Bruce Holck of Wesley Chapel won a silver medal at last month’s Florida International Senior Games & State Championships. But the road to that medal began seven decades earlier in a New Jersey home.
“My father had a table in the basement,” Holck said. “That’s what started it all.”
(Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
The game was table tennis, also known as pingpong, and he learned how to play as a young boy. It stayed him over the years, from starting a table tennis club in Delaware to regular games in New York. He then decided to see how he stacked up by joining the Senior Games.
That was 20 years ago.
Holck, 78, competed in the New York Senior Games for a couple of decades, earning medals in both individual and doubles matches. By finishing in the top three in his age group he also earned several berths into the national games, which are held every other year. He won the doubles competition at the national games around 10 years ago.
So when he came to Wesley Chapel last year, Holck knew he wanted to participate in Florida’s version of the games. But with more players here, he had to qualify through a regional system. He attended several regional competitions throughout the state, even after he qualified, to get a feel for the state’s talent and scout out some of the competition.
Holck said the state has excellent players, and he enjoys competing against Florida’s best. He also appreciates playing people in his own age group, which isn’t always possible when he plays recreationally.
“I play in Land O’ Lakes (at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex), and I’m quite sure I’m the oldest person playing there. I’m playing people who are younger and can move quite a bit better than I can now,” Holck said. “When you play in the Senior Games you’re playing somebody in your own age group.”
While Holck said the game is still fun for him — he even enjoys watching competitive table tennis — playing at a top level can be serious business. The game has changed a bit over the decades, he said, from reducing the number of points that make up a game to playing with a slightly larger ball.
But one of the biggest changes is in the paddle. Over time, it’s become a complicated piece of sports equipment. At one time there were simply the traditional rubber dimples on a paddle with nothing behind it. Now there’s a sponge-like material behind the rubber, and different groove designs that will cause different reactions with the ball. And when paddles have different designs on each side, they have different colors so the opponent might predict how the ball will be responding.
For Holck, another thing that’s changed is his age. Over the years he’s retained his hand-eye coordination, but isn’t as fast as he used to be. But he still plays at a high level, so when he defeats a young player, he’s philosophical about the victory.
“I’ll congratulate them and say ‘Well, that’s the last time I’ll be able to beat you because you’re getting better and I’m slowing up,'” Holck said.
But he isn’t slowing up too much, as evidenced by his second-place finish last month in Estero. He also qualified for the national tournament in singles and doubles, but isn’t sure if he’ll travel to Minnesota for the competition next year. His current schedule usually involves weekly play with the locals, and he also has a table at home, like his father did, so he can play when the mood strikes him. Holck even has a special robot that can simulate serves instead of just playing alone against a flat surface.
He also has a supportive wife of 55 years, Louise, who used to play herself. As she got older she let the game go, but she still cheers on her husband in his competitive contests.
“He takes it very seriously. It’s his passion,” she said.
And while he loves table tennis and plans to keep playing, he knows it’s not the most important thing in his life.
“She sometimes claims I think more of table tennis than her,” he said with a laugh. “But that’s not right, of course.”
