NPJ Staff

Paula is NPJ Seattle’s Club Director and we are lucky to have her. Her vast experience in and out of volleyball is a true asset to our players, coaches, and parents. She uses her knowledge and passion for the game to serve each group well and brings a level of commitment that is unmatched.

Paula played college volleyball as an Outside Hitter at LCSC, and where she started coaching others. She ran high school programs in Idaho and Eastern Washington prior to moving to the Seattle area.  She coached three seasons at Tacoma Community College. Paula has a BA in Psychology from Phoenix University and a Masters from Walden University in Industrial and Organizational Psychology (specializing in forensic psychology).

Paula has coached club volleyball for 30 years, started with a smaller clubs in Idaho and Seattle area then moved to Kent Juniors and now with NPJ.  She has helped lead all programs to great heights and is one of the region's premier coaches and directors. In addition to coaching club, Paula has coached in other high-level environments including: USA Volleyball for 16 years and the Head of Delegation for the Men’s Junior National Team in Peru in 2018, Director of the PSR High Performance program for five years, and Head Coach of the PSR Semi-Pro Team for 4 years. Traveling around the country with these programs has allowed Paula to continue to increase her volleyball network and relationships with college coaches.  

In Paula's successful coaching career, she has led teams to many tournament wins, regional championships, and earned bids to the Girls Junior National Championships In nearly every division with multiple bids in the Open, National, and American divisions including one championship win in the Patriot division and top 36 showings in the country in different age groups.  Paula's love and knowledge of the game is infectious, and she loves to share it with all those in the gym. Her preparation, practice structure, and game plans help every student-athlete strive to be better and gain the ability to compete at the next level. 

The past several seasons, Kurt has assisted with our 17s and 18s teams.  This year he moves into the position of Assistant Club Director in Seattle.  Kurt will assist with oversight of our teams, player/parent guidelines, chaperones, communication, social media, facility management, tournament management, and team travel. 

Kurt has spent more than a decade as an involved parent of his two daughters as they competed in the regional and national youth volleyball programs, in college, and one is currently a professional athlete. Kurt has also worked with the regional HP teams while his wife, Paula (our Seattle Club Director) ran the program.

Kurt carries a strong commitment to safety within our program and comes from a competitive background in basketball, having played in college. In his free time Kurt spends time with family and travels as time allows.

Kurt looks forward to his new role as Seattle's Assistant Club Director Coach and continuing to learn from the excellent staff and coaches in the NPJ-Seattle program.

Adam is the Senior Director/Founder of NPJ, and also serves as the head coach of Salem’s 18 Forefront team. Since 2017, NPJ 18 Forefront has become a perennial power with five top 25 finishes or final rankings in the country. 

With over 25 years of experience as a development and performance coach, Adam has grown NPJ into the premier volleyball club in the pacific northwest. NPJ was founded by Adam in 2009 with two teams practicing out of Albany and Lebanon, OR. Today, NPJ has more than 70 teams across four different locations.

Adam’s long-running, and proven, track record of connecting club players with his vast network of college coaches gives you the confidence to pursue your dreams of playing in college. With his help every single NPJ graduate who has wanted to play in college has had the opportunity to do so. Adam’s commitment to helping you receive an opportunity to play goes above and beyond, and with him by your side, the choice is yours. If you’re serious about playing in college, Adam’s the coach that will help make it happen.

Last December, Adam and his wife Katie Ellis had their new baby girl, Charlie. The three of them live in Sherwood, OR.

Courtney has been coaching with NPJ since November of 2014 and she has been in a Director role since 2017. She has coached at all levels from our developmental programs to the 18s platinum division. 

Last coached 2020 18 National Bend.

Courtney moved to Bend in June of 2017 and she lives there with her husband Brenden, daughter Sophie, and their dog Axel.

"My goal as a coach and Director is to have my athletes walk away with knowledge, technique and passion for the game while having a fun and memorable experience."

courtneyshaffer@npjvolleyball.org

Mike Gee is a volleyball coach, developer, and medal-winning technical coordinator who supports and empowers you to find what works best for you, unlocking new levels of performance that you can measure. Mike is passionate about motor learning and player development, and openly shares all of his knowledge with anyone looking to be a better player or coach. 

This is Mike's seventh year coaching at NPJ, and his 20th year coaching volleyball overall. He has a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of California, Berkeley. One thing you'll hear him say a lot is, "it's cool to be nice, so be cool."