By Randy Whalen 

Lisa Luangsomkham has already left her mark at Joliet Central.

For over two decades, she's been teaching Social Studies and has been the Co-Sponsor of the Human Relations Club and Rho Kappa. She's been the varsity badminton coach since the 2010-11 season where her teams have won a pair of Southwest Prairie Conference titles, including this past season. 

At the Illinois High School Association State Finals this spring Luangsomkham was also named the 2024 Illinois Association of Badminton Coaches Head Coach of the Year.

Now Luangsomkham is embarking on a new adventure for the Steelmen. She's the Assistant Athletic Director at Joliet Central. 

"The timing is just right," Luangsomkham said of becoming assistant AD. "It's not something scary, it's a natural fit for me to do this. 

"Pretty much I'm picking up the same responsibilities as Kevin (Fitzgerald) had when he was the assistant athletic director. For this fall, my focus is on the lower levels, things like sophomore football games. I'll be doing a lot of supportive roles when Kevin is at a varsity game. 

Fitzgerald, who is now the Athletic Director at Joliet Central, was in the assistant AD role for seven years before stepping in as AD this summer. He knows that Luangsomkham is the right person to step into the supportive assistant role.

"Lisa is an outstanding addition to our athletic department," Fitzgerald said. "As a lifelong Steelmen, she has been deeply involved in athletics and activities throughout her career at Central. With a track record of success in the classroom, on the court, and as an activity sponsor, Lisa embodies the qualities we seek to help elevate our students' experience at Joliet Central."

On April 18, Luangsomkham was honored as a top Joliet Central coach and teacher at the 18th Annual Night of Champions. She is a great success story, having immigrated from Laos to the United States in 1983. Earlier this year, she was named by the IHSA and Country Financial Teacher Spotlight Honoree.

Luangsomkham started coaching in 2009 as the assistant coach for the JTHS girls' badminton program, and she became the head badminton coach for the final season as Joliet Township in 2010. In addition to coaching badminton, Luangsomkham is also the Central freshman girls volleyball coach and the Co-Sponsor of the Human Relations Club and Rho Kappa. She has been teaching Social Studies at Joliet Central for 23 years.

"I'm a 1996 graduate of Joliet West and happy to be in an amazing school district area like Joliet," Luangsomkham said. "How do you be happy in a school? You get involved. I feel so fortunate to have so many people around who have been mentors to me like Tony Juarez at Central. But also Trina Diaz and Donna Thompson, they are the reasons I still play and coach badminton."

The last three years Luangsomkham was in high school, the Joliet Central and West programs were combined as one under the Joliet Township Steelmen.  

The entire Joliet High School experience helped prepare Luangsomkham for what she's doing now.

"I would not have thought that I'd be in an AD position in high school," Luangsomkham. "I just loved badminton and high school.

"In the assistant athletic director role there is a lot of divide and conquer, a lot of supporting roles in the athletic department. I love the relationship part I'm still learning a lot about it. There's a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff."

While Luangsomkham is taking on a new role as the assistant athletic director, she's not giving up any of her current teaching or coaching jobs. That's good for the badminton team, which qualified four for state this past spring.

The Steelmen graduated top singles player, Sophia Baltz, who also made it to state last year in tennis. But doubles players Analiese Gudeman and Audrey Rodriguez, who are now seniors, will look to advance to state for the third straight season. So will Sarai Contreras, who went to state as a sophomore last year.

Yes, I'll continue in my social studies teacher role, teaching five classes," Luangsomkham said. "I also co-sponsor two clubs. Plus, I'm in charge of fundraisers as well as leadership in our building."

Would Luangsomkham want to be an athletic director in the future?

"I'm enjoying the position I have now," she said. "But you never know where life will take you."