Meet Kathleen McMordie RN and Owner of Texas Swim Academy
We are thrilled to introduce you to this incredible local mom and business owner – a business that’s had a huge impact on many local families, Texas Swim Academy.
We’ve had our youngest at TSA for a little over a year and have been thrilled with her progress in swimming and water safety. Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1-4 and this local mom has been working hard for years to cut this statistic in Katy, Texas. Kathleen is passionate about water safety and keeping the kids of our community safe in and around the water.
Truly, there is nothing more important than your child’s safety. Don’t settle for just any swim lesson. Check out our interview with Kathleen McMordie below and learn more about Texas Swim Academy! And remember, if you mention KMN when booking, you’ll get a discount on your registration fee!
Where are you from originally and how long have you been in Katy?
I am a Texas girl. I am from Lubbock originally. As a newlywed, my husband and I lived in Austin. We were there for 10 years. We have lived in Katy since 1997. We love Katy and definitely consider it our hometown.
Your’re a mama! Tell us about your kiddos.
I am the mom of 4 adult kids (they are always my kids, no matter the age). We have 2 sons and 2 daughters and 2 new sons-in-law. All of our guys graduated from Texas A&M, including the SIL’s. Our daughters are both Baylor grads. Me, I am the lone representative of Texas Tech. Our Fall is heavily invested in Aggie football and the long suffering that goes with it. They are my greatest joy.
Best part of motherhood for you?
Hands down, spending time with my kids. I LOVE the people they have become. Although I would love to have a “do over” on so many things, they all still turned out to be the best people. I am amazed by them so often.
Anytime I’m with them or talk to them is truly the highlight of my day.
Hardest part about motherhood for you?
I think the hardest part of motherhood is regret. Wishing I had enjoyed the seasons of time with my kids more. Their childhoods went by so fast. It is so true that the days are long and years are short.
I miss their “littleness” and all of the crazy that went with that time in our lives. There were so many things that I wish I could have done differently. In hindsight, I could have been a better mother if I knew then what I know now. I would have done so many things differently.
Something people would be surprised to know…
I am an introvert and very shy. I am always surrounded by people and love being with them but it wears me out.
Favorite local things to go in the Katy area for fun?
I love garden centers, especially locally owned stores. I am an avid gardener. I am so ready for Spring, Summer and gardening season.
I like Farmer’s Markets and specialty food stores. I really enjoy cooking.
I enjoy eating Mexican food with my friends. I’m a big fan of chips and queso.
Best mom hack that’s made your life a little easier…
Time blocking and Meal prep.
I menu plan and meal prep every week. It allows me to have great food on the table in less than 20 minutes. It’s part of my personal survival guide.
OK, let’s talk business! Tell us a bit about Texas Swim Academy, when you launched the business, and what you love about it?
Texas Swim Academy was born out of my fear and frustration. I have experience as an Intensive Care nurse and experience with the devastation of drownings. In 1993, after my in- laws put in a pool, I feared for my own children’s aquatic safety. That drove me to find swim lessons for my kids. We lived in Austin at the time. I put them in a survival swim program. They were 3, 2, and 10 months old. They all learned how to swim and float and we had a fun time playing at the pool. After we moved to Katy, we had a pool built at our home. Then of course, we added a baby to the family. I was terrified to have a child that did not swim. I looked for the same type of program that my other children had taken and found that there was only 1 instructor in the city. We saw her for a few months, she was in Champions but it was important to me so I drove. She moved out of state, so I used an instructor from Dallas. She would come here and use my pool for sessions. We did that for 3 years. After my youngest went to Kindergarten, I trained to teach. Turns out, I had an aptitude for teaching. I love seeing infants and children learning survival swim skills. That first independent float still brings a big smile to my face. We have now taught over 17,000 children how to swim.
What are the key differences that set your business apart in the swim lesson space?
The way we teach is so different from the traditional swim program. Our beginner lessons are one to one. This allows us to help each child be successful. I use my child development background to teach how young children learn. What a difference that makes. Infants and preschool children are so amazing. We are able to utilize the gross motor skills and their developmental levels to help them learn to swim quickly. Our initial program is designed to help children and infants build their skills quickly. As you saw with your own daughter, it was weeks not months or years. Our biggest difference is that we understand how young children learn and tap into that potential. Because we are family owned and not responsible to an investment group owner (yes, most Katy swim schools are owned by investment groups), we can teach your child in the best manner to help them achieve their success.
What made you want to enter into this space?
I really enjoy what I do. I love working with families and helping them have fun with their kids. I started in my backyard and outgrew that space. With my husband, we decided to develop the Texas Swim Academy. It seemed like the logical step at the time.
Talk to moms about the importance of finding the right kind of swim lessons for their kiddos and not just making it about fun and bubbles. Tell us about the methods you use at TSA and why it works.
All swim lessons are not created equal.
Parents want to do the right thing by their kids and are trying to keep them safe. But they only know what the know. The bright shiny swim school in your area is most likely owned by an investor group. They are there to make money. Don’t fall for the pretty, shiny object. Sadly, they don’t care if your child learns to swim.
A good swim lesson should have measurable results. An infant or child should be able to swim with their face in the water and roll to their back to float, typically within 6-8 weeks. All kids are different and fear and past experiences may make the start slow but you should be seeing swimming soon.
We begin teaching infants as soon as they become mobile. It is dangerous to start lessons prior to 6 months old due to the risk of hyponatremia. Parents want their children to be “comfortable’ in the water but comfort without skill is scary. Our one-to-one lessons are designed to help your child develop confidence AND skills to go with it. The frequent lessons, 3-4 days a week may seem daunting but it is the key to your child’s success. You don’t work on key skills once a week and expect to build foundation skills. Young children need the frequency to develop trust, confidence, and skill. We also love to do lessons that include the parent so we can help you be comfortable swimming with your child. Our goal is for your family to be safe and have fun in the water.
Can you talk about some of the beautiful success stories you’ve seen in your years of having this business?
Parents frequently tell us “Our little one was by the edge of the pool, so I watched to see what would happen. Yep, they fell in and pooped right up to float” That story never gets old. We have had parents tell us stories of true survival when their child ended up in the pool unbeknownst to them and they found them floating or hanging on the wall calling for help. Those are the days we are so thankful to be apart of. A day that scared the parents but didn’t tragically change their family forever.
For moms maybe putting off lessons, what advice would you give them?
It is a short time. Devote 4-6 weeks to help your child be safer. It’s a short term sacrifice for long term safety.
Biggest blessing in starting this business in Katy, TX?
There are two.
One is the community that has been built. I love that people reach out and tell me they loved swimming with me and that we made a difference for their family. You having fun with your family is our goal. We love watching our swim kids grow up.
The second is seeing my own sons develop a love for this business and this community. They are in leadership roles and I love getting to work with them on a daily basis.
Future plans and hopes for your business?
We have faced many adversities but keep surviving. It is tough for small businesses. We treasure the continued support of our local community. Our goal is to serve this community for many years to come with the best swim lessons available. Maybe even add additional locations in the future.
