Willow Glen Resident

Cover Story

Photograph by Vicki Thompson

Different Look: Water Babies, a swim school in Campbell, teaches Francesa Uht about water safety. Three years ago the school, which opened in 1951, was purchased by Joe DiMiceli.

Like a Fish

Water safety is a priority in summer

By Alicia Upano

When a blazing sun starts melting the pavement and air conditioners kick into overdrive, nothing beats the heat more than getting wet. Whether it's splashing around in a backyard pool or a family trip to a water park, water is an oasis.

But that oasis can turn dangerous, even tragic in a back yard or a community center if a parent isn't vigilant about water safety.

For children between the ages of 1 to 4, most drownings occur in residential swimming pools when a child is out of sight for less than five minutes, according to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. For children under the age of 1, the drownings occur in even smaller quantities of water--bathtubs, buckets and toilets.

The best technique against drowning is learning to swim, according to the American Red Cross. In Willow Glen and neighboring Campbell, hundreds of children learn safety and swimming skills at popular places such as Campbell-based Water Babies Swim School or San Jose Swim & Racquet Club in Willow Glen.

San Jose Swim & Racquet Club manager Carolyn Felker says parents frequently bring their children to the Tiny Bubbles program because they have water safety concerns.

The Tiny Bubbles program caters to 6-month-olds. The program enables children to become acclimated to the water with their parents right by their side.

The club also works with beginning through advanced swimmers. Children can take private lessons, group lessons or attend the club's stroke school to perfect techniques.

Concern for water safety is particularly important to John Uht, as he watches his 5-year-old daughter Francesca during a private swim lesson at Water Babies. Uht has friends who have lost children in a pool, and the family also has a pool at home.

"That's our priority, that she can enjoy the pool early," Uht says.

Uht is a longtime Water Babies client. His son, 15-year-old Nic, also took lessons at Water Babies and is now on the swim team at Archbishop Mitty High School. Today, he watches Francesca as she kicks across the small pool, which is part of a progressive learning process that includes developing an awareness of where the edge is, and how to hold her breath.

Rick Johnson is a newer Water Babies parent. His 5-year-old Stephanie started taking lessons this summer.

"She's gone to friends' houses and couldn't swim. It concerns me," Johnson says.

By her second lesson, Stephanie was swimming six feet at a time.

"Now I'm very relieved," Johnson says.

Water Babies co-owner Joey DiMiceli warns that swimming lessons do not make children drown-proof. Accidents still happen, he says. It helps, however, to give a child a solid foundation in water safety. Lessons can also help build confidence in the water, boost learning skills and proper breathing underwater, particularly for babies. DiMiceli says the swim school was the first in the area to teach babies.

Gretchen Mack began Water Babies on Apricot Avenue in 1951. Her daughter, Gina Ambrose, took over the family business in 1981, until the DiMicelis purchased it in 2002. The school offers three-week sessions for children under the age of 4 from March through September. Children age 4 and up can sign up for private lessons.

DiMiceli and his wife, Courtney, approached Ambrose about buying the school. DiMiceli had years of experience as a swim teacher and lifeguard. He was the site manager at Almaden Valley Athletic Club, but was looking to open a new swim school or buy an existing one.

DiMiceli says he wanted to create a swim club that emphasized families over profit--keeping class sizes small and ensuring concerned parents didn't get lost in the shuffle.

When the DiMicelis bought the school from Ambrose, some parents were concerned about the transition to a new owner. Willow Glen resident Prabha Werner, who has been a Water Babies parent since the mid-1990s, says she would "wait and see" what changes the new management would make.

The changes were positive, Werner says. The new owners repainted and added an awning to shade parents as they watched their children during lessons. They also expanded the Water Babies program to a year-round instructional facility and have added semi-private lessons this year with two children per class.

"He's really had the same philosophy," Werner says. "I know when I come here what I'm going to get."

This philosophy also included an important program Ambrose wanted to see continue when DiMiceli purchased the school--working with special-needs children.

DiMiceli says Ambrose and her mother frequently gave free lessons to 10 blind children a year. DiMiceli, who had worked with special-needs children at the Timpany Center in San Jose, was happy to oblige.

Through word of mouth, the swim school began working with other special needs children, such as those struggling with autism. Werner's 10-year-old son Colin has apraxia, which affects his motor skills. He's been taking lessons at Water Babies for five years.

"He could not walk or crawl without training," Werner says, "and here he's swimming across the pool."

Werner sits in the shade as Colin works with an instructor for 20 minutes, followed by 20 minutes of playtime. Classes begin every 20 minutes and include a mix of individual lessons, semi-private lessons and group lessons with no more than three babies at a time.

Water lessons

It is a hot, sunny day and the water is comfortably warm for the children. Older children are jumping into the pool or paddling across it. DiMiceli is leading a babies class in the center of the pool. He holds 20-month-old Riley, who is here with his mother, Willow Glen resident Kimberly Meek, for his first lesson.

DiMiceli is slowly acclimating Riley to the water. Bouncing him up and down on the water's surface, he counts, "One, two, three," and then slightly dips him under water, guiding him to his waiting mother.

Returned to his mother's arms, Riley looks back to DiMiceli, who asks, "Where's my high five?"

Riley places his tiny hand in DiMiceli's palm.

Water Babies starts babies earlier than many other schools--at 3 months old. Although children won't learn to swim until their toddler years, early lessons can help them overcome a fear of water, use more muscles than they would on land and improve coordination and balance.

The Campbell Community Center's aquatics program offers similar lessons in the summer. Parent & Me courses are open to children ages 6 months to 3 years old, with a maximum of four children per class. The center also offers courses for beginning to advanced swimmers of all ages and free lap swimming for adults.

Like Water Babies, Campbell recreation supervisor John Araujo emphasizes the importance of water acclimation and safety.

"Everyone wants their kids to be as safe as they can when they're in the water," Araujo says. "Once they're in there and they're comfortable, they'll be safe in the long run."

For more information on the Water Babies Swim School, call 408.377.4626 or visit www.waterbabiesswim.com. For more information on the Campbell Community Center aquatic program, call 408.866.2105 or visit www.cityofcampbell.com. The San Jose Swim & Racquet Club is located at 1170 Pedro St. For more information about the club, call 408.297.0067.

Water Safety Tips

* Never leave a child unobserved in a pool or bath.

* Pools should be surrounded by a barrier, such as a 4-foot-high or taller fence that is self-latching, or a self-closing gate.

* Keep rescue equipment by the pool.

* Install a telephone or keep a cordless telephone near the pool to call 911 in an emergency.

* Remove toys from pools so children will not be tempted to retrieve them.

* If a child is missing, check the pool or spa first.

* Learn CPR.

* Never leave containers of water unattended, including sinks, coolers, fish tanks and landscape ponds. Children can drown in as little as 2 inches of water.

Source is the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. For more information, visit www.cpsc.gov.