MANILA, Philippines — Since steering the Miami Heat to the NBA finals last season, Fil-Am coach Erik Spoelstra is being mobbed like a rock star wherever he went.

But being mobbed isn’t on top of his priority. On his recent trip to Manila, Spoelstra is on a mission to preach to the Filipino youth the gospel of a healthy and active lifestyle. Visiting several schools as the ambassador of NBA Fit, the professional basketball league’s global health and wellness program. Spoelstra's lifelong pledge to stay fit is a message that he wants to impart to everyone.

“Healthy living and physical activity are so important, and NBA Fit is a chance for me to give back to the local community, to give back to my heritage where basketball is such a passion amongst the people,” says Spoelstra, who traces his roots to San Pablo, Laguna. Spoelstra was born to a Filipino mother (Elisa Celino) and an American father (Jon Spoelstra), and was raised in Portland, USA. The pressure of being an NBA coach includes making a pledge to always be in top physical and mental condition.

“I work out a lot. I like to run, work on the spin bike, I do yoga which helps me physically and emotionally. I do Pilates, circuit training, weightlifting. I try to learn more about nutrition, to fuel my body for the energy I need to sustain, I try to eat fruits grown out of the ground, not processed food. I eat vegetables.  And I avoid junk food,” Spoelstra describes his personal lifestyle.

GETTING THE YOUTH HIGH ON WELLNESS

The NBA Fit Clinics, given to students for free, were held in different colleges and universities, among them, the University of the Philippines, National University, Far Eastern University- FERN College, Immaculate Conception Academy Greenhills, Don Bosco Technical College, Lyceum of the Philippines, Notre Dame of Greater Manila, Rizal Technological University, Pasig Catholic College, La Consolacion College Manila, Jose Rizal University, St. Vincent High School, and Emilio Aguinaldo College.

The second edition of NBA Fit Philippines is the biggest of such an event in Southeast Asia. The program, in partnership with the Department of Health and Food and Nutrition Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DoST), is aimed at promoting the physical, mental and emotional benefits of healthy living, educating the youth on the dangers of smoking, drugs and excessive alcohol consumption, as well as motivating and inspiring them to live healthier lives through a variety of sporting activities.

FNRI-DoST director Mario Capanzana says being overweight and obesity remain as predisposing factors to lifestyle and health-related diseases.

“Lifestyle diseases, however, are potentially preventable through diet and lifestyle modification. Staying physically active through regular physical activities is likewise helpful in staying fit and healthy. The objective of NBA Fit is in line with the FNRI’s battlecry of a healthy Filipino citizenry through healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition,” Capanzana says.

Spoelstra, together with his assistant coaches Dave Fizdale and Chad Kammerer, also led a special NBA-style basketball camp for the Philippine Under- 16 national team to prepare them for the FIBA-Asia Under-16 Championships in October.

THE PINOYS’ ENTHUSIASM

Even before NBA started its Fit program in 2007, Spoelstra has already been involved in mentoring and developing new talents. His strong reputation as a teacher, as head of the Heat’s Individual Player Development Program, has earned the respect of the entire league. He works tirelessly with many of his team’s young players in areas of fundamentals, skill development, and shooting.

Aside from being a team member of the NBA Fit initiative, Spoelstra also created “Spo’s Shooters” in conjuction with the Miami Heat Community Education Ticket Program. This program reaches out to South Florida’s less fortunate studentathletes and gives them the opportunity to enjoy Heat games and meet their favorite Heat players and role models.

Spoelstra hopes that he can replicate the same program here on his next visit.

“The game has been good to me so it’s really my way of giving back. I also feel it’s my responsibility to give back to the game and to do that here.

I’m always inspired every time I come back here in Manila to see the passionand the enthusiasm of the Filipinos to the game. That’s something you don’t see everywhere and I don’t take that for granted,” he says.

Spoelstra had served the Heat in a number of capacities for 13 years before making it to coach. His playing career included four years as starting point guard for the University of Portland, and then two years of professional basketball in Germany. He even planned to try-out for the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

“I wanted to play and finish my career here in the PBA but I ended up getting first a job in Miami. I had to make a decision, either continue to play or start a new career path as a coach. I chose the coaching because it was something different. I knew ultimately I wanted to go into coaching. It’s a long journey to get to the point where I am right now but I have no regrets,” he says.

Over the years, Spoelstra was promoted to assistant coach/video coordinator, assistant coach/advance scout and assistant coach/director of scouting, before ascending to his current position.

At 40 years old, he is considered the youngest head coach in NBA history. “I enjoy coaching. There’s nothing else I’d rather do. I focus on that rather than the storylines of distractions. When my boss Pat Riley retired, he told me not to listen to other people’s opinions. Just focus on one thing and that is to do my job,” he ends.