HONESDALE — Wayne County District Attorney AG Howell has announced that one of the area’s most popular summer sports clinics will be back again in 2026.
“Bubba’s Basketball Camp” will be held July 7-9 in Honesdale. The three-day event honors the memory of Mike Birmelin, a beloved high school hoops coach who passed away three years ago.
The clinic is open to boys and girls in grades three through six. Each session will begin at 9 a.m. and run until noon. Cost to enroll is $60 and includes snacks, drinks, pizza and a commemorative t-shirt.
“Mike was passionate about sports and the positive character traits that participating in sports teach,” Howell said. “This is our small way of sharing the life skills that can be learned through sports and remembering him.”
More than just basketball
The camp once known as Stand Tall for Basketball was the brainchild of longtime 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 will span three days at the Stourbridge Primary and Lakeside Elementary Schools. The clinic attracted nearly 70 boys last summer.
Local high school coaches, along with former and current Hornet players, will serve as volunteer clinicians.
“We hope kids from throughout Wayne County and beyond will join us for three days of learning about basketball, exercising and fellowship,” Howell said.
Living legacy
Mike Birmelin was born on May 24, 1966, in Brooklyn, New York.
He attended Western Wayne schools, graduating in 1984, then went 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.
He lost his battle with pancreatic cancer on July 15, 2023. Since then, his family and local hoops officials have strived to generate something positive from an otherwise tragic situation.
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 the Michael C. Birmelin Youth Athlete Memorial Fund; The Dime Bank, 820 Church Street, Honesdale, PA 18431.
This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Honesdale basketball coach Mike Birmelin remembered with clinic