Katie's Kickers: A Household name for the Hampton Roads Community
Now boasting more than 3,000 student swimmers taught, the positive impact of Katie’s Kickers has been felt and praised by local families across the Hampton Roads. It’s become a household name and a staple within the community because Katie’s love of swimming began when she herself was a child. “I jokingly consider myself to be a landlocked mermaid,” she said. “I’m happiest in the water, where I’m free to be myself and can allow the waves to sooth the world’s aches and wash away the day’s stresses.”
Deeply understanding the transformative power of the water, Katie poured into her passion as an adult, coaching 6-12-year-olds on a USS Swim Team while simultaneously earning her degrees in Child and Adolescent Development and Human Services. Not stopping there, she also earned a Masters in Education with an emphasis in Counseling, which she utilized as a middle school teacher for nine years, until the Navy moved her and her family to the East Coast in 2012.
“I noticed at every base we were stationed, there was a lack of adequate swim lessons but an abundant need – especially for children with atypical learning styles,” Katie explained. “I taught at base pools, in hotel pools, at the YMCA, in backyard pools, and even in open water sources such as lakes or the ocean.”
Her service quietly began in her own neighborhood, serving her friends and family, but word of mouth quickly led to an influx of interested parents and eager children ready to learn. So in 2016, she founded Katie Romeo LLC “…and Katie’s Kickers was born,” she revealed. Katie started communicating her schedule online via Facebook in 2017. By 2019, she was launching her website with 216 swimmers enrolled.
Here in the Hampton Roads, safe swimming is paramount because we’re surrounded by water – from the sound, to the waterways, ocean, lakes, private pools, recreation centers, splash pads and more. But despite its prevalence, the number of school-aged children unable to swim in our community is high. Even more concerning, the CDC names drowning as a leading cause of death for children in the United States.
“Because my husband and I plan to retire in Norfolk and make this our permanent home, I want to serve my community and build my business here,” Katie shared. “This is where I’m needed most, where I can do the best, and where my swim family lives. This is where my home is.” She continued, “I want to provide a safe place to foster social-emotional growth, boost self-confidence, build new friendships, assist in learning new skills, teaching stroke development, accomplish benchmarks, and develop relationships that they can trust adults outside their homes to love them, support their physical progress, and help them grow.”
Although her desire to help others is at the forefront of all she does, Katie admits that running a business and serving a community with complex needs is no small task. “Some of the more challenging aspects are breaking through the stubborn walls of anxiety and fear,” she revealed. “Other obstacles are diagnoses that the children have no control over, but we have to find coping strategies for. Sometimes, I have to pull all the tricks out of my hat because the child may not even know what the hurdle is that we have to overcome. But tenacity and extra TLC always win, even when I must add firmness or consistency.”
She affirms that any challenges faced are worth it to witness a child beaming with pride and accomplishment. “Sometimes they start the session telling me they could not, but with encouragement and persistence, they do! Watching a nervous child’s face break with happiness as they jump off the board joyfully makes my heart fly too – there’s no better feeling.”
Now as a trusted and respected business within the community, Katie envisions expanding her impact and services to a much broader demographic. “Right now, we have around 1,000 swimmers during the summer season in my backyard pool. If I can do this with three teachers per shift, imagine what we can accomplish with availability seven days a week and not limited by city representatives during the colder months,” she insisted.
Ultimately, Katie is determined and hopeful to purchase land this year in order to build an indoor therapy facility with a heated saltwater pool. She explained, “There are three main communities I feel called to serve. First and foremost, the non-swimming school-aged swimmers I’ve mentioned. Especially after Covid, the number of children who are older and have anxiety about the water has increased.” She hopes that by assisting these students, she can build their confidence, soothe any fears and help develop their physical abilities in the water.
“Secondly,” she continued, “I want to serve neurodivergent swimmers. Currently, more than 62 percent of our swimmers have medical or academic diagnoses. I want to provide space for therapists to be able to offer services such as Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Applied Behavior Analysis, or Aqua Therapy.”
And lastly, Katie wishes to reach an often-overlooked demographic in the field of swimming: senior-citizens. “There are correlation studies between Dementia and Aqua Therapy as well as health and wellness reports for geriatric swimmers,” shared Katie. “My goal for Katie’s Kickers is to have a heated, saltwater facility that can accommodate these target swimmers who aren’t competitive swimmers, athletes, or fitness swimmers, but individuals who need the chance to learn to be comfortable and confident in the water, so they can enjoy it as much as I do!”
“Swimming is a lifelong skill that everyone should possess. It’s as important as riding a bike, driving a car, and learning how to balance a check book,” she concluded. “Katie’s Kickers has the potential to be so much more than exclusively swim lessons and introduction to water … and our community deserves it.”
