B
urt Hurshe ended his
decades-long career as a
high school sports official
this spring. It wasn’
t the swan
song he wanted.
The cancellation of high school
spring sports across the state
because of the COVID-19 pan-
demic meant Hurshe couldn’
t be
an umpire at a few dozen base-
ball and softball games.
And he didn’
t get to be hon-
ored for 50 years of officiating
by the Michigan High School
Athletic Association at an annual
banquet May 2 in East Lansing.
The Waterford resident pre-
viously was honored by the
MHSAA for 20, 30, 40 and 45
years as an official, but the latest
award is extra special.
Hurshe, 74, was going to ask
his wife of 40 years, Donna, to
accept his 50-year award at the
banquet to thank her for all the
sacrifices she made through the
years to allow him to pursue his
passion for officiating.
When he was honored by the
MHSAA for 45 years as a high
school official, Hurshe received
a gold-plated whistle in a Lucite
case. He’
s awaiting his 50-year
memento.
“I’
m heartbroken and sad
about this last season,
” he said. “I
didn’
t officiate high school sports
for the money. It was about the
commitment made by the ath-
letes and the respect I had for the
coaches.
”
Hurshe officiated high school
football, boys basketball, girls
basketball, baseball and softball.
He did state championship
games in girls basketball and
softball and a state semifinal
game in boys basketball. Four
Detroit Public School League city
championship games in football
and two each in boys basketball
and girls basketball also are on
his resume.
The biggest high school game
he officiated, in his eyes, was a
1998 PSL semifinal boys bas-
ketball game between Detroit
Pershing (ranked No. 1 in the
nation by USA Today) and
Detroit Cooley (ranked No. 2 in
the state) in front of 11,000 fans
at Joe Louis Arena.
Every game was important to
him, not just the big ones.
“You have to go out each time
with the mindset that this is the
last game you’
re going to offici-
ate,
” he said.
Hurshe said he changed his
approach to officiating about 25
years ago, and it made a big dif-
ference.
“I stopped taking things
personally,
” he said. “People do
things and say things in the heat
of the moment. You need to
focus on the game, not what peo-
ple are saying.
”
Hurshe received a Michigan
Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Pillars
of Excellence award in 2012.
Earlier, he was inducted into
the Detroit PSL Hall of Honor,
Detroit Catholic League Hall of
Fame and Cooperstown Youth
Baseball Hall of Fame.
He was a teacher for 31 years
at Southfield Public Schools and
five years at Waterford Public
Schools, and he’
s still a substitute
teacher in Waterford.
He was the Southfield High
School girls basketball coach for
two seasons (1979-81).
His Career
Is Officially
Over
28 | MAY 21 • 2020
sports HIGHlights
tures a slew of games on
Sundays at Drake Sports Park
and Keith Sports Park in West
Bloomfield, was supposed to
have had its opening day May
3 and finish its playoffs Aug.
23.
Seventeen teams, represent-
ing temples, synagogues and
shuls across the area, are still
hoping to play this summer.
Steve Achtman, one of the
league’
s organizers, said he’
s
not confident a season will be
held, but he has some ideas
about how the season can be
salvaged.
The options are dependent
upon executive orders issued
by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
and social distancing and
other safety measures that
are put in place in Drake
and Keith parks by the
West Bloomfield Parks and
Recreation Commission.
Achtman said there could
be a summer/fall softball
season with the 17 teams, the
same number of teams as last
season.
Or there could be a sum-
mer/fall season with a fewer
number of teams pieced
together by league organizers.
That would be similar to the
league’
s six-week fall season,
which normally begins the
Sunday after Labor Day.
FORE!
There’
s no uncertainty sur-
rounding the B’
nai B’
rith golf
league’
s eighth season.
A dozen two-man teams are
expected to compete for 16
weeks. There were 10 teams
and 22 golfers (two substi-
tutes) last year.
Weekly play in the nine-
hole league usually starts in
late April. Opening day was
scheduled for April 30 this
year.
League organizer Gary
Klinger said he delayed the
start a couple weeks “because
we could and it’
s usually
cold, but mainly because of
COVID-19.”
Only one golfer is allowed
in a golf cart at the Links of
Novi, and there’
s a limit of two
carts in a group. Flag sticks
must stay in and there are no
rakes to smooth sand traps.
BY STEVE STEIN
quick hits
The secret is finally out.
West Bloomfield High School
freshman Ryan Krauthamer won
one head-to-head race and lost twice
in an episode of American Ninja
Warrior Junior taped last summer in
Los Angeles and did not advance in
the ages 13-14 division of the com-
petition.
Episode 11 of the show’
s second
season aired May 1 on the Universal
Kids channel. Krauthamer and his
family members were not allowed to
discuss the episode publicly until it
aired.
“I was disappointed that I didn’
t
move on to the next round, but I
had a blast out there, and I’
m proud
that I finished all three of my races,”
Krauthamer said.
“It was a little difficult at first not
being able to talk with anyone about
how I did, but after time it didn’
t
become much of an issue,” he said.
Krauthamer flew across the coun-
try to compete in the show. He was
attending Surprise Lake Camp in Cold
Spring, N.Y., the nation’
s longest-run-
ning Jewish sleepaway camp, at the
time of the American Ninja Warrior
Junior taping.
COURTESY OF KRAUTHAMER FAMILY
Krauthamer
continued from page 27
Burt Hurshe worked football, boys
basketball, girls basketball, baseball
and softball games during his 50-year
career as a high school official.
STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
DONNA HURSHE