Honesdale hosts 2024 Wayne County Commissioners boys summer basketball camp

HONESDALE — Jon Gillow was all smiles on Thursday afternoon and with good reason.

Honesdale's boys varsity coach had just put the finishing touches on the 2024 Wayne County Commissioners boys summer basketball camp and he couldn't have been happier with the results.

More than 100 talented young cagers came out for this year's event, which was held in the middle school gym June 18-20.

“I'm extremely pleased with how everything went,” said Gillow, who will be entering his third year with the Hornets this winter.

“All of the campers were so enthusiastic and open to coaching. Our week was filled with the fundamentals of basketball, friendly competition and lots of fun.”

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Campers were treated to jam-packed days featuring expert instruction and guest speakers, along with both team-oriented and individual skills contests.

“We had some really great groups of young basketball players and I am definitely excited to see where they can take Hornet hoops in the future,” Gillow said.

Next generation Hornet cagers

The 2024 Wayne County Commissioners boys summer basketball camp tipped off at 9 a.m. Tuesday with registration at the historic Red Palace.

All told, 111 players from grades three through eight took part. Schools represented included Honesdale, Western Wayne, Wallenpaupack Area and St. Dominic's.

Each session lasted until noon and was overseen by an energetic group of coaches, current varsity players and alumni. Gillow was quick to point out that the camp wouldn't have been possible without the efforts of these volunteers:

Jim Ahern, Kyreek Johnson, Jamie Rutherford, Casey McGhie, Ryan Keen, Luke Bancroft, Maria West, Adam Kelly, Kevin Miller, Maddox Johnson, Cooper McGhie, Caden Hinkley, Carter Schweighofer, Jared Ahern, Keegan Pender, Owen Pender, Brad Myers, Don Vivacqua, Silas Myers, Max LaBruno, Conlan Keast, Jack Montgomery, Jacob Ramos, Gavin Briggs, Jimmy Rodda, Matthew Schupper, Gabe Duda, Melissa Briggs.

“I can't say enough about the help I received from parents, players and coaches from our program,” Gillow said. “As Honesdale folks typically do, they stepped right up as soon as I asked for volunteers.”

Several individual contests were held over the course of the three-day clinic. Major award winners for the younger age group included Dominic Horst (Hardest Working) and Peter Ferraro (Free Throw champion). Award winners in the older age bracket included Desmond Jennings (Hardest Working) and Jimmy Sellars (Free Throw champion).

“Commissioners Camp is one of my favorite parts of the summer,” Gillow said. “In my mind, the camp always shows how awesome our community is and how exciting the future of this program is.”

Guest speakers offer advice

One of the highlights of this year's clinic was the presence of two local high school legends.

Kevin Miller was a three-sport standout at Honesdale, excelling in basketball, baseball and football. He went on to star on the NCAA hardwood at Muhlenberg University.

Miller's message to the young players centered around his love of the sport and all the positive experiences he had at Honesdale during his varsity career. He also explained that basketball can open many doors on the court and off.

Show was one of the greatest players in Lackawanna League history. The Abington Heights guard was named Pennsylvania's Mr. Basketball in 2014. He then enjoyed a solid collegiate career at Bucknell and Binghamton.

Show spoke about his experiences at both the high school and NCAA levels. He offered advice on how to battle through adversity while stressing the importance of a support system, especially family.

Remembering Mike Birmelin

Next up on the summer slate of local youth sports clinics the newly-christened Mike Birmelin Basketball Camp, which will be held in honor of the late and much-loved coach.

Birmelin died after battling pancreatic cancer last summer. The newly-named clinic will be hosted by Wayne County District Attorney AG Howell in conjunction with the Honesdale basketball programs.

“We are so excited and really looking forward to holding this camp in Mike's name,” Howell said. “He is sorely missed by so many. The camp will be a celebration of his life and an uplifting time to share and pass on Mike's ideals.”

Birmelin's Basketball Camp is scheduled to run July 22-24 in the Lakeside Elementary and Stourbridge Primary School gyms. The clinic is open to boys and girls, grades three through six.

All proceeds from this inaugural clinic will benefit the Michael C. Birmelin Youth Athlete Memorial Fund. For more information, to sign up for camp, or to make a donation, please contact Jon Gillow at 570-352-8813.

This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Honesdale hosts 2024 Wayne County Commissioners boys summer basketball camp