ISR Swim Lessons with `ISR Savannah` | Infant Swimming Resource

Get to Know Kate Finney

Hi there! My name is Kate Finney and I am a Certified Infant Swimming Resource (ISR) Instructor. My family and I moved to Savannah, GA in 2021 and since then, I have served families in this area through ISR lessons! I am a 2016 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, where I majored in Human Factors Engineering and swam competitively. My husband, Sam, and I met in college and have been married since 2017. We have 4 little boys who absolutely light up our world - Dominic, Elijah, Xavier, and Leo.

I grew up surrounded by water and developed a passion for all things aquatic. Throughout my childhood my family belonged to summer swim clubs where I participated on the swim team and eventually served as a lifeguard and traditional swim lessons instructor. I was also heavily involved in competitive swimming on a club team all-year round. Between morning practices before school and commuting back after school for a second workout, I never strayed far from the pool and was sure to always smell like chlorine. Swimming had a profound impact on my development and upbringing, and I can honestly say that I would not be the person I am today without it.

After saying "see ya later!" to competitive swimming when graduating college, I went on to serve in the Army as a Field Artillery and Adjutant General officer. The Army provided a myriad of adventures, friendships and experiences that I am deeply appreciative of, but after becoming a mother in 2019 I no longer felt comfortable with the amount of time and sacrifice it required. When asking myself, "what's next?" I came to the pleasant realization that many of my most fulfilling, authentic, and formative experiences took place in some sort of aquatic environment.

My soul-searching and researching led me to Infant Swimming Resource - and I never looked back! I was immediately drawn to and impressed by the elite standards, safety protocols and depth of theory, anatomy and physiology in ISR's Self-Rescue program. Swimming and being near the water always brought me a deep sense of peace and purpose. ISR was the perfect avenue to continue that passion while continuing to give back to the community. I temporarily moved myself and our two little boys to Texas so I could complete ISR instructor training in 2021 while my husband packed up our house and moved us to Savannah for a new and very exciting next chapter in our lives!

I am incredibly humbled, eager, and honored to bring ISR to Savannah. Being that this beautiful, historic city is surrounded by and filled with water of all kinds - ocean, rivers, pools, marshes, you name it - its most precious and vulnerable residents are at risk. The terrible reality is that drownings do not discriminate. They happen to good families and very loving, vigilant parents. I look forward to furthering ISR's mission of "Not One More Child Drowns" and I hope you will join me in the movement!

FAQs

What is the American Academy of Pediatrics position on swimming lessons for young children?

The AAP encourages parents to consider that starting water-survival skills training at an early age must be individualized, based on the child's frequency of exposure to water, emotional maturity, physical limitations and health concerns related to swimming pools. You can view their policies and suggestions through the AAP website here: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at- play/Pages/Swim-Lessons.aspx

What other benefits does the ISR lesson experience provide students?

Every child is unique. However, many parents report that once their young children have mastered learning to swim, the resulting confidence in their abilities engenders a positive self-concept that is often demonstrated in other aspects of their personalities. There are also obvious health and other psychological gains.

Will my child fear the water because of lessons?

There is an important difference between being fearful and being apprehensive because you are not yet skilled in a new environment. ISR is not like traditional swim lessons; it is a drowning prevention program that teaches survival swimming. Sometimes as a parent, you make choices for your child’s safety, like sitting in a car seat, because you know they are important. The same can be said for ISR. Fun can be defined as when skill meets challenge. Once competent in their skills, many children cannot be dragged away from the pool. They are having entirely too much FUN.

How can you teach babies and young children to swim?

ISR instructors teach infants to swim by honoring each child's individual strengths and experiences. They understand the fundamentals of the behavioral sciences, child development and of sensori-motor learning as it relates to the acquisition of aquatic survival skills; they use this education to guide each child through the sequence of learning to swim and float.

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