HEAT Youth Basketball Clinic 2011

On Friday, November 11, 2011, The Miami HEAT teamed up with Gatorade and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida to host a special Veterans Day HEAT Youth Basketball Clinic at United States Southern Command headquarters in Doral. HEAT President Pat Riley and HEAT Legend Tim Hardaway made a special appearance and were joined by a contingent from the Basketball Operations Department to host the clinic. The group included Assistant Coaches Ron Rothstein, Bob McAdoo, Keith Askins, David Fizdale, Chad Kammerer and Octavio De La Grana, and Basketball Operations staff members Brian Hecker, Jay Sabol, Rey Jaffet, Vinny Aquilino, and Bill Foran.

Approximately 150 children, ages 6 – 17, of local military families participated in this clinic, held in the U.S. Army Garrison-Miami Fitness Center. By hosting this clinic at SOUTHCOM on Veterans Day, the HEAT continued its existing tradition of honoring the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces. In 2006, Riley launched the HEAT Home Strong initiative, an on-going program where members of the military who have returned home are saluted during every HEAT home game. The mission of the Home Strong initiative is to give aid, support and recognition to any person who has been in harm’s way during their military service.

The United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) is one of nine unified Combatant Commands in the Department of Defense. SOUTHCOM is responsible for providing contingency planning, operations, force protection of military resources and security cooperation for Central America, South America, and The Caribbean. SOUTHCOM is a joint command comprised of more than 1,200 military and civilian personnel representing the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and several other federal agencies. U.S. Army Garrison-Miami (USAG-Miami) provides valued services, programs, and quality of life for service members, families and civilians commensurate with their service in a time of persistent conflict.