Suze Gardner

Club Director / Water Polo Coach

Suze accepted the role of Club Director in November 2007 after serving three and a half years as BAC’s Head Water Polo Coach. Suze stepped into the Director position with substantial experience regarding the club’s inner workings and knowledge about what is needed to boost BAC’s success both locally and nationally. Her primary objective as Director is to work together with the staff to create an environment within which all athletes feel inspired and supported to achieve their own personal goals.

Coaching Experience:

Suze has been coaching in Burlingame since 2003. As the Burlingame High School Girls’ coach she has led her team to the CCS tournament three times, including the team’s first ever CCS berth. The team has twice reached the tournament quarterfinals and has had athletes named to the all-tournament rosters.

As a coach at BAC Suze has primarily worked with the high school level girls and the 14 & Under program. The girls teams have participated in many high level tournaments, including the National Junior Olympics, the Sacramento Valley Invite, the Maui Invitational, and local competitive leagues in the Pacific Zone. The 14 & Under program has grown under Suze’s guidance and has produced many young players that have gone on to have immediate impact at the high school level.

In addition to her coaching work in Burlingame, Suze spent the summer of 2004 as both Aquatics Camp Director and Water Polo Camp Director for Sacred Heart Preparatory in Atherton, where she developed and implemented daily schedules and activities for children aged 6-14.  She is currently the assistant coach for the Pacific Zone Girls’ Youth Team, a team that trains under the guidance of the USA National Team Program and that develops athletes for international competition. Suze is also a current member of the Positive Coaching Alliance. 

Playing Experience:

As a high school athlete Suze was a four-year letterman at Menlo School, 1992-96. In 1996 she led her team to an undefeated season and the first girls’ CCS championship in history. For her efforts she was named the 1996 CCS Player of the Year. She was inducted into the Menlo School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006.

Suze earned an athletic scholarship to Stanford University where she majored in English. She was named 1st team All-American in 1997 & 1998, 2nd team All-MPSF in 1997, 1st team All-MPSF in 1998, and was on the All-Tournament Team for the Aloha Classic in 1998. She led her team to a 4th place finish nationally in 1997, followed by a 3rd place finish nationally in 1998. She was on the Collegiate Nationals All-Tournament 1st Team in both 1997 & 1998. During her freshman year she set the school’s all-time scoring record which has since been broken by former Olympian and teammate Ellen Estes.

Suze was a member of the United States Junior National Team from 1996-98 and a member of the United States Senior National Team in 1998. She was named the U.S. MVP of the North American Tournament in Ottawa, Canada, 1996. She competed with the US National Team in Hungary, Yugoslavia, the Netherlands, and Canada, helping the team to a 1st place tournament finish in Yugoslavia, 1998.

Contact Suze - suze@burlingameaquatics.com