Australian Army Private Jerome Leong has returned to Solomon Islands as a volleyball coach and mentor with the Australian Defence Force's International Sports Program, the Australian High Commission said.

Leong, a dental assistant with the Army, was born in Sydney and moved to Honiara with his family when he was three. He spent most of his childhood in Chinatown, attended local schools and was introduced to sport in the classroom.

He said opportunities to keep playing outside school were limited at the time.

"Sport was part of the school day, but it stopped when the bell rang," Leong said.

Leong said he did not feel he was missing out because he did not know organised sport outside school existed. He enjoyed volleyball, but chances to play competitively or receive coaching beyond school were rare.

At 11 he moved back to Australia to continue his education, where his school had a volleyball team that travelled to competitions and tournaments. He said it was something completely new for him.

After joining the ADF, volleyball again became part of his life through Defence sport, and he was later offered the chance to return to Solomon Islands as a coach. Leong said he was excited when he found out, and felt he needed to come back and share what he had learned in Australia.

His first language returned within hours, helping bridge communication between the ADF team and local participants, the high commission said. Many had played only informal volleyball and were keen to learn the skills needed to grow the sport in their communities.

Standing at Lawson Tama Stadium, just outside his childhood home, Leong said opportunities like the programme did not exist when he was growing up. Where organised volleyball once did not exist, there are now dedicated courts, teams and regular competitions.

He said he was struck by the talent he saw, including young beach volleyball players training without a coach, and wondered where they could be with regular coaching and support.

Leong said being able to gain experience and knowledge overseas and then come back and share it made him happy, and that returning home, reconnecting with family and helping the next generation of athletes had been a good feeling.

During the programme he also supervised students from Burns Creek SDA school playing volleyball, according to the release.