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!

How much sleep should a young athlete get?

A) 2-3 hours

B) 12-13 hours

C) 9-10 hours

D) 6-7 hours

Healthy 40-Minute Pork, Pepper and Rice Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms with the stems removed, thinly sliced

• 2 medium carrots, chopped

• 1 red bell pepper, chopped finely

• kosher salt and pepper

• 2 cloves minced garlic

• 1 inch piece of minced fresh ginger

• 3 scallions, thinly sliced

• 1 pound ground pork

• 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth

• 6 ounces flat rice noodles

• ¼ small head napa cabbage, thinly sliced

• 2 tbsp low-sodium rice vinegar

• Toasted sesame seeds and sriracha (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the mushrooms, carrots, bell pepper, 1 tsp salt and a dash of pepper and cook them together, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are softened (4-5 minutes). Add in the garlic, ginger, and scallion whites and cook, occasionally stirring until softened (2-3 minutes). Add the pork, 1 tsp salt and pepper and cook, breaking the pork with a spoon along with stirring occasionally. Cook until no longer pink around 5-6 minutes.

2. Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the noodles and cabbage until the noodles are cooked through and the cabbage is tender, but still has a bit of a crunch (6 minutes). Stir in the soy sauce and vinegar and combine. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

3. Put the soup in a bowl and top with scallion greens, sesame seeds, and sriracha (optional). Enjoy!

Click HERE to go to the recipe!

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

Introducing, Emma Theodorsson!

“Hi! I am Emma Theodorsson, a junior forward at Loyola Chicago. I am currently on the Icelandic National Team and an all-conference player in the Patriot League. I have previously trained kids of all ages. When booking with me, I am able to do locations in Roger's Park or Evanston area near the purple/red stations.”

Book Your Lesson With Emma Now!

Mother Goose on the Loose Story time

The Champaign Park District is hosting a fun story time. This event is for children under 6 years old and their caregivers or parent to enjoy stories and songs! The Mother Goose on the Loose Story time will be happening on March 26th from 11:15 AM - 11:45 AM at the Champaign Public Library.

Click HERE to learn more! 

Writers Theatre - Drop-In Spring Break Camp

This camp is open for kids to to attend one day or the full week of the camp. Campers will have the opportunity to partake in imaginative activities that are related to design, performance, devising, and more. This camp is open to all abilities and level of experiences ages 7-11. The camp is taking place from March 24th-28th from 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM. The camp requires advanced registration and is $90 per day or $400 for the whole week.

Click HERE to learn more and register!

Sleep is an essential to athletes to help their health and overall sporting performance. Quality sleep is important to help repair the body, improve both athletic and academic performance, reduce fatigue, and enhance focus. For athletes in particular sleep plays a critical role in recovery, injury prevention, and boosting your immune system. In this blog post we will be looking more at the importance of sleep, the affect of sleep on athletic performance, the amount of sleep needed per age group, and strategies to get good sleep.

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 C! (source: Children’s Hospital Colorado)