'She Never Gave Up': East Islip Soccer Star Kayla Saager-Beckley Remembered After Sudden Death

EAST ISLIP, NY — Kayla Saager-Beckley, a former East Islip High School soccer standout who went on to play professionally and coach at the collegiate level, died Sept. 9 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She was 30.

Saager-Beckley was pregnant with her first child, a daughter named Sawyer, who also died.

Her death has prompted an outpouring of tributes from former coaches, colleagues and university athletic programs, with those who knew her remembering a fierce competitor whose warmth, resilience and love of family extended far beyond the soccer field.

Her husband, John Beckley, has announced that a funeral Mass for Kayla and Sawyer will be held Sept. 26 in East Islip, followed by a celebration of life.

For Kayla and Sawyer 💛
The Bee Foundation:https://t.co/rldnIrafmr@thebeefoundatio

St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital:https://t.co/4uz92KezY7@StJudeResearch pic.twitter.com/ZZ0GxCdqAz

Binghamton University women's soccer coach Neel Bhattacharjee, who attended Saager-Beckley's wedding on Long Island in June, recalled a woman whose competitive intensity on the soccer field was matched by her warmth and affection for the people in her life.

In an interview with Patch on Thursday, Bhattacharjee said Saager-Beckley had a particularly close relationship with her father, Ron. Bhattacharjee also said Saager-Beckley became fond of his own daughters, who were 6 and 4 years old when Saager-Beckley played at Binghamton.

The girls were equally fond of her.

"She took a big liking to them. They took a big liking to her," Bhattacharjee told Patch.

He said her interactions with his daughters reflected her natural ability to connect with young people, particularly girls, and the genuine care she showed for others.

A Chance To Leave A Legacy

Bhattacharjee first learned about Saager-Beckley shortly after taking over Binghamton's women's soccer program at the end of 2015.

One of his first hires was assistant coach Taylor Schramm, who had been a graduate assistant at West Virginia University and knew Saager-Beckley was planning to transfer.

Schramm encouraged him to pursue the East Islip native, describing her as a talented goal scorer who could make a significant contribution if she remained healthy.

Saager-Beckley had already attended North Carolina State University and West Virginia, but injuries and limited playing time had prevented her from establishing herself.

When she visited Binghamton, Bhattacharjee explained his vision for rebuilding a program that had struggled to compete. He believed she could make an immediate impact, but both understood there were uncertainties.

Saager-Beckley was taking a chance on a coach trying to rebuild a program, while Bhattacharjee was taking a chance on a player with a history of knee injuries.

"She knew what she wanted," Bhattacharjee said. "She just wanted an opportunity to play, to prove herself. I told her this is a place where you could come in and have a legacy," he recalled.

It proved to be an opportunity that changed the trajectory of both Saager-Beckley's career and Binghamton's soccer program.

After finishing last in the America East conference the previous season, Binghamton compiled an 11-4-4 record in 2017 and earned a share of the conference's regular-season championship.

Saager-Beckley scored 11 goals and recorded 29 points that season, earning America East Striker of the Year, first-team All-ECAC and second-team All-Region honors.

She scored another conference-best 11 goals in 2018, again earning all-conference and all-region recognition.

Across her two seasons with the Bearcats, she scored 22 goals and served as a team captain. Her Binghamton career averages of 0.53 goals and 1.51 points per game rank first in the program's Division I era, according to the university.

Her success came despite significant physical setbacks.

Bhattacharjee said Saager-Beckley had undergone three knee surgeries by the time she arrived at Binghamton, her third college. While other athletes might have decided to end their playing careers, he said, her determination and love for soccer kept her going.

"She had been through three knee surgeries, and she never gave up," Bhattacharjee said.

Her accomplishments at Binghamton were the culmination of a soccer career that began in East Islip, where she earned All-State honors while playing for East Islip High School.

Her club soccer and Olympic Development Program experience also took her overseas. In 2013, her ODP team won gold at the International Kuban Spring Championship in Sochi, Russia, according to Binghamton.

'Full Of Laughter And Always Fun To Be Around'

Saager-Beckley's contributions to Binghamton extended beyond soccer.

John Hartrick, a Binghamton athletics communications official who knew her during her college years, recalled someone who immersed herself in several aspects of the athletic department.

In addition to her responsibilities as a student-athlete, Saager-Beckley worked as an intern in Hartrick's communications office and served as a camera operator for ESPN broadcasts of other sports.

"So many of us knew Kayla during her time at Binghamton because she was friendly and immersed herself in our department," Hartrick said in an email to Patch. "As talented and intense a competitor as she was on the soccer field, she was equally dynamic and intentional in everything else she did off the field. Kayla was full of laughter and always fun to be around. She had an outgoing personality and a joy for life and family."

