On Thursday, January 23rd, the Miami HEAT hosted a HEAT Youth Basketball Clinic presented by Gatorade at the AmericanAirlines Arena. HEAT Players Derrick Jones, Jr. and Kelly Olynyk conducted the clinic. Jr. HEAT Ambassador and HEAT Camp Director, Tony Fiorentino, HEAT TV Studio & Radio Analyst, Ruth Riley Hunter, as well as the Hoop Troop, Miami HEAT Dancers and HEAT Mascot, Burnie, also joined them on the court. The event hosted (70) Special Olympics Florida athletes to increase engagement in sports training, physical fitness and highlight their capabilities. Special Olympics Florida serves over 58,400 athletes, offering training and competition in a variety of team and individual sports, with the help of over 38,000 dedicated coaches and volunteers statewide. The goal is to encourage and empower the group to remove obstacles and provide the unique opportunity to unify athletes of diverse backgrounds. Each athlete was also sent home with a variety of giveaways and HEAT Fan Packs compliments of the Miami HEAT and presenting sponsor, Gatorade.
In accordance with NBA FIT, the clinic featured the importance of living an active, healthy lifestyle. The NBA FIT program celebrates the values of the game – hard work, discipline, leadership and teamwork – and features some of the best athletes in the world encouraging fans of all ages to lead healthy, active lives.