When the Stanford women’s basketball team was playing at Texas, TV commentator Rebecca Lobo noted that the Cardinal players were in better condition than their Longhorn counterparts.
Credit for that condition goes to the Cardinal women’s hard work and to Susan Borchardt, the woman who oversees that hard work. Susan, who was a Cardinal guard for four years before graduating in 2005, has recently started her new job as the team’s sports performance coach, a.k.a. strength and conditioning coach. She also works with the synchronized swimming team.
Her duties with the basketball team include weight training, conditioning, recovery and regeneration, and nutrition, which “plays a huge role in what we do,” she said during a recent FBC interview at Maples Pavilion. For example, she helps the players plan for their meals when they don’t have a break between classes and practice. “We try to help them make healthy choices.”
When the team has a 7 p.m. game, the players meet for their pre-game meal at 2:30 p.m., when the menu is always the same: a lean chicken breast, whole wheat pasta with marinara sauce, broccoli, a salad bar and lots of liquids.
It’s important to get hydrated well before the game rather than waiting until the last minute she said. It’s also important to stick to the same routine so that the players’ systems are used to it, thus avoiding upsets. The players pack a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for a boost closer to game time.
The team tries to stick to the same routine on the road, when – as always – Susan encourages the players to eat lots of fruits and vegetables. They usually have chocolate milk in the locker room to replenish their bodies after road games. They eat all of their meals together.
The home locker room is stocked with Muscle Milk as the post-game drink to help with the replenishment. Then the players are encouraged to go out for a meal, using their per diem allowance.
She has a set routine for pre-game warmups, starting with dynamic stretching, though sometimes she’ll vary the routine for particular players and their opponents. After going to the locker room for final words from head coach Tara VanDerveer, it’s back to the court for basketball warmups. Susan usually assists by passing the ball for certain drills.
As a former Stanford player, “This has been an extra special opportunity to come back,” she said. Because “I’ve been in their shoes,” she has a good understanding of what it takes to be a part of the team. The players respect what she has to say for the same reason.
Susan “was one of the hardest working players we have ever had in our program,” Tara said in announcing Susan’s appointment in September. “In addition to her outstanding work ethic, she brings terrific energy and expertise to a very important position,” Tara said.
Referring to her hard work at Stanford, Susan said, “I try to bring that to the table.” She added that the team’s mantra is “we’re going to outwork you.” Speed is a part of that mantra, and not just for the guards. “We have post players who want to run,” she said, noting that senior forward Nneka Ogwumike “is our fastest sprinter” in drills.
Even before the team began practicing under the coaches’ supervision this fall, Susan was in the weight room working with them on conditioning. “They have to put in the effort,” she said. As a result, “they’re very, very strong.”
“Part of my job is keeping people ready to go” when they haven’t been playing much. One never knows when circumstances will change and a player has to step in on short notice. Even if someone is injured, Susan helps her to be ready to play when she’s medically cleared. She works closely with athletic trainer Marcella Shorty to stay apprised of players’ conditions.
Although she works hard with the team, she also has fun, and she’s passionate about her job and the team. “They’re all really nice people,” she said.
When told that some players tweeted about having dinner with the 1992 national championship team after the Gonzaga game and feeling the sisterhood, Susan said, “We have such a great basketball family” with the tradition passed from one class to the next. For example, when guard Candice Wiggins, ’08, was a freshman, she and Susan were roommates for road trips.
Susan was known as Susan King when she started her Stanford playing career, but she married Curtis Borchardt, a player on the Stanford men’s team, during her junior year before he left to play in the NBA and then overseas. Now he’s back on campus, rehabbing from hip surgery while completing his degree.
He’s also playing a valuable role as daddy to the couple’s three children: 19-month-old Finley and 4-month-old twins Flory and Avery. A nanny helps, too, but “it’s a challenge” to balance the demands of job and family, Susan said.
While at Stanford, Susan majored in psychology with a specialty in health and development. During her four years here, the team played in four NCAA tournaments, advancing to the regional finals in 2004 and 2005. She earned several Pac 10 honors for her athletic and academic achievements.
After graduation, she played for the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx in her home state for a year. She served as assistant coach and strength and conditioning specialist for her husband’s professional team in Spain for three years. She then earned her master’s degree in exercise science from California University of Pennsylvania in 2010.
She holds several certifications, including Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, Performance Enhancement Specialist and Specialist in Performance Nutrition.
Now, as she looks to her new job at Stanford, “It’s going to be fun to see how this team progresses” with its six freshmen. “This is a team that’s improving by the day,” she concluded.
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