Swimmers work long and hard in the pool (and on land too) for months on end, all for a few races that seem to be over before you have time to blink at the very end of the season. Although swimming is fun all season long, here are some reasons why championship season and the time right before it is the best part of the season by far and the part that all swimmers look forward to.
1. TAPER
This is first and foremost because everyone loves taper. After getting your butt kicked for three to five hours a day, six days a week for months on end, taper is the most beautiful thing you could possibly imagine. Bring on the decreased yardage and the short, fast swimming!
2. You finally get to shave
This one is for the ladies. After being forced to grow your leg hair out for several weeks, or even months, some girls may have longer leg hair than the boys. Shaving makes your legs look and feel amazing. So smooth and pretty!
3. Pasta. Dinners.
It is pretty common knowledge that swimmers love to eat. We are capable of eating plates among plates of food after every grueling workout. The workouts may not be as grueling right before championships, but our appetites never leave. Lucky for us, pasta dinners are a pretty big ritual right before a big meet. This means eating all the pasta you could ever dream of at once. If we’re lucky, garlic bread and dessert will be included.
4. Team Bonding
Of course, you spend practically every second of every day with your teammates. But right before championship season, your team spends more time together than ever, whether it is to make posters for the seniors, eating all you can eat bread sticks at Olive Garden, or just chilling and watching a movie. Sure, you may be missing out on all the Saturday night adventures that your non swimmer friends are going on, but by spending quality time with your teammates, you realize that you can have just as much fun staying in. It’s not about what you do, it’s about the people you’re with, after all.
5. New Apparel
You get brand new t-shirts, that look amazing, to wear during the meet and possibly shorts or headbands, maybe even quarter zips. Often, you get stylish new suits to wear during warm up and even though no one loves to put them on, getting a new tech suit makes you feel fast, unstoppable and super excited.
6. The Energy Is Amazing
There is nothing quite like being really pumped up for a meet. Right before the championship meet, the entire team is hyped and ready to go. There is music playing in the locker room and out on the pool deck and all of the teams at the meet do their own cheers. Once the meet actually starts, everyone cheers for everyone, which contributes to fast swimming.
7. Best Times
Even if you didn’t get your best time, chances are one of your teammates did and their best time is your best time. This will lead to great celebration and lots of hugging and smiling (and maybe crying). If you go your own best time, you feel like all of the hard work paid off. This also means your teammates will celebrate with you! At the end of the day, whether you go a best time in the pool or not, you most certainly will have the best time!
8. The End Result
If your team wins the meet, like my team did this year, you get to take some cool trophy pics, like the one in the cover picture. You also get to jump in the pool fully clothed with all of your teammates and coaches, like in the picture below. On top of all that, you feel amazing. It will take a very long time to get over how amazing you feel. A very, very long time. If your team doesn’t win, you’re still a team and you love your teammates no matter what (and they love you back). That is the best feeling of all and the ultimate trophy.
9. POST-MEET PIG OUT AND CELEBRATION!!!!
The meet is over, the season is over and it’s time to celebrate! Eat all of the unhealthy junk you were trying to avoid during the meet and when you’re done, eat more! Go out with your teammates and celebrate until you fall over from fatigue and a food coma.
