we sometimes don't even understand what is going on.

We have to trust a system that we don't know whether it will work or not. We put all of our trust in our coaches because we know they will make us better. This is what taper means to a swimmer.