ParkTalk Podcast: Continuous Development in Youth Athletics

Thursday, September 10, 2026

Episode Description

Program Managers Stephanie Ainslie and Fred Gusel join the ParkTalk Podcast to discuss the Naperville Park District's youth athletic programs and the foundation they provide for different skillsets and a love for the sport.

Quotes

How Naperville Indoor Soccer encourages participants’ development in the sport:

It’s two-fold: one, it gives kiddos who love the sport the opportunity to continue to play it all year, continue making those friends, building on those skills and developing their ability to play it. The other great thing is it gives all our kiddos the ability to play in different sports that they don’t get to play. Even if they’re not a soccer player, soccer is one of the most fundamental sports that goes into all the other sports. – Stephanie Ainslie

Impetus to expand programs to younger ages and the impact:

Naperville Youth Soccer Academy was developed while I was on maternity leave with my son. I had my daughter, who was about to be 2-and-a-half years old, and I was looking at our program guide offerings to see what I can get her involved with. I really identified that we had that missing piece in our programming for things for working parents and kids that age. I was thinking, “This would be a great addition to get those kids who are ready to be out there and active an opportunity to do that.” – Stephanie Ainslie

We have pre-K T-ball geared towards 4 year olds. It’s all development – learning how to throw, learning how to catch. It’s all about learning teamwork, cooperation; the simple skills that you are starting to develop at an early age. – Fred Gusel

How participating in youth athletics help as kids learn and grow:

We’re providing that foundation. We are providing them their initial introduction to the sport where, and this is where they determine “Hey, I really like this sport,” or they try soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter, and they really hone-in to be that well-rounded person. At a young age, we encourage all of our participants to try something new, and that’s why we have such a diverse offering set. – Fred Gusel

In addition to starting that foundation, we are also here for those kiddos who have already moved on to provide them an opportunity to play with their friends. If they’re going to travel leagues, they might be playing with kids from different communities, and this gives them the ability to just have fun. – Stephanie Ainslie