Singapore – Fresh from a championship run in the NBA, Erik Spoelstra, Head Coach of the Miami Heat, recently visited Singapore to hold a coaching clinic for local coaches and junior players. Coach Spo, as he is often referred to, is an ambassador for the NBA and the NBA Fit program.
Raised in Portland, Oregon, Spoelstra is the first Asian/Filipino-American Head Coach in any of the major North American sports leagues. He has returned to his native Philippines in past summers with the NBA and US State Department to host clinics and promote education, health and wellness to thousands of at-risk youth.
He recently completed his fourth season as Head Coach of the Miami Heat and his 17th as a member of the Heat organization. Coach Spoelstra has led Miami to a 194-118 record, four consecutive postseason appearances, two NBA Finals appearances, and an NBA Championship.
Miami Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra conducts an NBA Fit clinic in Singapore
Coach Spoelstra had a busy Tuesday morning, starting with a two-hour coaching session with local Singaporean coaches. Afterwards, he was joined by Miami Heat Assistant Coach Dan Craig and JobStreet.com Singapore Slingers players Kyle Jeffers, Desmond Oh, Wong Wei Long, Lim Sheng Yu, Steven Khoo, and Ng Han Bin in a two-hour NBA Fit clinic with 100 local school children from throughout Singapore participating in the event. NBA Fit is the league’s global comprehensive health and wellness initiative that encourages physical activity and healthy living for children and families through programs and events.
JobStreet.com Singapore Slingers Guard Desmond Oh, who recently played against an NBA Legends squad led by Scottie Pippen & Dennis Rodman, was ecstatic with the opportunity to be on the same court with Coach Spoelstra. “I have been very blessed this past month. I played with great NBA players, and now I am able to work with Coach Spoelstra who just led the Miami Heat to a championship in the NBA. This is just an amazing experience!” said Desmond.
The final session for Coach Spoelstra’s visit was a High Performance Coaching Clinic with several invited coaches and administrators from different sports and Singapore National Sporting Associations (NSA).
“It’s good to hear from an NBA Champion Coach like Coach Spo on how he deals with some of the same situations and issues all coaches have to deal with, no matter which sport and which level of competition,” said Coach Neo Beng Siang, Head Coach of the JobStreet.com Singapore Slingers.
The recently crowned Miami Heat Head Coach stated he had enjoyed his short stay in Singapore and would love to return for a longer stint in the near future. “Singapore is a beautiful and vibrant city with very nice people who have treated us well. I will have to find a way to get back here for a longer stay as soon as my schedule allows,” Coach Spoelstra added.
Participants at the NBA Fit Singapore
Coach Spoelstra leaves Singapore for Manila, where he has hosted NBA Fit clinics, talks, and promotions for the last 4 years.
For more information about the JobStreet.com Singapore Slingers, log onto our website, www.singaporeslingers.com. Follow us on Facebook – www.facebook.com/OfficialSingaporeSlingers, and Twitter – www.twitter.com/SGSlingers.
