Regional Tournament Coordinator

Project: Florida Civics & Debate Initiative (FCDI)
Organization: Florida Debate Initiative, Inc. (FDI)
Location: Assigned region in Florida
Term: August 1, 2026–May 31, 2027
Status: Independent Contractor (1099)—not an employee of FDI

About the role

The FCDI Regional Tournament Coordinator plans, sets up, and executes outstanding speech and debate tournaments within one of Florida’s seven geographic regions. This is a hands-on, operations-focused role with a single overriding goal: well-coordinated, flawlessly executed FCDI tournaments. The Florida Debate Initiative supervises, trains, and funds this position in support of the Florida Civics & Debate Initiative league.

Beyond running events, Coordinators are expected to support the growth of the FCDI league and FDI programs in their region and help announce and promote FDI activities. The Coordinator reports to a Regional Tournament Director.

Prior debate knowledge is helpful but not required. FDI provides the tools, training, and manuals; what matters most is the ability to run events well. Many Coordinators carry out this work alongside other full-time roles.

Responsibilities

Tournament Operations — Primary

• Run FCDI regional tournaments with FDI support and in accordance with the Tournament Operations Manual.
• Lead four regional tournaments, assist with at least three online tournaments, and support the National Civics & Debate Championship and State Championship.
• Manage registration, scheduling, judging, and results in SpeechWire, the platform FDI uses for its tournaments.
• Handle event setup and breakdown, including the day before an event when required.
• Coordinate with the local host school to confirm event-day volunteers.
• Recruit judges and host and facilitate judge training at tournaments.

Coach Support, Growth & Promotion

• Serve as a regional point of contact for member schools and guide new coaches as needed.
• Know the FCDI Tournament Handbook and Operations Manual and uphold FDI-FCDI Professional Standards.
• Attend scheduled Coordinator trainings and meetings.
• Actively support the growth of the FCDI league and FDI programs in the assigned region and be prepared to announce and promote FDI events and activities. Coordinators support growth and promotion but are not evaluated against hard program-number targets.

Regions

• Northwest
• North Central
• Northeast
• Central
• Southeast
• Gulf Coast
• South Florida

Qualifications

Candidate Background

• A background in education or debate coaching is preferred. Retired or former teachers and coaches are especially encouraged to apply.
• Demonstrated experience in event planning and coordination may substitute for an education or debate background.

Experience

• Proven ability to plan, organize, and execute events or programs from beginning to end.
• Experience running speech and debate tournaments is a strong plus; equivalent event-coordination experience is also valued.
• Comfort with event logistics, including registration, scheduling, on-site operations, and volunteer coordination.
• Retired or former teachers and coaches who are not presently coaching are especially encouraged to apply. Skilled event planners and coordinators are also welcome.

Skills & Competencies

• Willingness to learn FCDI rules, guidelines, and best practices; training is provided.
• Comfort learning and using event software. FDI trains all Coordinators on SpeechWire, the platform used for its tournaments.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage registration, scheduling, and event-day logistics.
• Clear communication with coaches, judges, students, and host schools.
• Commitment to civics education and the FDI/FCDI mission.

Pay

$7,500–$10,000 annual stipend, paid quarterly and commensurate with experience