Sports Reporter at The Villages Daily Sun in Florida

Cover Sports in Sunny Central Florida!

The Villages Daily Sun, Florida’s largest daily printed newspaper (and the only newspaper in America's largest 25 that is still growing), is seeking a sports junkie who shares our passion for community journalism.

We're looking for a reporter who can handle a variety of general interest assignments including human interest feature stories, event coverage and long-range projects that have earned us top APSE honors.

We're looking for a reporter who can handle general sports assignments with a focus on the thriving recreation scene in The Villages, home to the most holes of golf of any community in the world (more than 800) an insane pickleball scene (247 courts) more than 100 pools, two bowling centers and four softball complexes that host nearly 5,000 games each year. Our community athletes dominate at the state, national and international level with events daily at 100 recreation centers here.

The right candidate will also be able to assist on other beats in the sports department, including preps coverage for a new high school just unveiled with state championship-level facilities.

Ours is a newsroom that values experimental thinking and the power of unconventional storytelling. We offer a generous newshole (about 80 pages daily), impeccable print quality, modern tech resources and managerial support that enable good journalists to become truly great.

Our business strategy is community-first, not digital-first, which means our reporters are allowed to focus on quality editing without the distraction of a digital workflow. Our local family ownership has just built the first printing plant in America in the last decade, which means we still enjoy late publication deadlines for sporting events across all time zones. We’re also an onsite newsroom that believes in the power of eyeball-to-eyeball collaboration vs. the creative vacuum of a remote workflow.

The Villages is a 90-mile drive to the beach, Orlando’s theme parks and the historic neighborhoods of Gainesville and St. Augustine. We offer competitive pay, excellent benefits and access to a highly regarded charter school system in one of the state’s most idyllic settings.

Salary & Benefits

• In addition to annual compensation reviews, all journalists in our newsroom are eligible for a stretch goal bonus plan that pays out quarterly

• Eligibility for your children to attend the A-rated The Villages Charter School

• Medical, dental, and vision Insurance

• Basic life and AD&D insurance

• Voluntary additional life insurance

• HSA/FSA & 401k with company match

• 9 paid holidays and personal paid time off that expands with tenure

• Paid maternity and paternity leave

• Discounts to a wide variety of businesses in The Villages

• A robust training and development curriculum

To apply, please complete the HR application for the “reporter” position at TheVillages.com which will prompt you to attach a resume. Any unanswered questions can be directed to Executive Associate Editor Nick Feely at nick.feely@thevillagesmedia.com.

 

The team of Grandma and Grandpa Jones beat the Ol' Bitties duo to win this month's pickleball tourney.

Do I get the job?

 

You're hired! [/HoopsMcCann]

 

The Villages seems to always have an opening. I know they send multiple folks to some big-time stuff, like the Daytona 500. But is it worth trying to find a place to live among all the crazy old people to add it to your resume? And Ocala/Belleview/Leesburg is hotter than blue blazes all summer.

 

Is this a big boy job?

 

Not sure, but this puts the phrase "good old boy network" in a new light.

 

It's not a big boy place.

If you know anyone who works there, you've heard all the crazy stories about that newsroom.

Go if you need a paycheck, or if you're young and need experience. But keep your résumé moving, too.

 

Are you trying to keep people out of Del Boca Vista?!?!

 

After sitting through our community's homeowners association meeting this weekend -- that needed a sheriff's deputy present -- I can only imagine the thrills and excitement of a Florida condo group.

 

FWIW, we never reached triple digits the entire record-breaking, inferno-to-beat-all-infernos summer.

 

The heat index and humidity on the other hand...