Inaugural "Bubba's Camp" honors the memory of beloved basketball coach Mike Birmelin

HONESDALE — Mike Birmelin was one of the most beloved figures in local basketball history.

A Western Wayne graduate who went on to coach at Honesdale for more than two decades, Birmelin tragically passed away last summer after a brief but courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.

For the better part of a year, family, friends and colleagues searched for an appropriate way to remember the man who gave so much of himself to the youth of his community.

Finally, AG Howell came up with a brilliant plan. Wayne County's District Attorney asked the family for permission to re-christen his Stand Tall for Basketball Summer Camp in Birmelin's honor.

“Honestly, I couldn't think of a better way to honor Mike's memory,” Howell said. “He really loved kids and loved coaching, so it was kind of a no-brainer to do this for Mike and for the family.”

Morgan Legore is Mike's daughter and a former star on the Honesdale hardwood. She went on to become a four-year starter at DeSales University and loved the idea right from the start.

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“What a special thing you have done for our family,” Morgan said. “We are so incredibly grateful for this special way of honoring Dad's memory.”

Remembering "Bubba"

The camp formerly known as Stand Tall for Basketball was the brainchild of former District Attorney Janine Edwards.

Another former HHS hoops star, Edwards relinquished control of the annual clinic to Howell when she ascended to the position of Wayne County judge.

The camp thrived for nearly a decade with only a brief hiatus during the pandemic. Now, it's back and bigger than ever.

This year's edition of the event spanned three days at the Stourbridge Primary and Lakeside Elementary Schools. It attracted nearly 70 boys and girls from grades three through six.

Campers arrived on the scene each day at 9 a.m. and were divided up into age groups. For the next several hours, they received expert coaching from members of the Hornet staff and current players as well.

“The main focus of the camp is basketball of course,” Howell said. “But we also want to teach the kids about sportsmanship, the importance of working hard, and being a good teammate.”

Current Honesdale girls varsity coach Joe Reno oversaw the clinic and is pleased with how smoothly things unfolded.

“It was a great week,” Reno said. “The kids were awesome. They were very attentive, high energy and so much fun to work with.”

In addition to teaching the fundamentals of the game, Reno and his staff welcomed several special guests from local law enforcement who spoke to the campers about making good decisions.

Sgt. Mike Felsman, Commander of the Honesdale State Police barracks, Trooper Cole McConnell, Trooper Cory Blowers and Trooper Rush Stehlin each offered a bit of sage advice about staying on a positive path.

Living legacy

Mike Birmelin was born on May 24, 1966 in Brooklyn (NY).

He attended Western Wayne schools, graduating in 1984 then going on to study at East Stroudsburg.

Birmelin returned to the area in the late 80s to start a family and embark upon a long career with Bell Telephone and Verizon. In addition, he became a fixture on the local youth and high school basketball scenes.

Birmelin coached JV and varsity teams at Honesdale, blending an encyclopedic knowledge of the game with his trademark infectious enthusiasm. He saw something special in each kid he encountered, cheering them in victory and consoling them in defeat.

In fact, Birmelin's quirky habit of referring to everyone as “Bubba” quickly caught on with campers and coaches alike.

“By the second day, the kids were all starting to call everyone Bubba, even us,” Howell said with a laugh. “It was great to see.”

Community effort

Howell was quick to point out that many folks in the community lent a hand in making the inaugural Bubba's Camp a success.

Fox Ledge Spring Water, Scarfalloto's Towne House Diner, Dave's Super Duper and Platform Industries all stepped up to show their support, along with more than a dozen volunteers and individual sponsors.

At that top of that list, of course, was the Birmelin family itself.

“None of this would have happened without them,” Howell said. “They gave us their blessing and just let me run with it. Mike stood for everything that's good about sports in a small town and that's something I hope his camp can carry on.”

Morgan was quick to praise the efforts of Howell, Reno and all the folks involved in making her Dad's first memorial camp an unqualified success.

“We can't thank everyone enough,” she said. “This would have been Dad's Super Bowl. He'd have been so excited. I can picture him bopping up and down the sidelines smiling and clapping up a storm.”

If you'd like to support Bubba's Camp, or you'd like to make a donation in his memory, please send a check to th Michael C. Birmelin Youth Athlete Memorial Fund; The Dime Bank, 820 Church Street, Honesdale, PA 18431.

This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Inaugural "Bubba's Camp" honors the memory of beloved basketball coach Mike Birmelin