Photo by Chris Wagner.

Are you interested in skydiving competition and looking to support the U.S. Parachute Team in a substantive way? If so, then consider applying to become a team manager or even head of delegation. USPA is looking to fill one head of delegation position and individual team manager positions for the six U.S. Teams—Artistic Events, Canopy Formation, Canopy Piloting, Formation Skydiving, Speed Skydiving and Wingsuit Flying—that will be competing at the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale World Championships at Skydive Arizona in Eloy in October, as well as the U.S. Accuracy Landing Team that will be competing at the FAI World Championships in the Czech Republic in July.  

The head of delegation serves as the official onsite U.S. spokesperson at events, coordinates communication between all parties and handles much of the required paperwork. Team managers—which also travel with their teams to the events—are responsible for all logistics and practicalities before, during and after competitions. These unpaid volunteer positions (USPA does provide a stipend to help offset expenses) are integral to the success of our U.S. athletes on the world stage. The role is challenging—it requires great leadership ability and organizational skills, as well as basic knowledge of competition rules. It is also very rewarding—you get to spend time with top athletes from around the world and immerse yourself in competition, all while supporting your U.S. Parachute Team in a direct and valuable way.  

See below to learn more! 

U.S. Parachute Team Management 

Thank you for your interest in joining the U.S. Parachute Team! You will find everything you need to know about these positions in the Skydiver’s Competition Manual, Chapter 4. Below you will find a brief description of what this role entails to help guide you in the process of managing the members of the U.S. Parachute Team. 

Individuals who are interested in any of the following positions should submit a letter of interest to the Director of Competition (competition@uspa.org), who will present the list of candidates to the USPA Competition Committee for discussion and selection of this year’s leadership team. 

July 18-23, 2022 - Strakonice, Czech Republic 
37th FAI World Freefall Style and Accuracy Landing Championships 

Head of Delegation 
Accuracy Landing Team Manager 

October 10-17 (CF, CP, WS) and October 19-27 (AE, FS, SP), 2022 – Arizona, USA 
Multiple World Championships 

Head of Delegation 
Artistic Events Team Manager 
Canopy Formation Team Manager 
Canopy Piloting Team Manager 
Formation Skydiving Team Manager 
Speed Skydiving Team Manager 
Wingsuit Flying Team Manager 

U.S. Parachute Head of Delegation Position Brief 

• Serves at the official spokesperson for the entire U.S. delegation on foreign soil. 
• Serves as the conduit for all official information and correspondence between the team leaders and the WPC Organizers, U.S. ISC delegate, and USPA Board and staff. 
• Ensures that the registration forms, entry fees, delegation travel arrangements, pre-event training arrangements, and other official delegation obligations are fulfilled by the team manager(s) in a timely manner. 
• Ensures that all bulletins, rules, registration forms and other official documents reach the team manager(s) in a timely manner. 
• Provides guidance to team manager(s) as requested to help fulfill these responsibilities. 
• Prepares after-action report on the delegation’s preparation for and participation at the event—including recommendations on how U.S. delegations could function better at future events—and submits it along with reports from the team manager(s) to the USPA Board. 
• If there is more than one team manager, establishes a functioning and comprehensive line of communication with all team members. 
• Supports and assists team manager(s), competitors and other U.S. delegation officials during the event, however possible. 

U.S. Parachute Team Manager Position Brief 

Purpose: 
The purpose of the Team Manager is to arm the athletes of each discipline who have been selected to represent the U.S. at the World Championships with a leader who can ensure a positive and successful experience leading up to, during, and after the event.  The team manager reports to the Head of Delegation (HOD). 

Duties and Responsibilities: 
The person selected for the role of Team Manager should be comfortable leading and managing groups in a fast-paced and dynamic environment. Preferably, the TM has previous management experience and is comfortable in the drop zone and competition environments. The U.S. Parachute Team officially represents the United States in international competition and skydivers selected for this honor are truly noble ambassadors, bearers of the American flag abroad, and champions of the U.S. competitive arena, uniting as one to challenge the world for competitive supremacy. 

Below is a brief outline of the typical responsibilities of a Team Manager: 

• Should have a good understanding of the Skydiver’s Competition Manual, the FAI Sporting Code, and the specific rules and regulations for the discipline respective to their team. 
• Chosen for administrative and fiscal responsibilities, logistical ability, knowledge and appreciation of competitors’ unique physical and mental requirements, ability to lead while maintaining a rapport with other delegation members, and ability to organize a governing structure for team conduct and activities. 
• Prepares team prior to travel to the world championships. Depending on location, this might include educating the team on acquiring visas, planning airfare, and other traveling logistics. 
• Together with the HOD, is the authority on all matters affecting the U.S. Team’s wellbeing, ability to compete and public image and on any other aspect of the U.S. Team sensitive to his or her mission. 
• Handles protests in competition, and immediately reports world records set by the team to USPA Headquarters so that processing of the world record can begin. 

Cost: 
The Head of Delegation and each Team Manager appointed by USPA to serve on a U.S. Team competing in a World Parachuting Championships is given $750 each from USPA’s general funds.  Team Managers will be responsible for any out-of-pocket costs that are incurred.