CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bulls made it official Tuesday, hiring Iowa State’s Fred Hoiberg to replace Tom Thibodeau. Hoiberg was long rumored as the replacement for Thibodeau, who was fired last week after five seasons.

Hoiberg went 115-56 with the Cyclones, including four straight NCAA Tournament appearances and back-to-back Big 12 tournament titles. He had open-heart surgery in April.

He takes over a team that entered the season eyeing a championship with the return of Derrick Rose from another knee surgery and the signing of Pau Gasol last summer. The Bulls came up short, struggling through injuries in a 50-win regular season and lost to LeBron James and the banged-up Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

It’s usually during sickness and injury that people work with medical professionals, but the Rehabilitation Services Department at Cass County Memorial Hospital is ahead of the game. Laura Hickman, DPT, ATC, and Erin Johnson, PTA, now offer a throwing clinic for area softball and baseball teams. Together, they teach proper warm-up exercises, mobility drills, and stretches.

Erin Johnson& Laura Hickman (Photo submitted)

The goals of the clinic are to help athletes prevent injury and improve their throwing technique. Laura and Erin were both high school athletes who suffered season-ending injuries, so they know first-hand the dangers involved and the importance of preventive care at a young age. “We want to teach them about protecting and strengthening their bodies in the correct way,” said Erin. “If someone had said to me at 16 or 17 – you’ll have this body your entire life, so take care of it – it would have made a difference.”

The Griswold softball team was the first to host the clinic for its players, and Peggy Hansen, Head Coach, says that the team now incorporates the stretches and drills into their everyday routine. “The girls start as soon as they arrive at practice,” said Hansen. “Each girl is leaving the (exercise) bands in their softball equipment bags and will do this as their game warm up also.”

Coach Hansen noted that in addition to the exercises, it was helpful to have Laura and Erin onsite during the practice. “While Laura and Erin were watching the girls do these stretches …we could see why some of the girls have had sore elbows and shoulders before,” said Hansen. Because of their experience and background in physical therapy, both could see weaknesses in muscles that the mobility drills and exercises should build.

Overall, Coach Hansen is pleased with the outcomes of the clinic. “I am seeing better results with our throwing since they started this because they are getting their arms in the right position,” she said. Laura and Erin hope they can work with more area schools’ baseball and softball teams this season. “We want athletes to perform at their best ability, and prevent injuries that would sideline them or cause bigger problems down the road,” said Laura.

In the future, the CCMH Rehabilitation Services team plans to incorporate injury prevention clinics with other sports and athletic groups throughout the year. For more information about the throwing clinic, or to schedule a clinic, contact Laura or Erin at 712-243-7564.

(Press Release)