This week's newsletter is packed with exciting questions, healthy recipes, inspiring athletes, local events you won't want to miss, and a must-read blog post! Enjoy reading this weeks newsletter!

Click on the map to find events in your city!

Swimming Clinic with Illinois Athletes!

Come join us for a fun and interactive swimming clinic with Illinois athletes at the Urbana Indoor Aquatic Center! Get ready to dive in, learn from the best, and make a splash with your friends. Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to swim with some of Illinois' finest athletes!

This swimming clinic will be offered in two 60 minute sessions, starting at 1 pm (11 yrs & up) or 2 pm (10 yrs & under) on April 5th. Please select the session that works for your age group!

Participants will be grouped by age and swimming ability with the instruction ranging from water safety for less experienced swimmers up to detailed stroke mechanics for swimmers who have been in the water for a few years and are currently competing.

Click HERE to register!

Swimming Clinic with Illinois Athletes!

Come join us for a fun and interactive swimming clinic with Illinois athletes at the Urbana Indoor Aquatic Center! Get ready to dive in, learn from the best, and make a splash with your friends. Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to swim with some of Illinois' finest athletes!

This swimming clinic will be offered in two 60 minute sessions, starting at 1 pm (11 yrs & up) or 2 pm (10 yrs & under) on April 5th. Please select the session that works for your age group!

Participants will be grouped by age and swimming ability with the instruction ranging from water safety for less experienced swimmers up to detailed stroke mechanics for swimmers who have been in the water for a few years and are currently competing.

Click HERE to register!

Soccer Clinic with Illinois Athletes!

Come join us for a fun and interactive soccer clinic with Illinois athletes at Sideline Sports in Ogden! Get ready to jump in, learn from the best, and have fun with your friends. Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to play with some of Illinois' finest athletes!

Participants will be grouped by age and ability with the instruction ranging from general drills and control for less experienced players up to detailed mechanics for players who have been competing for a few years! This clinic is aimed for ages 7-12 but will accommodate for siblings. Please bring footwear that is appropriate for a gym/indoor floor.

Click HERE to register!

What’s the best way for kids to have fun during their first soccer lesson?

A) By trying to score from halfway across the field

B) By practicing dribbling and learning teamwork

C) By sitting on the sidelines and watching the coach

D) By kicking the ball as high as they can into the sky

Fig, Oat and Yogurt Bars

Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats

• 1 cup salted almonds, roughly chopped

• 1 cup pumpkin puree

• 2 tbsp chia seeds

• 2 tbsp flax seeds

• ½ cup honey

• 3 tbsp almond butter

• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

• ½ cup coconut oil

• Kosher salt

• Nonstick cooking spray

• 1 ½ cups dried figs (7 oz), stems trimmed and chopped

• ½ cup full-fat Greek yogurt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2. Toss the oats, almonds, and pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet and bake until they are just beginning to toast, around 10 minutes. Transfer to a different bowl and add in the chia and flax seeds. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 F.

3. Add the honey, almond butter, vanilla extract, ¼ cup of the coconut oil, and ½ tsp salt to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 seconds intervals, stirring between each interval, until the ingredients are melted together. Pour the mixture into the bowl with the oat mixture. Spray a spatula with nonstick cooking spray and gently fold until combine and then fold in the figs.

4. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and then line with parchment paper. Transfer the mixture to the baking sheet and use the spatula to press into an even layer. Bake until light golden brown, around 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes then transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely, around 2 hours.

5. About 30 minutes before the bar is done chilling, remove the yogurt from the refrigerator and let it come to almost room temperature.

6. Microwave the remaining ¼ cup coconut oil until melted, around 30 seconds. Let it sit until it is cool to the touch but still liquid, 10 minutes.

7. Add the yogurt to the coconut oil and whisk until smooth. Spread the mixture on top of the bar and then chill until hardened, around 1 hour.

8. Remove the bar from the baking sheet and cut into 16 bars. Store in the refrigerator or at room temperature for up to 1 week. Enjoy!

Click HERE to go to the recipe!

This week, our soccer coach at The University of Illinois Gianna, is in the spotlight! Check out his bio below and book your next lesson by going to our website!

Introducing, Gianna Cappello!

“I have been playing all kinds of competitive sports since I was 5 years old. I have gravitated towards swimming which is my favorite, and have been swimming year-round since I was 7. I have dedicated myself to working hard at this and, as a result I was All-State in every year that I swam high school, have traveled throughout the country to compete in high-level meets, and am currently swimming for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I am someone who wants to make sure that athletes have fun while learning the right way to do things and having discipline while learning to believe in themselves and have a positive attitude.”

Book Your Lesson With Gianna Now!

Cartoon Club

Come join cartoon club for a fun time discussing cartoons! The group will watch two cartoons and then discuss them like a book club would. The club is open to grades 6-8, with no registration required. The club is happening on Thursday, April 3 from 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM at the Mahomet Public Library.

Click HERE to learn more! 

Wiggle Time

The Recreation Center of Highland Park (1207 Park Ave. West, Highland Park, IL) hosts a wiggle time on April 1st at 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM. The recreation center is opening up their basketball courts for kids to come play outside of the house. They will provide scooters, balls, and many more fun equipment for your kids to play with. There is no advanced registration required but all participants must fill out a waiver and have a Park District account, along with that there is a fee of $8 - $10 that can be paid at the front desk.

Click HERE to register!

With winter coming to an end and spring beginning, it’s the perfect time to get your kids into sports lessons. Spring marks the beginning of a new season, weather, and activities, and starting sports lessons is a perfect addition to your spring schedule. Whether your kid is new to sports or wants to sharpen their skills sports lessons offers a unique advantage to them. In today’s blog post we will be looking at the benefits of starting sports lessons during the spring.

Click HERE to read more!

Based originally in Champaign, Illinois and quickly expanding across the rest of the Midwest, we at Top Tier make it our goal to connect you and your kids to high quality and successful college athletes across every playing field. We are currently offering lessons for several different sports from an array of elite college athletes. As college sports are expanding and becoming more popular throughout the country, we want to guarantee our customers can benefit from this great opportunity to receive quality training with flexible times. Check out our website to learn more.

The correct answer is B! (source: ChatGPT)