Mrs. Betsy Sauer, who served as Athletic Director, P.E. and Health teacher and coach on the Hill for 40 years, passed away in November after battling breast cancer for half her life.

From 1973 to 2003, she led the transformation of Flintridge Sacred Heart’s athletic landscape, helping it turn from a school with limited facilities and sports offerings into a full-fledged facility with a range of sports teams, including golf, soccer and water polo. As athletic director, she collaborated with CIF to advocate for equal opportunities and improved sporting facilities for girls.

In 2004, she transitioned from her role as Athletic Director to physical education teacher, a position she held until her retirement in 2014. During this shift, she mentored Ms. Stephanie Contreras to assume the school’s A.D. role, sharing an office with her and assisting her along the way.

“She always spoke her mind at our meetings. There were just three of us women, and the rest were male ADs [athletic directors]. It was a man’s world but she spoke how she felt and pushed for girls in every way,” Athletic Director Ms. Stephanie Contreras said.

Colleagues describe Mrs. Sauer as easy to work with and universally admired.

“She always put her students and athletes first and it was apparent to those whom she worked with,” Mr. Kirk Nishiyama, math teacher, said. “Betsy always demanded the best from all those she worked with, and she was always fair in how she dealt with people.”

Mrs. Sauer was also known for her organized and well-structured P.E. lesson plans.

“The girls [students] would give her a hard time, saying “This is like AP Phys Ed/Health,” but she really was somebody who was passionate about physical education for young women,” Ms. Contreras said. 

Ms. Siera Kozakar, physics teacher and once a student of Mrs. Sauer’s, describes her time with Mrs. Sauer as insightful and inclusive. 

“When we had Health class…It was always serious and very important to her that we understood [the material] and that she felt like after we left her class we would be able to live healthy lives,” Ms. Kozakar said. “The things she chose for us [students] to do were always things that everybody could be good at. It wasn’t necessarily about your endurance or your strength; it was more like what kind of activities can we do where you have the opportunity to be creative.”

In both teaching and athletics, she was recognized for her consistently serious approach. She worked with Nish as an assistant coach for the cross-country team. Throughout his formative years at Flintridge Sacred Heart, she guided and taught him how to build relationships with student-athletes grounded in mutual respect.

“We were at CIF Finals for cross country, it was pouring rain, and we were waiting for the results to see if we qualified for State. Once the results were posted, and we made it, I turned to her and she was in tears [of joy]. I will never forget that moment,” Nish said. 

Mrs. Sauer enjoyed running half marathons, although she grew up in an era where running was not encouraged for women. She later joined Academic Dean Mrs. Kathy Desmond in trail races and marathons, and for four to five years, they ran together around the Hill after school a couple of times per week. 

“A woman like her, who didn’t have the opportunity to run cross country in her youth, and then, as she transitioned into adulthood, found herself running half marathons – I’m sure for people who see that much change in their lifetime, it’s pretty amazing,” Mrs. Desmond said. 

Mrs. Sauer is in the Flintridge Sacred Heart Athletic Hall of Fame and has left a lasting impression on all those she taught and worked with. Her daughter Jenny is collaborating with the school to organize a memorial scheduled for January.

“I feel like it’s important that we honor her because of her commitment to our school,” Ms. Contreras said. “She’s with us in spirit, and she will always be a part of the Flintridge Sacred Heart community, as her [four] daughters all came here also. She was feisty [and] generous. She had a laugh that was contagious, a smile that made you love being at work. I’ll never forget her dedication and commitment, even when she was not well; she continued to battle in so many ways.”