CHICAGO – The Chicago Red Stars are proud to unveil Illinois Bone & Joint Institute (IBJI) as the club’s official medical partner for the upcoming 2019 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) season, as well as the Red Stars Reserves and Red Stars Training.

“IBJI has been an amazing partner for us since the beginning of NWSL,” said Red Stars owner Arnim Whisler. “This year we worked with IBJI to attract and hire Megan Young as our full-time High-Performance Director. She will elevate our player’s performances to help us reach new heights this season. We are thrilled to have IBJI on board and look forward to their support and expertise as we move into 2019 and beyond.”

Under the agreement, IBJI will be the exclusive provider of medical care to Chicago Red Stars players, and provide a full-time athletic trainer and high-performance director, along with a physical therapist, who will all perform training services for first-team players. Furthermore, IBJI will have their name and logo on the official jersey of Red Stars mascot Supernova.

Founded in 1990, IBJI is one of the largest orthopedic group practices in Illinois. With more than 90 physicians and over 150 physical, occupational, and massage therapists spread throughout more than 20 locations in Chicago and north/northwest Chicagoland, IBJI offers a complete range of the most advanced orthopedic care for people of all ages.

Services include MRI, pain management, specialty care, sports medicine, rheumatology, surgery, rehabilitation, and wellness. IBJI’s Health Performance Institute (HPI) is a premier medically-based sports training facility focused on high performance and injury prevention. Additional information may be found here.

Roger Chams, MD, will serve as the official team physician of the Red Stars for the fifth consecutive year. He says, “Illinois Bone & Joint Institute and its physicians, trainers, and therapists have been proud partners and supporters of female soccer clubs and players throughout Chicagoland for many years. Our aim is to provide a complete health approach to our athletes. This includes injury prevention programs, as well as return-to-play programs to get our athletes back on the field safely. We feel that our partnership with the Red Stars allows us to provide this specialized care at the highest level of the sport and are excited for the upcoming season.”

The Red Stars season kicks off on April 13 with the team heading on the road to face off against 2018 NWSL Champions North Carolina Courage. On April 20, Chicago returns to SeatGeek Stadium to take on Tobin Heath and the Portland Thorns in a doubleheader following the Chicago Fire match. Single-game tickets may be purchased by clicking here.