        |
||
 |
| Coach Spo brings NBA FIT to Boys Town, UAAP schools; holds NBA-style training camp for elite athletes on August 11 (08/11/2010) |
| “Coach Spo” visited the Manila Boys Town, a Manila city government-owned institution and facility in Parang, Marikina exclusively for Manila’s abandoned, forgotten, and voluntarily surrendered children, Monday to conduct basketball clinics and fun games for some 40 kids under NBA Cares. Spoelstra, the first NBA head coach of Filipino ancestry, said he enjoyed the afternoon with the kids aged 9 to 18 at Boys Town and was so happy to note their passion and interest in the sport. “Basketball is a beautiful sport, especially when you start it at a young age. It’s not just fun, it also teaches you lessons that you can use outside of basketball. Sacrifice, discipline and the value of playing together are things you can use in real life,” he told the kids. Spoelstra along with Miami Heat assistant coach Dave Fizdale taught the kids primarily defensive basketball drills. Defence, according to Spoelstra, was the most important part of basketball. “Defence is fun, I’ll show you,” Spoelstra said. Yesterday, Spoelstra brought his basketball and fitness lessons to Far Eastern University and De La Salle University, two member schools of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP). The league-leading FEU Tamaraws and the Lady Tamaraws underwent the full NBA FIT basketball and fitness clinic which consisted of group fitness exercises, Dribble, Dish, Swish and fitness challenges, a nutrition seminar from the Food Nutrition and Research Instituite (FNRI), a hydration seminar from Gatorade and Erik Spoelstra, a hiphop dance workout from Fitness First and a Gatorade basketball clinic courtesy of the Fil-Am NBA coaching celebrity who is fast gaining new fans for his Miami Heat team here.
In the afternoon, De La Salle University physical education classes benefited from the NBA FIT program, which also included dance training by renowned dance coach Mariette Basa. Tomorrow (Wednesday), Coach Spoelstra and NBA FIT will conduct an NBA-style training camp for the top 80 basketball prospects (40 boys and 40 girls) aged 16 to 19 at the Araneta Coliseum. The participants will come from the NCAA and the UAAP and will learn the latest NBA techniques and fitness training. They will also take part in advanced hydration, sweat tests and other activities. Local basketball coaches, athletic trainers and members of the media will be invited to observe the camp. On Thursday, Spoelstra will bring the program outside of Metro Manila to his mother’s native city of San Pablo in Laguna where he is expected to meet with relatives, visit a hospital and conduct clinics for San Pablo City students. An NBA FIT Fun Run, co-organized by RunRio, will take place on Aug. 14 with 3K, 5K and 10K distances. It is open to participants of all ages, with a total of 2,000 spots available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Registration will be held at RUNNR, Bonifacio High Street at The Fort, and at Fitness First, SM Mall of Asia branch, with registration fee of P300.
NBA FIT, an initiative under the NBA Cares umbrella, is the league’s comprehensive health and wellness program that encourages physical activity and healthy living for children and families through programs, events and products. This is the first time that the NBA FIT Program has come to the Philippines and is the biggest NBA FIT program to date in Southeast Asia, said Ed Winkle, Senior Director, Business Development & Marketing Partnerships, NBA Asia. Official partners of the NBA FIT Week are Gatorade, Head & Shoulders, and Summit Water. Media partners are Basketball TV, Men’s Health, Yahoo! and Wave 89.1. Partners in sport include Fitness First, Run Rio and University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP). Venue partners are SM Malls and Marriott Manila. Community partners such as the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), and UNICEF are also endorsing the program. For more information about NBA FIT Week, please log on to www.nba.com/philippines About the NBA The NBA, founded in 1946, is a professional sports league and global business that features 30 teams in the United States and Canada. During the 2009-10 season, NBA games will reach 215 countries and territories in 41 languages. The league’s worldwide reach is also displayed in the 79 international players from 35 countries and territories on NBA rosters. NBA merchandise is sold in more than 100,000 stores in 100 countries on six continents. NBA.com averages more than 26 million page views per day, with more than 50 percent of the site’s visitors coming from outside of North America. Through NBA Cares, the league, its teams and players have donated more than $140 million to charity, provided more than 1.1 million hours of hands-on service to communities around the world, and created more than 484 places where kids and families can live, learn, or play, including 85 places in 21 countries on five continents internationally. Media Contacts: NBA Asia
|
After
a rousing reception from mall goers at SM North EDSA for the first
NBA FIT Week in the Philippines, Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra
preached his health and fitness gospel to collegiate basketball
players and young kids who may not have the chance to go to the
malls. 
“We
are grateful to the NBA for bringing NBA FIT not just to our school,
but to our country. Because of this effort, our students will not
just learn basketball skills, they will also be oriented towards
proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. This health and fitness
initiative if done consistently, will benefit the whole nation in
the long run,” said Glenn Capacio, FEU Tamaraws head coach. 
Each
participant will get a special NBA Fun Run Running Singlet, with
the top finishers winning special prizes including NBA basketballs
autographed by Coach Spoelstra, one-month membership provided by
Fitness First, and other premiums sponsored by the NBA FIT Week
event partners.
|
