Sharon Peterson, an NAIA and UH-Hilo Hall of Fame volleyball coach, said she was fired by Hawaii Prep last week, a little more than a month after Ka Makani returned from the state tournament.
HPA athletic director Steve Perry emailed the Tribune-Herald a blanket statement that neither confirmed nor denied Peterson’s ouster, but contained praising words for her nearly two decades of coaching service.
“As per school policy, HPA does not comment on employment matters,” Perry’s email said. “We are forever indebted to Coach Sharon Peterson for her selfless service, humble leadership and positive energy over the last 17 years. Coach Sharon is a volleyball icon in Hawaii and the nation, and we are so lucky to have had her lead our programs. Sharon’s knowledge of the game and passion for teaching has impacted two generations of student-athletes and coaches at HPA and around our league. We honor Sharon for all she has given to our community and her stellar career accomplishments. She is a true champion.”
Peterson, who noted that she felt blindsided by the firing, left little doubt that coaching is still in her heart.
“Even though it has been over 50 years, I still love coaching,” Peterson said. “I felt I was doing a good job with the students, teaching life skills in addition to volleyball skills.
“To be fired by Mr. (Steve) Perry without warning, never having received a negative evaluation just blindsided me. I hope the school will implement fair and professional policies related to coaches’ evaluations that will prevent this from happening to another coach.”
Peterson has coached at HPA for 17 years, both the boys and girls.
For the girls, Peterson has won four BIIF Division II championships in 2022, 2013, 2011, and 2010, and qualified for states 14 times.
For the boys, she completely changed the program, which was once thought of as a winter training sport for football, and won four BIIF Division II titles in 2018, 2017, 2015, and 2012, the program’s first championship, and took HPA to states 10 times.
Peterson was a seven-time U.S. national team setter, played in the Olympics in 1964 Tokyo and 1968 Mexico.
She played in the Pan American Games in 1967 Columbia, 1971 Canada (gold medal), and the World Games in Japan.
She was a seven-time US Volleyball Association All-American and the national player of the year in 1969 and played in the International Professional Volleyball Association 1975-78.
At UHH, Peterson retired with seven national titles and had over 500 wins from 1978 to 2002. She was a five-time national coach of the year.
