Sharon Riley, Connecticut – 2024
After 30 years of coaching girls’ track & field and cheerleading, Sharon retired in 2024. She also officiated track & field events.
Sharon was the middle school assistant cheerleading coach from 1994 to 2007 and assistant high school cheerleading coach from 2007 to 2022. She volunteered for cheerleading youth focusing on conditioning, cheerleading chants and stunts; she also worked with the CT cheerleading team of the year at North Haven High School.
As the track & field coach from 1987 to 2017, Sharon’s duties included coaching the long jump, triple jump, high jump and hurdles, specifically for girls competing in the heptathlon. It took a few years to learn the skills and techniques required to help her athletes become successful heptathlon competitors. Sharon worked hard to develop the necessary communication skills to find a variety of ways to support and teach her girls. Ultimately, her athletes were very successful in their league and also in state championships. As an official she officiated for the high jump, the long jump or the triple jump events as a member of the CIAC/USATF.
Sharon received the USATF National track and field official committee’s outstanding official award in 2022; she was also recognized by the CT Association of the USATF for her outstanding officiating contributions. She also received the NAACP education award “in appreciation of her selfless dedication to improving the performance levels of her athletes. She created a “Girls Night Out” program that encouraged mothers and daughters to focus on positive self-esteem, a key aspect of athletic competition.