Mahwah coach accepts Jr. Knicks recognition for community work
MAHWAH — Mike Simmel added one more basketball dream to his list when he was named Jr. Knicks Coach of the Year.
The award is sponsored each year by the Hospital for Special Surgery to a coach who makes a positive impact on and off the court in their community.
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau presented the trophy and a $20,000 check to Simmel at the Knicks training facility in Tarrytown, New York, last Wednesday.
Simmel, a longtime township resident, initiated Bounce Out the Stigma camps in 2005 to create a positive basketball skills environment for children with autism spectrum disorders, epilepsy, seizures, learning disabilities, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and other physical and emotional disabilities.
The camps were a response to Simmel’s own challenges with epilepsy.
Despite suffering from seizures, Simmel was a three-year varsity starting point guard at Don Bosco in Ramsey, followed by a year at the Hun School at Princeton, where he led the varsity team in assists and steals.
Simmel played basketball at Binghamton University and later finished his college career at SUNY Purchase. There, he was captain of the varsity team for two years and again led in assists and steals. At Purchase, his basketball skills caught the eye of Knicks players, who made him their ball boy.
On a dare from his brother, Simmel went on to demonstrate his ball-handling skills on the “It’s Showtime at the Apollo!” TV show, where he said he “was not booed off the stage and survived!”
In turn, his appearance led to a tryout and 13 seasons as “Mighty Mike” with the charity basketball team Harlem Wizards, starting while he was in college.
Still, Simmel said, the near-dismissal from a basketball camp at age 16 because of his seizures continued to haunt him.
“I never wanted a kid to feel the same way that I felt at that basketball camp,” Simmel said.
Bounce Out the Stigma runs camps in 23 states. For more information visit bounceoutthestigma.org.