quick hits
BY STEVE STEIN 

T

oxic levels of chlorine. 
Thunderstorms. An 
unexpected gulp of 
water. A transportation chal-
lenge.
None of that fazed West 
Bloomfield resident Jim 
Berk at the 2022 National 
Senior Games, held in Fort 
Lauderdale, Florida, and near-
by communities.
The 67-year-old former 
sportscaster turned personal 
trainer, exercise coach and 
competitive swimmer earned 
a ribbon for a fourth- through 
eighth-place finish in all three 
events he swam in Florida in 
the men’s 65-69 age group.
He was fourth in the 
50-yard breaststroke, fifth in 
the 100 breaststroke and sixth 
in the 200 breaststroke in an 

outdoor pool at the Plantation 
Aquatic Complex.
Berk was supposed to 
compete in one event in each 
of three days. He ended up 
swimming the 50 and 100 on 
the second day, and the 200 on 
the third day.
“There was too much chlo-
rine in the pool on the first 
day because of a mechanical 
issue. The water was toxic. 
The competition was delayed 
until the problem cleared up,” 
Berk said.
Thunderstorms all three 
days also caused delays. Berk 
swam all three of his events 
later than scheduled.
His times were surpris-
ingly faster than his times in 
the same events in the 2021 
Michigan Senior Olympics 

Ex-sportscaster Jim Berk overcomes 
obstacles to earn three swimming 
ribbons at the National Senior Games.
Pool Haul

STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

32 | JULY 21 • 2022 

SPORTS
When there wasn’t too much 
chlorine in the water or a 
thunderstorm in the air, this 
pool at the Plantation (Florida) 
Aquatic Complex was a 
picturesque venue for the 2022 
National Senior Games. 

 JIM BERK

Down the stretch they come in the 
Inter-Congregational Men’s Club 
Summer Softball League as the 14 
teams barrel toward the playoffs next 
month.
There was one close race, one 
somewhat close race and one not-so-
close race in battles for first place in 
the weekly league’s three divisions 
after games played July 10.
Temple Israel No. 2 (10-2) and sec-
ond-place Temple Israel No. 6 (10-3) 
were neck-in-neck in the five-team 
Greenberg Division.

Temple Israel No. 1 (9-4) held a one-
game lead over second-place Temple 
Israel No. 3 (7-4-1) in the five-team 
Koufax Division, and Congregation 
Beth Ahm (8-5) was well in front of 
second-place Temple Shir Shalom 
No. 3 (5-8) in the four-team Rosen 
Division.
Regular-season games in the 
Sunday league will continue through 
July 31. That will be followed by three 
weeks of double-elimination playoffs 
that will culminate with division cham-
pionship games Aug. 21.

League games are played at Keith 
and Drake sports parks in West 
Bloomfield.

Temple Israel Teams Battle for Softball Titles

