Sharon Leung: Our Unsung Champion
by Jeremy Evans ’93 and Jeremy Seehafer,
High School Humanities Teachers
High School Humanities Teachers
Jeremy Evans ’93 and Jeremy Seehafer have been coaching HKIS Varsity Boys Basketball and Baseball respectively for over 15 years. The successes of their teams have been possible throughout by HKIS’s departing Athletic Director of 26 years, Sharon Leung.
Ms. Leung presenting awards at a local volleyball invitational tournament.
Sharon Leung has been an essential and beloved leader in our HKIS community for over 25 years. She’s a winning volleyball coach, an avid tennis player, a proud mother of two collegiate athletes, and an incredible Athletic Director (AD), promoting competition and sportsmanship at the highest level.
Her merits as an AD need no embellishment. She’s expertly navigated the mercurial local leagues as well as our regional Far East, APAC, and China Cup conferences, all while retaining our HKIS identity as an American-style sports powerhouse. Her celebration of graduating athletes at “Senior Night” and at “Signing Day” breakfasts are just some of the ways she’s honored our proud, half a century sports tradition. She does all the gritty work too: running scoreboards, organizing Friday Night Lights and Olympic games for Dragon Days, hosting pep rallies, caring for injured athletes, and even personally housing visiting athletes when homestay situations became untenable.
Her merits as an AD need no embellishment. She’s expertly navigated the mercurial local leagues as well as our regional Far East, APAC, and China Cup conferences, all while retaining our HKIS identity as an American-style sports powerhouse. Her celebration of graduating athletes at “Senior Night” and at “Signing Day” breakfasts are just some of the ways she’s honored our proud, half a century sports tradition. She does all the gritty work too: running scoreboards, organizing Friday Night Lights and Olympic games for Dragon Days, hosting pep rallies, caring for injured athletes, and even personally housing visiting athletes when homestay situations became untenable.
Top: Coaching her girls volleyball team. Bottom: Honoring our collegiate athletes with Torch on the Island.
Beyond her dedication and administrative talents, Sharon has a passion for sports and heart for people. She is beloved and respected by HKIS athletes, coaches, and the student body at large. She advocates for fairness and parity for boys and girls teams, and cheerleads for the less high-profile sports. And no one can settle a rowdy crowd like Sharon. When she gets on the mic, people listen. When student athletes struggle to make the right choices, she mentors them. When she makes an honest mistake, she owns it and makes it right. That’s what leaders do.
Those of us coaches who, for years, have attended tournaments around the region realize that we’ve had one of the best international school ADs in Sharon Leung. When Covid dealt a blow to our sports programs, Sharon displayed incredible resilience and dexterity. She’s found ways to support our training, arranged modified tournaments, and continued to support our athletes and coaches in difficult circumstances. Through it all, she has remained an optimistic voice. She makes coaches feel valued and respected through encouraging words and concrete action. HKIS athletes and coaches always know she has our backs.
Those of us coaches who, for years, have attended tournaments around the region realize that we’ve had one of the best international school ADs in Sharon Leung. When Covid dealt a blow to our sports programs, Sharon displayed incredible resilience and dexterity. She’s found ways to support our training, arranged modified tournaments, and continued to support our athletes and coaches in difficult circumstances. Through it all, she has remained an optimistic voice. She makes coaches feel valued and respected through encouraging words and concrete action. HKIS athletes and coaches always know she has our backs.
The Early Years: Ms. Leung with colleagues in 2000 (L) and 1999 (R).
Sharon plans to divide her time between her North Carolina beach house and continued involvement in athletics both in Hong Kong and the United States. We are so grateful to her for always striving to create the best quality experience for our athletes. She will be dearly missed, but we look forward to seeing her around campus, coaching and helping run our tournaments. On behalf of a grateful HKIS community, Sharon, we shout from the bleachers and give you your flowers for the champion you are.
Stay in touch with Ms. Leung!
hkshazza63@gmail.com
hkshazza63@gmail.com