Jump into pool safety with Sarah Frey of ISR of the Pines. ISR stands for infant swimming resource and it teaches self-rescue skills to kids starting at six months. The best part? Its the same skillset no matter where you learn. But let us backstroke to the beginning. Sarah is passionate about about water safety believing its as important as something like carseat safety.
“Drowning accidents don’t happen because of negligent parents. They’re quick accidents, no one is drown proof” she says. After enduring a nonfatal drowning accident with one of her sons right before he turned two, she knew she had to research different swim programs. Previously she only knew how to teach traditional swimming. The critical difference with ISR is that it begins with teaching kids to roll on their back and just float.
Before moving to the area, Sarah realized there was no ISR program here and even swim lessons can be a challenge to get into. She decided to become an instructor and even has a private heated pool to do lessons in year around.
And no, its never just throwing your child into the pool. “Its a slow methodical approach. I do my best to meet every child where they’re at emotionally and developmentally,” says Sarah who teaches anyone from six months to eight years old.
Every lesson is one-on-one Monday through Friday for six weeks. The kicker is that lessons are usually only 10 minutes. “ISR training involves psychology and physiology. Little kids learn best in short consistent intervals. I’m teaching muscle memory,” says Sarah. “It’s amazing to see how much they can learn in such a short time.”
Sarah’s goal is to teach as many kids as possible and typically teaches 100-125 new kids each year. “It’s never too early to learn,” she says. Although she typically books up a few months in advance, Sarah says the best time to learn is in the off-season so when its summer again, your family is already down to make a splash, safely. For more info or to sign up, visit the website.
