Interactive Pitcher's Clinic by Hanover Rehab Centers

An Interactive Pitcher's clinic, featuring hands-on instruction will take place on Saturday, October 8, 2005, at Littlestown Area High School.

Sponsored by Hanover Rehab Centers-Sports Medicine, the clinic will be led by Coach Bill Thurston, who is the Head Baseball Coach at Amherst College.

Dr. Samuel D'Agata, who serves as Medical Director of the Sports Medicine Program, will speak on the subject of "Common Throwing Injuries."

The clinic will be divided into two parts: a morning session for Coaches only from 9 a.m. - 12 noon; and an afternoon session for Coaches and Players, from 1 - 4 p.m.

Coaches and pitchers will actively participate as they learn proper techniques and feel of the motion. Coach Thurston has conducted hundreds of participation clinics all over the country, bringing extensive experience to share with clinic participants.

The goal of this program is to help pitches, coaches and parents better understand pitching biomechanics and care of the arm. Not only should the pitcher increase pitch velocity and throw with less stress, he should improve command of his various pitches, and more importantly, reduce the chances of incurring pitching arm injuries.

Coach Bill Thurston has been the head coach of the Amherst College baseball program since 1966 and his teams have won 650 games --- nearly 70% of all contests played. He is widely respected as a teacher of baseball skills and techniques, as well as an outstanding game coach and manager, having been named New England College Coach of the Year on four occasions. Among his numerous prestigious professional recognitions, he was recipient of the Jack Butterfield Award for coaching excellence, and in 1996 he was inducted into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame.

During his 36+ year tenure at Amherst, Thurston has been actively involved in coaching international baseball in Australia, Canada, China, Holland, Italy, Panama, and Romania. In 1986 he served as the pitching coach for Team USA, which competed in the World Cup Games in Holland.

In 1997 he received the Dr. James R. Andrews Award for his research and contributions in Sports Medicine; he has conducted baseball clinics in over 25 states and in Canada; and he is a published author and video producer. Coach Thurston was guest speaker at the first Pitching Clinic offered by Hanover Rehab Centers in 2002.

The Hanover Rehab Centers Sports Medicine program offers a broad range of professional physical medicine and athletic training services to area students and athletes. Hanover Rehab Centers is a member of the Hanover Hospital network of services, providing a full range of outpatient physical medicine and rehabilitation services.

Deadline for early registration is September 30th. The cost is $10 for students and $40 for adults. For more information about the Interactive Pitching Clinic, contact Tony Smith, ATC, PTA, at 717-633-9595.