History/Philosophy

Since 1966, founders Howard Garfinkel and Will Klein have helped develop countless coaches and players through their Five-Star Basketball Camps. Five-Star has more graduates playing college or pro ball than any other organization out there. More than 360 Five-Star participants have played in the NBA. Five-Star is most proud of the opportunity to work with players and raise their game to their highest level. This has enabled tens of thousands of Five-Star participants to play basketball in college and beyond.

No organization has had a bigger impact on the sport of Basketball

The Baltimore day camps were started in the summer of 1997 by Coach Paul Baker, a member of Garfinkel & Klein’s Five-Star family since the early 1970s.  Baker is the former Head Basketball Coach at Towson Catholic HS, University of Baltimore, and Wheeling Jesuit University (WV).  Coach Baker achieved great success at these three schools; leading TC to a four-year 96-32 record and the 1962 Alhambra Catholic Tournament title, career winning records at both D-II universities, along with landmark, upset victories over NCAA D-I schools such as Xavier, GW, and St. Peter’s.  He is a member of all three school’s athletic halls of fame.

In the 1970s, Garfinkel and Klein expanded their New York operation and branched out to the south.  Baker assisted by hosting the Five-Star overnight camps at Wheeling, WV.  By the 1980s, Five-Star had made its home at Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh, PA.  Coach Bob Wade’s Dunbar HS players, Coach Ray Mullis’ Cardinal Gibbons HS players, and many other Baltimore area kids exploded onto the national scene here at the Pittsburgh location.  Five-Star’s development continued into the 1990s, as they began to organize day camps and affiliate programs.

It was in 1997, that Coach Paul Baker brought Five-Star to Baltimore.  Baltimore’s first day camps were held at Dulaney HS in Timonium and included sessions for both Boys and Girls.  The next year the sessions moved to Boy's Latin School, and soon there after additional sites were added at Fallston HS in Harford County for three years, and at Kent Island High School in Queen Annes County for three years. The 2012 season will feature sessions at Roland Park Country School and Park School.  Over the past 15 years, we at FIVE-STAR BALTIMORE have taught over 7,800 Baltimore area youngsters and provided a performance platform of top competition for Basketball Excellence. Chris Clunie came out of the Fallston camps and went onto play at Loyola Blakefield, Davidson College(NC), and work as a coach at Five-Star.  Just as Klein and Garfinkel developed players and coaches, Baker has done the same through the day camps in Baltimore.  The list of camper alumni and coaches from Baker’s Baltimore day camps to go on to higher levels is extensive and impressive. Former camper, and All-ACC performer at Virginia Tech, Malcolm Delaney just finished an illustrious career as one of the Atlantic Coast Conference’s All-Time leading scorers.

After 12 seasons as a college asst. coach, Baker’s son, Steve took over as Baltimore Camp Program Director in 2002.  Steve Baker also brought a long-standing Five-Star affiliation with him.  For over 50+ Sessions, since 1980 as a camper, counselor, and coach - Steve had been truly Five-Star trained.

It is through three-plus decades of a family relationship, that Steve works closely with Will’s son Leigh Klein (current Five-Star Basketball co-owner and president) to maintain the Five-Star Camp philosophy of consistently providing a focused and structured, learning environment, while instilling passion, work ethic, and skill to our Baltimore-area campers.  We hire a staff of adult teachers and coaches to coach, supervise, and teach basketball fundamentals.  Any college player on our staff is a former camper who has come up through our program.  Our organization and attention to camp detail is second to none.  Although many of our alumni have gone on to the highest levels of play, we realize that many of our youngsters are with us to just have fun and enjoy the overall camp experience.  Through 15 years and over 70+ Sessions, we are constantly trying to make each session at FIVE-STAR BALTIMORE better than the last.  It is through this approach that we are always improving the overall experience of all of our campers to have fun, learn and enjoy!