Misty Douglas

Hello!  My name is Misty and I have been involved in the swimming world ever since I can remember.  I began swimming at an early age and joined a swim team when I was 8 and have never looked back!  I have taught swim lessons and coached swim teams for about 10 years, while also swimming in college for UC Davis.  I graduated from UC Davis with a Bachelor's degree in Human Development and a Minor in Education.  I also have my multiple subject teaching credential.   Due to my passion for children and for swimming, I knew that becoming an ISR Instructor was the perfect job for me.

I am happiest when working with children, making a difference in their lives by giving them the confidence and skills necessary for survival if they find themselves alone in the water. Once these skills are learned and students become independent aquatic problem solvers, most students move on to develop a lifelong love of the water.

My husband and I have 5 children, and our youngest two went through the ISR program.  I was amazed at the progress they made in such a short amount of time, and loved the peace of mind it gave me to have an additional layer of protection in and around the pool.  All five of our children are now on swim teams, with our oldest swimming all 4 years at a D1 college!  I want to give other families the same peace of mind with their youngest children that I have with my kids in and around the water.  I am very excited to be a part of the ISR community, helping to fulfill its mission of "Not One More Child Drowns" in San Diego where water based activities are a central part of virtually every family's lifestyle.  Please contact me with any questions you may have.  I look forward to speaking with you!

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FAQs
If more frequent but shorter lessons are better, then why don’t you teach 7 days/week?
Everyone needs a little break from learning to process the information and in this case to give muscles a chance to recover. In addition, you need to be able to spend time with your family, as does your instructor. Weekends are family time. Periodically, if weather or other issues have cause lessons to be canceled for numerous days, your instructor may choose to offer make-up lessons on a weekend. This is strictly up to the instructor and based on the availability of parents.
Why are lessons 5 days per week and for only 10 minutes?
The reason for this is multifaceted. First, repetition and consistency are crucial elements of learning for young children. Research shows that short, more frequent lessons result in higher retention. Second, most children have fairly short attention spans and will not be able to focus on the task for longer and we want to take advantage of the best time for learning. A third reason is that, though the pool temperature is maintained at 78-88 degrees, the temperature is still lower than your child's body temperature. Lessons are work and therefore will also be losing body heat. Instructors check students regularly for temperature fatigue since this is an indicator of physical fatigue.
How do you teach them to hold their breath?
Breath holding skills are taught beginning with the first lesson. We shape breath control using highly effective positive reinforcement techniques. We continue to reinforce these breath-holding techniques throughout every lesson.
Can’t babies swim naturally?
Unfortunately, babies cannot naturally swim. If this were the case, there wouldn’t be so many drownings every year. According to the Center for Disease Control and Accident Prevention, drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children ages 1-4 in the United States.

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