Spoelstra's life-long pledge to stay fit

MANILA, Philippines - Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said the other day his commitment to the NBA Fit program translates into a pledge of discipline and making a life-long commitment to a healthy lifestyle is a message he wants to impart to everyone, regardless of age, in the Philippines.

Spoelstra, 40, is in town to promote NBA Fit. He arrived here Sunday from the US via Hong Kong with sister Monica who hasn’t visited the country since she was seven years old in 1974. Miami assistant coach Dave Fizdale flew in Tuesday to join Spoelstra in the week-long activities.  

Two years ago, Spoelstra came to Manila under the auspices of the US Department of State’s Sports Envoy program. Last year, Spoelstra returned here as an ambassador to promote NBA Fit which aims to educate individuals and families on the physical, mental and emotional benefits of healthy living. He is back for the second straight year as an NBA Fit ambassador.

Spoelstra said his visit to San Pablo last year was “transformational.” He was mobbed and honored with a motorcade. “My mom (Elisa Celino) got emotional when she saw the clippings and videos of my visit to San Pablo,” he said. “She shed tears. It’s been a long time since she’s been over. She never imagined her son to come home to that kind of warm reception 34 years later. It transcends sport – it’s family.” Spoelstra’s mother, however, didn’t join her children in the trip to the Philippines. Monica said she came as her mother’s proxy.

At a reception hosted by the NBA Fit’s local sponsors, primarily Air21 and Gatorade, last Monday night, Spoelstra was congratulated by Gilas national team coach Rajko Toroman and Alaska coach Tim Cone for piloting Miami to the NBA finals last season. Toroman said Spoelstra deserves credit and recognition for accomplishing the feat that only a few coaches will ever achieve in their lifetime.

“I’d like to see the progress of Filipino basketball,” said Spoelstra. “I know the coaching is getting better every year. Obviously, we know about the passion that Filipinos have for the game. It’s very inspiring for me to see the game here, how it’s progressing.”

Spoelstra said coping with the stress and pressure of being an NBA coach means making a pledge to be physically and mentally in condition and to eat healthy. He took the Heat to the finals but fell short of winning the championship.

 “We learned how to manage all season long,” he said. “We went through a lot of adversity, pain and tough times. There were tremendous expectations from the start. We wanted to embrace those expectations. We had nine new players and we tried to put together a championship-contending team. We experienced tough times where we couldn’t control situations on the court and off the court with the media and the perception of our team. We got better as the season wore on. We became mentally tougher, closer as a unit, more resilient as a group. It was an incredible experience in the finals and it’s something we can learn from to get better.”

Only in his third season as head coach, Spoelstra has improved the Heat’s record from 43-39 to 47-35 to 58-24. Recent Manila visitor and Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant said Spoelstra did “a phenomenal job” in steering Miami to the finals. Informed of Bryant’s assessment, Spoelstra said it’s humbling to hear comments from other players. “I know what my job is and that’s to prepare Miami for the next journey,” he said. “We’ll learn from the lessons of the past and be more prepared to come back and compete for the championship. Will we get younger next season? We’ll see.”

Spoelstra said in the offseason, he pushes himself even harder to stay fit because there’s more time to relax and less stress. “I don’t play basketball anymore, I haven’t played in two or three years,” he said. “It’s a young man’s game. Playing in the PBA? I missed that window of opportunity years ago. But 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 find ways to be efficient. 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 that saps your energy. I eat vegetables.”

Spoelstra said he avoids junk or comfort food. “During the season, obviously, I sleep a little bit less but that’s when I learn how to discipline myself because of the pressure and expectations,” he said. “Sometimes, it’s easier to eat something quick and easy and lots of time, it’s junk food that I crave for. It’s a conscious effort to eat right and when you eat right, you get a positive attitude, you get more energy to do things. It’s a great fit for me to be involved in NBA Fit because of the profession I’m in. It’s critical for professional players to be physically fit, to know how to treat their bodies and learn about nutrition.”