Special Olympics supports athletes with special needs across the country. Learn how Naperville Park District and their partners at Western DuPage Special Recreation Association support Special Olympics Illinois and their participants in recreational programs.

Providing the community with opportunities to live a healthier life, both physically and mentally, is one of the goals of the Naperville Park District. Clinical therapists Christina Mondragon Schrader and Bryce Goll join the ParkTalk Podcast to discuss the connection parks and recreation has with mental health.

Adult recreation leagues are a great way to stay active and social with friends and other members of the community. Naperville Park District Program Manager Brock Atwell and long-time participant of the Park District adult softball league Mark Knoll discuss the benefits adult recreation leagues provide and the joy they bring to participants every season.

As the Naperville Park District celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Naperville Youth Soccer program, Soccer Coordinator Betsy Nyman discusses program traditions, how it has evolved, and her own personal connection to the program.

2026 State of the Naperville Park District by Naperville Park District

Superintendent of Trades Operations Mike Piszynski, and Park Specialist II Trevor Stibbe discuss the work the Naperville Park District does to maintain parks and facilities during the winter months.

Ahead of Magical Starlight Theatre's January 2026 production of "Shrek: The Musical", the show's Music Director John Apple and Choreographer Jeanne O'Connell discuss the impact music and dance have on musicals independently and together.

The Naperville Park District offers a wide-array of gymnastics programs for the community, but the Winter In-House Gymnastics Teams offer a unique opportunity for gymnasts to experience the sport in a competition setting. Current Gymnastics Coordinator Kara Gagan and former Gymnastics Coordinator Karen Schmidt join the ParkTalk Podcast to talk about the in-house competition program and the sport of gymnastics.

Ahead of the 2025 Naperville Healing Field of Honor November 7-12, Operation Support Our Troops – America Executive Director, Linda Tuisl and former U.S. Marine Chopper Pilot and Vietnam Veteran, Wayne Fischer, discuss their work on the event, its impact on veterans, and ways the community can show their support for veterans and active duty service members.

Naperville Park District conducts seasonal prescribed burns in many of its parks, but what exactly does that mean? Park Specialists Olivia Koehn and Tammy Peterson join the ParkTalk Podcast to educate listeners on the practice of prescribed burns and how the Park District uses them as a natural management tool.