I am so excited to introduce you to Brooke Keil, Local Mom and ISR Swim Instructor! Macaroni Kid Clarksville had the opportunity to chat with her and discover all of the benefits ISR has to offer families in our community.
ISR, a self rescue method, has been around for over 45 year and during this time Instructors from all over the country have instructed over 300,000 students and documented over 800 saves. Brooke is not only extremely passionate about self rescue, she is also very excited to instruct your child on how to be fully confident and competent in the water just in time for Summer ☀☀
1.) Tell us your "why" for becoming an ISR Instructor?
I became an ISR Instructor due to drowning being the leading cause of death in children under the age of 5 Years old. My family has personally been effected by drowning. I watched as my 4 year old sisters, lifeless body, was pulled from the bottom of a pool. When I had children myself I became even more aware of how supervision can fail so easily even with moms like myself who consider ourselves as "helicopter" moms. My goal as an Instructor is to eliminate childhood drowning by educating parents about layers of protection, teaching life saving Self-Rescue swimming skills to children and provide tips and information about water safety to all families.
2.) What is the difference between ISR and traditional swim lessons?
Great question! ISR has been researched and developed for over 50 years. It’s nationally recognized as the safest swim program for infants and children. Your children will learn life saving skills that traditional lessons do not provide. If you are looking for a swim class that focuses on socialization and play rather than safety and survival, you might consider traditional swim lessons. Here are a few of the distinct differences though:
1. ISR teaches your children to SWIM and gives them a skill that could save themselves in a water emergency at the end of the session. Many parents come to me after spending hundreds of dollars on traditional programs frustrated because their child doesn’t have any discernible skills after weeks and weeks of lessons.
2. You do not need to enroll your children into swim lessons summer after summer, year after year. Once they learn these skills, they have them forever. With refreshers every 6-8 months, they will retain their skills indefinitely.
3. Every ISR instructor undergoes 8 weeks of intense training. Hands on, in the pool with an ISR Master Instructor and students, learning the ISR method. For 8 weeks, we are in the pool 5x per week for several hours a day, for a minimum of 60 hours with ACTUAL students. In addition, we receive academic training in anatomy, physiology, child psychology, behavior and development, sensorimotor learning, and how each relates to the aquatic environment. Every instructor also maintains CPR and First Aid certifications, as well as annual recertification and testing to maintain our ISR certification and skills.
If you add up what you’d spend in a traditional swim program for a few weeks during the summer – where he/she leaves the class with little to no skills – and then multiply that by every summer until he is 6 years old, this program costs significantly less and the value is infinitely greater.
3.) Do you have any helpful water safety tips going into the summer?
1. Effective Supervision - The most critical line of defense is adult supervision. No level of aquatic skill can replace active supervision. If your child is ever missing, look in the water first.
2. Pool Fences - Install a permanent 4-sided fence with self-locking gates. Ensure that the pool fence is at least 3-5 feet from the pool edge.
3. Alams - Make sure all doors and windows leading to the pool are locked and alarmed.
4. Survival Swimming Lessons - A moment's inattention does not have to cost a child his life. ISR's Self-Rescue training is an added layer of protection, teaching your child water survival skills in a completely safe environment.
5. CPR - If an emergency happens, it is essential parents and families are prepared. Learn to perform CPR on children and adults and remember to update those skills regularly.
Special thanks to Brooke for taking the time to educate us on ISR!
For information on class schedules as well as opportunities for your child, visit: www.isrclarksville.com
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