NPJ 2023 SALEM COACHES

NPJ STAFF

With over three decades of coaching experience, Adam is our high energy, enthusiastic and winning leader. He started NPJ in 2009 and the club has grown from 2 teams to 56 teams with squads in Salem, Bend, Portland and Seattle. His 18 Forefront teams have placed in the Top 20 in the country at the USA Volleyball Girls' Junior National Championships.

Adam recognizes talent and has a vast network of college coaches to call upon. Every NPJ athlete who wants to play college volleyball has found an opportunity to do so.

Married to Katie Brewington, the couple resides in Sherwood.

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."

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

Nate started his volleyball career by playing internationally in Europe as a junior, and continued that love for the sport playing as an adult in both the Seattle and Portland areas until his body failed him, and he turned to coaching to fill that hole in his heart.

Nate joins the NPJ family as both the Director of Operations and the Club Director for NPJ Portland.  He brings with him vast experience directing both youth development and club programs as a co-director for YVBA (Youth Volleyball Association). During his 12 years at YVBA, Nate helped grow their club program to one of the CEVA region's top clubs, coaching multiple teams into the top tier (gold), across multiple age groups.

Nate is a avid competitor and a lifelong student of the game.  Constant evaluation and improvement of one's skills and knowledge is something he tries to implement in his daily life, and instill in the players and coaches around him.  He lives in Beaverton with is partner Sarah, daughter Oakley and dog Grayson.

Jen Bolger brings four decades of experience to NPJ as a player, coach and marketing professional. This is her fifth season with NPJ.

For four years prior to her time with NPJ, she was the Membership & Communications Manager for the Columbia Empire Volleyball Association in Beaverton, Oregon, where she managed more than 6,000 members and oversaw a website that was named best in the country by USA Volleyball.

A native of Lothian, Maryland, Bolger played collegiately for Virginia Commonwealth University as a middle blocker, helping the Rams win the Sun Belt Conference championship. After graduating from VCU, Bolger began her coaching career as an assistant for her alma mater before playing professionally on the Jose Cuervo Beach Volleyball Tour in 1987. Bolger was the graduate assistant coach at the University of Massachusetts from 1987-88.

She played professionally for the Racing Club de Cannes in France 1988-89, where the team finished third in the European Cup.

Following her playing career, Bolger was the Director of Marketing for the Molson Pro Beach Volleyball Tour for two years before stints with Club Lauderdale (Fort Lauderdale, FL), McLean High School (McLean, VA), DIVA Club Volleyball (Washington D.C.) and the Washington D.C. Pro Women’s Volleyball Tour.

Coach’s Responsibilities:

1. Provide each player and her family a handbook of protocol and schedule of practices and competitions
2. Establish policies for supervision, training and coaching conduct
3. Provide a communication tree for all families and players
4. Prepare a schedule of drills and objectives prior to each practice
5. Teach proper technique and fundamentals to all players.
6. Teach and model proper strategies for optimal individual skill and team play
7. Communicate clearly to each player her role on the team and redirect her efforts when they stray from the mission
8. Balance hard work, FUN, and discipline during all practices and competitions
9. Provide a positive and trusting environment for all players, including opportunities for reflective discussions and competition debriefing
10. Lead by example: present as a positive role model for all players both on and off the court.
11. Support and encourage all NPJ teams to play with confidence and commitment to winning
12. Prepare each athlete to respond appropriately to a variety of situations that occur both on and off the court.