3STEP Sports Acquires North Pacific Juniors Volleyball Club

3STEP Sports, the nation's largest and most impactful youth sports club and event operator, has acquired North Pacific Juniors Volleyball Club (NPJ), adding another foundational volleyball organization in the vertical's expansion into the Pacific Northwest.

NPJ was founded by Adam Ellis with two teams in Albany and Lebanon, Ore. The club quickly expanded over the years and now has more than 70 teams in four locations: Salem (the hub), Bend, Portland and Seattle. In Salem, the club operates out of the NPJ Sports Complex, which features 38,000 square feet, six courts and in-house chiropractic, massage and nutrition centers. NPJ also has facilities in its three other locations.

NPJ features year-round programming for girls and boys of all ages. There is a robust in-house recruiting program and the club takes pride in the fact that everyone who has sought to play college volleyball has done so. NPJ also has a large beach volleyball program with beach offered at each location. In Bend, the club operates five beach volleyball courts and runs programming and tournaments.

"We strive to improve the whole athlete and make a difference in kids' lives," said Ellis. "We do play at a high level, but we're much more than that. We have an open practice policy where kids can practice with any team. Plus, we only practice two days a week. There are more opportunities to play if kids want to, but we don't force it. We're family first and school and volleyball second. We have the best coaches in the area and want to help kids develop into great players and individuals."

The 3STEP reach spans 43 states and serves more than 3.2 million athletes across nine sports through industry-leading events, nationally spanning club programs, premier media content and more. 3STEP was founded by David Geaslen, who sought to create better experiences and more opportunities for athletes and their families. The mission of 3STEP is to be the standard of the youth sports experience and create consistency in the industry. 3STEP also partners with the non-profit charity Mission Win, which aims to transform the lives of children through sports participation, leadership training and professional development.

"Adam Ellis has used his personal experiences to come up with a unique approach to training the whole athlete," said Geaslen. "NPJ cares about their kids more than individual or team success. As we have expanded our volleyball group in a short time, we have looked for the best clubs on and off the court. NPJ is the best in the Pacific Northwest and we're thrilled to welcome them into our family."

To learn more about 3STEP Sports, go to www.threestep.com

For more on NPJ, go to npjvolleyball.com