Bhattacharjee similarly remembered Saager-Beckley as someone who expressed her emotions openly, whether she was disappointed after a loss or celebrating an accomplishment with her teammates.

"If she was ever frustrated or disappointed after a loss, you would know it," he told Patch. "But if she was really thrilled, it was something that she had achieved, or something that the team had done. You know, she'd be beaming with pride on that as well."

He also recalled her "big, beautiful, radiant smile" and the warmth she brought to those around her.

In the university's official tribute, Bhattacharjee described her contributions as foundational to its continued success.

"To this day we stand on her shoulders," he said.

A Career Beyond Binghamton

After graduating from Binghamton in 2019 with a sociology degree, Saager-Beckley pursued professional soccer in the Czech Republic before transitioning into coaching.

She spent four years on the women's soccer staff at Troy University in Alabama, where she also earned a master's degree in health and physical education.

Bhattacharjee said he remained in contact with her after graduation and provided a reference when Troy's then-head coach, Stuart Gore, contacted him about her.

Even as her career took her away from New York, Saager-Beckley remained invested in Binghamton's soccer program.

"She was proud that this was her alma mater," Bhattacharjee said. "She was proud of the program."

He credited her with helping establish a team culture that Binghamton continued to build upon after her graduation.

Their relationship also extended beyond soccer.

When Saager-Beckley invited Bhattacharjee and his wife, Mary, to her wedding on Long Island in early June, they gladly accepted.

The couple celebrated with Kayla, her sisters, her parents and her husband, John Beckley.

Most recently, Saager-Beckley had transitioned into college soccer scouting and recruiting. She and her husband moved to Tulsa, where Beckley coaches football at the University of Tulsa.

Her influence at Troy also continued after she left the university.

In a Sept. 16 tribute, Troy athletic director Kyle George remembered Saager-Beckley as someone whose impact extended throughout the athletic department. He said she remained connected to the university after moving to Tulsa and served as a role model for young women.

"Kayla always found the positive in each situation and each day," George wrote. "The best way we can honor her is by continuing that legacy."

Tulsa Football Team To Honor Her

Saager-Beckley's death has also deeply affected the University of Tulsa football program.

During a Sept. 14 televised news conference, Tulsa head football coach Tre Lamb addressed her death and the impact it has had on the team's coaching staff and their families.

Lamb said Saager-Beckley had been working out on the morning of Sept. 9 and was found unresponsive about 10 minutes later.

Lamb said the loss had been particularly difficult for Beckley, his fellow coaches and their families.

The program held a memorial for Saager-Beckley and plans to honor her with a helmet sticker during its Sept. 19 home game against East Texas A&M.

.@TulsaFootball head coach @CoachTreLamb9 opened his weekly press conference this afternoon by taking a moment to remember Kayla, the wife of outside linebackers coach John Beckley. Kayla passed away suddenly on Wednesday. The team will honor her with a helmet sticker. #ReignCane pic.twitter.com/NvCQCHxO2y

A cause of death has not been publicly established.

Family Announces Memorial Services In East Islip

Saager-Beckley's husband, John Beckley, shared a memorial announcement on social media Wednesday honoring his wife and their unborn daughter.

"Kayla was a beautiful, loving, and unforgettable soul whose laughter, kindness, and love touched so many lives," the announcement reads. "She and Sawyer will forever remain in the hearts of all who knew and loved them."

A funeral Mass for Kayla and Sawyer is scheduled for 10:15 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, at St. Mary's Church, 20 Harrison Ave., East Islip.

A celebration of life will follow at the Ancient Order of Hibernians, 65 Champlin Ave., East Islip.

Family and friends are invited to gather to remember Kayla, celebrate her life and honor Sawyer, according to the announcement.

In place of flowers, the family is requesting donations in Kayla and Sawyer's memory to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or The Bee Foundation, an organization supporting brain aneurysm awareness, education, prevention and research.

Donations may be made through the organizations' websites here and here.

Saager-Beckley is survived by her husband, her parents, Ron and Noranne, and her sisters, Rachel and Veronica, according to Binghamton University.

"She deserved so much more time and we are all devastated for her entire family," Hartrick told Patch. "She will never be forgotten at Binghamton."

Bhattacharjee said he hopes people in East Islip, particularly young soccer players, remember more than Saager-Beckley's accomplishments on the field.

"I know it's obviously a tragic story, but one that I hope people really understand just how much of a legacy she's leaving behind," Bhattacharjee said.