United States Ski and Snowboard Association

The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) is one of over 40 Olympic sports organizations in America. It is responsible for developing competition programs in skiing and snowboarding including well-managed competitions and professional coaching programs to provide young athletes with an opportunity to reach an Olympic dream. USSA’s vision and mission is simple:

The Vision of the USSA is to make the United States of America

the best in the world in Olympic skiing and snowboarding.

The Mission of the USSA is to provide strong leadership that establishes and supports

athletic excellence in accordance with USSA core values.

USSA manages its vision and mission through the three “R’s”: Rules, Races and Ranking. Rules are established to ensure a consistent and fair playing field for all athletes. Races, or competitions, are the backbone of USSA’s programs, providing competitive programs for athletes. Ranking is a means of evaluating performance in competitions to determine advancement on USSA’s Athlete Development Pipeline, or to assist in determining start positions in specific competitions.

USSA National - Manages national programs as well as establishing rules, coordination of national and divisional scheduling of competitions, training of professional coaches, training of national competition officials and management of national ranking systems.

USSA Regions/Divisions/States - Volunteer-run programs which implement USSA national programs within small, multi-state geographic regions, including scheduling of divisional competitions, selection of divisional teams, and training of divisional competition officials.

USSA Competition Clubs - Over 400 USSA Competition Clubs provide professional coaching for athletes and logistical support in competition. USSA clubs, with both professional staffs and local volunteers, are the backbone of USSA supporting individual athletes and managing most of USSA’s over 4,000 domestic competitions.

Steps to Athletic Advancement

1. Join USSA - Join the USSA at the national and regional, divisional or state level to gain access to competitions in your sport both in your home area and nationally.
2. Join a Club - Join a USSA Competition Club to get the best professional coaching and logistical support. A complete club directory is available on this webstie.
3. Compete - Pick the proper competition programs for your age and ability. Contact the event organizer or your USSA Competition Club for entry information. USSA’s regional, divisional or state programs offer introductory ‘non-scored’ competitions for youth beginning competitors. But for advancement in your sport, make sure to take part in USSA scored competitions, with your USSA Competitor membership, to improve your ranking.
4. USSA Ranking - Compete in USSA scored competitions to gain a USSA ranking, which will be used within your divisional or state program for advancement up the USSA Athlete Development Pipeline. You can monitor your USSA ranking on this website.
5. FIS Registration - As you advance up the pipeline with your USSA ranking, you may be eligible for ranking on the International Ski Federation (FIS) ranking list (alpine, cross country, freestyle, snowboard). Check with your club coach or divisional contact for more information. FIS registration is simple and can be managed directly with USSA. You can monitor your FIS ranking or print a FIS registration form on the USSA website.
6. Team Selection - As you continue to advance, your USSA ranking may qualify you for a divisional team - perhaps to the Junior Olympics or the U.S. National Championships, and eventually the U.S. Ski Team or Olympic Team!

Membership Guide

USSA Youth - An entry-level, non-scored membership designed for young athletes just getting started (through age 12 in alpine, freestyle, snowboard; 13 in nordic sports, based on Dec. 31 age during the competition season). USSA Youth Competitor membership allows participation in selected divisional or state competitions, but is not scored on USSA ranking lists.

USSA Competitor - The primary USSA membership for athletes who want entry into the full range of USSA competitions and scoring on USSA ranking lists. This membership is required for athletic advancement.

USSA Student - Some USSA sports permit special registration as a USSA student, offering athletes entry into a wide range of USSA competitions, but does not include scoring on USSA ranking lists.

Other Memberships - USSA also offers memberships for officials and professional coaches, plus a low-cost associate membership for parents, volunteers, and supporters, as well as programs for masters competitors.

Competition Guide

The USSA Competition Guide is a handbook for athletes and parents, providing a roadmap to USSA programs. It is one of many USSA information tools. There are a number of changes in this year’s USSA Competition Guides.

• Some calendars are in the Competition Guides, but for complete and up to date information check this website.
• Comp Guides are distributed to USSA Youth members. While much of the content is geared towards more advanced athletes, this is a perfect opportunity for parents of youth to become familiar with the USSA competition programs and how your son or daughter can advance in the sport.
• To provide more accurate and timely information, contact directory information will now be posted at www.ussa.org with regular updates. Competitors, coaches and officials also receive this full USSA Directory.

Where to Find Information

The USSA Web Site - www.ussa.org is the best source of member information. You can find contact information on your sport and your division, as well as the latest in national news from your sport.

USSA Competition Club - The over 400 USSA Competition Clubs are the heart of the sport. USSA provides regular communications to clubs for the purpose of informing their athlete members. Check your local USSA Competition Club for information on schedules and qualifying procedures within your division.

Divisional Contact - Each division within each USSA sport has a contact person. Sometimes it’s a USSA-staffed office and oftentimes it’s a dedicated USSA volunteer. Your divisional contact appears in the front of your Competition Guide or can be found in the sport sections of this website.

National Office - Each USSA sport has full-time staff in the national office in Park City, Utah. Contact the office (435.649.9090) with national membership or ranking questions. Or, for a quicker response, use the convenient email links under Members > Membership Tools.

News and Information - Each USSA member receives a subscription to Ski Racing Magazine, Ski Trax or Snowboarding, providing the latest news on all USSA sports and important USSA member information.