taper

Question
We will be practicing about 5000yd afternoon and 2000 yd morning workouts for 30 days at the beginning of the season.  I would like to do a 7 day taper for our first meet against our biggest rival in order to win the meet and give the guys a chance to do one of their best times.  Will a taper work after 30 days of hard swimming???

Answer
Suzanne-
A full taper will not work after only 30 days, you don't have enough of a base to taper off of.  You can try to rest the kids for the last week prior to this meet(which is what a 7 day taper would be).  Most tapers last from 10 to 14 days, depending on each athlete, and are usually only effective after 3 to 4 months of hard work.  Your 7000 yds a day is good to use as a strong base for your end of the year taper.
Hope this helps,
George