Meet Caitlin Rockett | ISR and Swim Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Caitlin Rockett and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Caitlin, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
I feel that there are MANY answers to this question with regards to Infant Swim Lessons, swim instruction and water safety in general. Something that I think the public gets wrong about my profession specifically is that I “throw babies into the pool”, which could not be further from what we do. ISR lessons are centered around SAFETY first and survival second. There are many safety protocols in place with ISR lessons (more than any other swim program I have been a part of) such as doing a full assessment of the health of each child before each lesson. There are registered nurses that evaluate each child during their registration process so that they can assist instructors in providing the safest possible lesson. ISR instructors undergo rigorous training. We spend about a month and a half living on site with a Master Instructor where we spend hours learning the science behind ISR techniques. We receive hands-on training as we go through an entire session of ISR with our Master Instructor and their students. Again, ISR is MUCH more than “throwing babies in the water”: it is an extremely SAFE and effective swim program backed by science! Each day with our students we take a gentle and efficient approach to get them closer to being able to roll back to float and self rescue in the water. We chain and sequence behaviors in a very scientific way that ensures that each child will have the skills necessary to save themselves should they end up in the water unplanned.

I also have noticed that there some gaps in understanding about water safety with the general public. Many people don’t know that drowning is the leading cause of death for young children. A huge part of my job is educating every parent of every student on all the things that they can be doing to keep their child safe. Some important layers of protection include barriers to pools at home (pool fences), alarms for doors to pools, always having eyes on your children around water. I list my favorite water safety tips on my website, rockettisrandswim.com in the “Water Safety Resources” section. I hope that this information saves the lives of children and changes the statistics around childhood drowning.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Infant Swimming Resource’s Self-Rescue™ program teaches children from 6 months to 6 years of age how to survive if they were to reach the water alone. ISR’s survivals swimming technique is backed by over 45 years of research and development. Lessons are taught in a customized, one-on-one lesson environment, and set a foundation for swimming skills and water safety in infants and young children with ISR’s unique Self-Rescue™ program. Generally speaking, children ages 6 months to 1 year learn to roll onto their backs to float, rest and breathe. Older, more mobile children will learn a full sequence of swimming until they need air, rotating onto the back to float, then rolling back over to continue swimming. ISR students are taught to repeat this sequence until they reach the safety of the steps, side of the pool, or the shoreline. While many other programs may teach this over the course of several years or seasons, students in ISR lesson typically accomplish these skills in around 6-8 weeks!

One thing that I absolutely LOVE about teaching ISR is watching students gain not just confidence in the water, but overall self confidence. The first week can be a challenge for students. The water is such a unique and strange place. There really is nothing like it which can be a lot for students to take in at first. However, In ISR lessons we provide a very scientifically backed process for little ones that builds on things familiar to them and gives students hope and excitement when learning the next part of the sequence. As students gain survival skills and gain more control over their experience, they learn that they can accomplish things that seem like a challenge at first. This is not just a valuable lesson for swimming but valuable for life!

Creating Rockett ISR and Swim has not been easy and I’m still not exactly where I want to be. Leaning on my support systems has been CRUCIAL. I think seeking out and working with the community that I have found with other ISR colleagues has been a huge factor to any amount of success that I have had. I decided to work for myself because I enjoy working alone and being my own boss. I really enjoy getting to do things in my own unique way. However, having a strong team to support me when I need it but also let me do my thing has been truly the backbone of me being able to do this. I would say that finding people to help and guide you when you need it is essential. For me word of mouth and online reviews are probably the primary way that I have found success in gaining new clients. I have many clients that found me through another customer, on Google or through the ISR website. Making sure that my swim families are happy with the services they receive is key. When you have happy customers they help you create more happy customers.

With Rockett ISR and Swim, I am very passionate about approaching lessons in a way that is accessible for all children and families. I know that each child is different and that parenting is HARD. With that in mind, I treat each family with a unique approach that works best for THEM, while still prioritizing safety and survival skills. With 15+ years of experience in swim instruction and 6 years experience in teaching, I have worked with many students with unique needs. It is my honor to be able to work with any and every family, even those that have children with special needs.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I honestly LOVE my city. Mesquite has everything you need without the huge crowds and high prices. It is in close proximity to several vibrant DFW areas. The town itself has a few great spots such as the AMAZING Bear Cave Coffee. This is my favorite spot in our city. They often host pop-up events that include local businesses such as Cookies by Krysta and Fine Line Tattoo. Sean and Hillary Belknap and the rest of the team at Bear Cave work so hard to create a wonderful culture of supporting small businesses in this community. They feature some of the most talented artisans that are masters at their craft. Their work is really starting to pay off and small businesses are starting to flourish more here. Many of these small businesses are also featured at the Mesquite Farmers Market. I would definitely make a point to stop by the market on a Saturday morning.

Our town is known world wide for its famous Championship Rodeo. In the summer months, the rodeo is a hugely popular event that I would make a point to stop at. They typically feature up and coming country artists in a concert series. We have nice parks such as Palos Verdes Lake Park (known affectionately as Porter Pond) and Beasley park for a midday walk. The Heritage Trail is also an excellent hike throughout the city. Aloha Roller Rink, (where I actually held an incredibly fun and unique reception for my very own wedding) occasionally hosts events such as adult only skate nights that I would not want to miss during my visitors stay. The parks and recreation team in Mesquite is often hosting city events like movies in the park and seasonal events. One highly underrated attraction in Mesquite is Samuel Farm. It is a huge outdoor area that offers hiking and biking trails as well as fishing and other outdoor activities. The Outdoor Adventures group frequently hosts events there, so I would make sure to check the schedule to see if there are any happening.

There are so many exciting places just outside of Mesquite that I would take my guest. One of my absolute favorite places to eat is Kearney’s Feed Yard. This Sunnyvale staple is a transformed feed store with a laidback, southern vibe. The food is delicious and the atmosphere is just what you want from a local watering hole. There is a patio where you can grab a drink with friends and listen to live music. Brunch is my favorite time to visit. I would get the Kearney’s Breakfast with pancakes and a mermaid Mimosa. We could head to Rockwall and visit the Harbor, a beautiful spot right on the lake that hosts some of the best restaurants around like Rodeo Goat and Sideways BBQ. There are also upscale options here as well like Gloria’s and Sears. We might walk around by the lake and enjoy live music. We could cap the night off with drinks at Brass Tap.

There are countless places in the surrounding towns of Forney and Terrell. I haven’t even mentioned my favorite spots in the biggest nearby city of all: DALLAS. We spend many nights and weekends in the city. However, when our nights and weekends in the city come to and end, its so nice to be able to come back to Mesquite and escape the crowds.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First I must say that I am extremely fortunate and privileged to have an amazing husband, Toby Rockett, who supports my dreams and our family financially as I’m building this business. I also have an AMAZING family that has done so much to help me get my business off the ground. My mom, Sandi, Dad, Mike and sister Cammi have invested time, energy and even money into making my business dreams come true. My dearest friends Blair, Laura. Whitney and Carli have supported me in so many ways from being there for me emotionally to spreading the word far and wide about what I’m doing. Additionally I have to shout out my master instructor Kathy Cole and the the community that I have found with other ISR colleagues. The training, mentorship and community that I have acquired through ISR is invaluable. They have been such a strong team to support me when I need it but also let me do my thing. They trained me in such an efficient and effective way that really set me up for success. Without these people in my life there is NO way that this business would exist.

Website: https://www.rockettisrandswim.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rockettisrmesquite

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