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Matt Paja began working for the Grand View University athletics department in January 2013, but even avid GV sports fans are unlikely to have seen him. He isn’t usually found on the court or the field, but his contribution to the athletes is evident in every athletics team on campus. Paja is the school’s strength and conditioning coach.

“I think it’s important to have someone in that position who has an overall vision for what he wants our athletes to look like but, more specifically, how he wants us to look like as a (team),” Tina Carter, head women’s volleyball coach, said.

Paja attended Central College, where he pursued a bachelor’s degree in exercise science – strength and conditioning and fell in love with football. After suffering from too many concussions, Paja began working outside of practice with his strength and conditioning coach. His coach gave him internship opportunities once he noticed Paja’s interest in strength and conditioning.

Paja then attended Southwest Minnesota State University to obtain his master’s degree in science of education – sports leadership. He then returned to Iowa and landed his current position at Grand View as the new strength and conditioning coach.

“My passion is to serve others in any way possible that I see fit,” Paja said. “Overall, I look at how can I serve athletes.”

Paja takes on a big responsibility as a strength and conditioning coach. He not only helps in the training room but also does all that he can to help in the classroom and outside of it.

“I help (the athletes) with homework or personal issues, nutrition and body composition,” Paja said. “Whatever I can do to serve them, I will try to find those answers and help them through those processes.”

Paja has made a big impact on many of the athletic teams and their coaches.

“He does a great job in coordinating what he does with each sport,” Lou A. Yacinich, head softball coach, said. “Softball players have become more athletic and are more softball-ready. He’s no doubt helped advance my program.”

In order to develop the perfect training program for individual teams, Paja takes the time to meet with coaches and talk to them about what they want out of their athletes. Paja comes up with a lifting schedule made specifically for each athlete.

“When I set up training programs, I look at three big things: ground-base movements, three-dimensional movements, and multi-joint movements,” Paja said.

Although Paja works with almost 700 students a year, he never forgets his main purpose.

“I ask myself the same questions every day,” Paja said. “Did I actually get to every one of my athletes? Did I find a way to affect every kid that I work with? I have to constantly check with myself to make sure I’m doing all that I can to help these kids.”