Everyone has their own definition of home. For some, it’s simply where they go to sleep at night. For others, it’s where they grew up, where their friends and family are, or where they’ve built their career. For others still, it’s all those things combined as is the case with Northwest Indiana native, Mike Liesch. Born and raised in Portage, and currently living in Valparaiso, he sees the Region itself as his home and is deeply thankful for all it’s given him.
Liesch currently works as an Office Manager at Reeder’s Auto Service Center. It’s a job he picked up during college, thanks to his ties to the community. He’s found a special appreciation for how his work keeps him engaged with the place he grew up.
“I get to work with a ton of nice people,” said Liesch. “It’s been a part of Portage for such a long time, that a lot of our customers are people I’ve known from when I was younger. It’s a good environment, and all the guys there are great. It makes it easy to get up for work every day.”
A lot of Liesch’s life and circumstances can be traced back to his love for soccer and basketball when he played as a kid. His job at Reeder’s, for example, came from knowing the owner’s son through soccer, but he also works as the Junior Varsity Soccer Coach at Portage High School. The head coach of the basketball team knew him from church, and he also knew that he had played in high school. That led to a position coaching basketball, which snowballed to his current position with the soccer team.
“Interacting with the guys, the youth, is great,” said Liesch. “Being able to teach them things that I’ve learned throughout my years. The head coach back when I was in school basically started Portage Soccer, so it’s nice to be able to give back to them in some way.”
Liesch’s involvement with sports does not end there. He actually entered college with the intention of making a career out of soccer, but found that the time commitment made it feel like work, lowering his love of the game. He transitioned, and graduated from Purdue University North Central (now Purdue University Northwest) with a degree in Liberal Studies. But even now, aside from coaching, he’s started playing in local leagues and volunteers for Portage Youth Basketball and the Portage Soccer Club, where he coaches his son’s teams. To Liesch, there’s not many causes he cares more about than getting kids out and active.
“It’s so important for kids to be getting outside,” said Liesch. “I think that it’s just so good for them to get outside and active. Of course, hopefully it’s fun for them, that’s the biggest thing.”
Portage is also where he met his wife, Katie. They have one eleven year-old son, who currently attends school in Valpo. They make it a goal to try and travel about once a year, and have visited places like Anaheim, Hawaii, and Florida. Though well-traveled, he has no intentions of packing up and leaving the region anytime soon.
“My family is all around here, and my friends are all still here,” said Liesch. “It’s nice to travel every once in a while, but home is home.”