More News

The games were the latest special activity day the lifeguards organized to make the summer fun for the children of the community.

Every day the lifeguards do a little something for the children, said pool manager and lifeguard Andy Civetti, 18.

When not offering a special event, the lifeguards get in the pool and play Sharks and Minnows or some other favorite game with the children.

Brian Galdamez, 11, enjoys the pool because children follow the rules and no one fights, he said.

His favorite special activity was a treasure hunt where he and other older children dove in the pool searching for coins they could cash in for prizes. Younger children searched under the lounge chairs and other spots on the deck for the coins.

"The pool's fun," Brian said.

Brooke Asbury, 10, thought Tie Dye Day was the most fun.

On the Fourth of July, children brought white T-shirts or other white garments to the pool and the lifeguards had red and blue dye ready for them to turn the shirts into patriot attire.

"I appreciate how they go above and beyond to do stuff for our children," said Robin Asbury, her mother.

Each special activity has been designed for all ages, Civetti said.

"Our biggest thing was relationships with the kids," he said.

Clarksburg Village is a new community and this is the first full summer the pool is open, he said. Civetti and assistant pool manager and lifeguard Kourtney Lyons decided they would take on the task of helping people in the community get to know each other.

"The two of us came up with a list of activities," Civetti said.

The pool management company, RSV Pools of Gaithersburg, has supported their efforts.

Because the community does not have a swim team or other established social group, the company wanted to help it get established, said Mike Williams, RSV Pools vice president.

"It's not just another day at the pool, it's a different day at the pool," Williams said.

Parents watching their children play in the pool have gotten to know one another, too, Robin Asbury said.

Civetti is a recent graduate of Clarksburg High School. Most of the nine other lifeguards are students at Clarksburg or Seneca Valley high schools or recent graduates. Three lifeguards are from Turkey. They are a close-knit group that enjoys having fun with children as well as getting together after work.

"They work there, live there, they treat the pool like it's their home and they take care of it," Williams said.

Civetti and Lyons worked together at a different pool last summer.

"Kourtney and I don't like just sitting here, same old thing every day," Civetti said.

Lyons left for orientation at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles at the beginning of the month. Civetti will attend the University of Maryland, College Park, at the end of the summer.

"Kourtney is very kid-oriented, I'm good at management and putting it together," Civetti said.

Their efforts at building a community in Clarksburg Village seem to be successful.

"All the families know each other, no one's a stranger," said lifeguard Mary Dillon, 18, a recent Clarksburg High School graduate.