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Sue Stimac Verduin is a former PTA president, the co-chair of the Ballard High School Athletic Booster Club and co-chair of the Ballard High School Foundation's Golf Classic. She’s also a Seattle University Hall of Fame athlete, a coach with over 16 years of experience, a former business woman, and a mother of two.

She has held many titles in the Ballard community and she’s about to get another one.

On January 14th, the Ballard High School Basketball program will retire her #15 jersey, the first female basketball player to receive this honor.

Verduin played varsity basketball at BHS from 1975 to 1978, received honors for both league and region, and was Student Athlete of the year in 1978. She also played varsity tennis and was the first to compete at the state tournament during her senior year.

She continued her athletic career at Seattle University where she played varsity basketball until 1982. She received All–American honors during her junior and senior seasons and was Student Athlete of the year 1981. Her #33 jersey was retired and she was inducted into the SU Hall of Fame.

“It’s nice to receive that recognition,” Verduin said about the upcoming jersey retirement ceremony. “I’m proud of my school to recognize female players.”

Billy Rodgers, the BHS boys basketball coach, said the honor is well-deserved.

“Sue is an advocate for Ballard and is a tireless worker on behalf of the students at Ballard.  Her leadership is inspiring and sets a model for a school, its parents and community.  Her playing career speaks for itself and it is a well deserved honor for her to be placed on the Wall of Honor with Michael Johnson, Kim Stewart, and George Irvine,” Rodgers said.

But despite her impressive athletic career, it’s what she does for the community that has earned her so much love and respect of the years.

“Sue is a warm and caring person who has been a long time supporter of the Ballard Boys and Girls Club,” said Mark Hendricks, Executive Director of the Ballard Boys and Girls Club. "She is always supporting the club via our special events like the auction."

“She does so much in the community,” added Sue Eriksen, Verduin’s friend.

“She’s constantly helping where there’s a need. She does it with such grace and it inspires others to step forward and get involved. She’s Ballard through and through.”

Born and raised in Ballard, Verduin went as far as Capitol Hill for college before returning home to Ballard.

She considered Washington State University only for a second before deciding that Pullman was simply too far away.

“I’m a home grown girl,” Verduin admits. “You don’t have to leave Ballard if you don’t want to. Everything is here.”

Everything for her means her family, community and opportunities for children.

Her father was Croatian and her mother’s family Norwegian. As such, heritage, family and community are important to her. She said she loved Ballard because it offers a community within a city.

Ever since she started her own family, she’s been active in assuring that children in Ballard have great academic and athletic opportunities.

When her eldest attended Loyal Heights Elementary School, she joined the PTA and worked to bring foreign language classes to the school.

“She enjoys watching kids play and learn and opens up opportunities for them in sports and academics,” said Eriksen who met Verduin eight years ago at a Loyal Heights PTA meeting.

Verduin has also been active in the Chamber of Commerce and helped with the Seafood Fest.

“It’s such a great community event but organizing it is like getting married every year,” she joked.

Verduin started coaching right out of college.

"I did it mostly as a hobby," she said. Verduin has since racked up 16+ years of experience in coaching youth teams.

“She loves to do anything to do with sports with the kids,” Eriksen said. “And as a coach, she doesn’t just teach skills, she works on character development in these kids.”

Verduin said she would teach the kids about confidence and character by practicing little things like eye contact, proper handshakes and speaking in front of people.

“Those things are important for making a good impression on their future coaches and employers,” she said.

Veduin would watch games with the kids and assign them the homework of following their favorite player in the newspapers and reading quotes out loud in front of the team.

“She has a great ability to keep them motivated and positive during thick or thin.  I always like how she takes time to stop and talk to kids wherever she is, pushing them to learn to be comfortable speaking with adults. She often had her players get up to present at the end-of-season events parents attend,” Eriksen said.

When asked if she considers herself a role model she humbly replied, "If so then I hope it’s a positive one.”

Over the years she has coached many kids and she said she enjoys watching them grow up.

Her own two kids are now third generation Beavers and both play on the varsity basketball teams.

She has retired from coaching and said she’s “enjoying being a fan.”

Verduin said athletics are important because it keeps you focused to do well in your academics.

“If you don’t do well academically, you can’t play,” she said.

In her time, college ball was as high a female basketball players could get as there were no professional teams yet.

“I attended Seattle U to play sports. School was the frosting on the cake. But as a woman, academics was your future,” Verduin said, who graduated with a Business degree and Magna Cum Laude standing on top of all her athletic achievements.

She considers her family to be her biggest achievement and even if she could have played professionally after college, she would have done everything exactly the way she has done them.

"Basketball, career. mother - there's fulfillment in all of them," Verduin said.

“I’m fortunate to be able to be a mom and not having to juggle being a mom and having a job.”

Even without a job, Verduin has been a very busy woman. She currently serves as co-chair of the BHS Athletic Booster Club and recently took on the position of co-chair of the BHS Foundation's golf tournament as well.

In a few years her kids will move on to college and Verduin said she might find the time then to take up tennis again and maybe take golf lessons.

This will come in handy for the annual Ballard High School Gold Classic which raises money for BHS athletics and which Verduin will help organize.

The Jersey Retirement Ceremony takes place on Friday, Jan 14, in the Ballard High School Gymnasium after the 6:30 p.m. girls varsity basketball game.
A dinner and program will be held on Saturday starting at 6 p.m. in the school’s Commons. Proceeds will be donated to BHS Girls’ Basketball in Sue’s honor.

Neighborhood Gems is a feature series highlighting the unsung heroes in the community. Know anyone who should be featured? Let us know! anner@robinsonnews.com