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In the past, I've done this whole recruiting (for ODB) thing rather informally, posting whenever I thought it might help lure in passionate Baylor fans to join up and write about Baylor. Today, in response to a few inquiries via the electronic mail, we're going to get a little more formal.
Duties: ODB is looking to bring in new contributors to the team in a few primary areas. Listed in order of their importance at this point:
1. Recruiting -- Football, Basketball, even Baseball. I am very much interested in increasing the scope of our recruiting coverage here at ODB past simply relaying what others report and what little information can be gleaned from the Twitterverse. I'm talking film breakdown of commits and prospects, a bigger focus on where players may fit in the future, etc. If you have a passion for recruiting and want to try your hand at writing about it, now is the time.
2. Basketball -- We have quite a bit of time before the next MBB season starts, but I want to really nail down how and what ODB plans to do for that season now. As you guys well know, it's not my best sport, so anyone with greater knowledge than I is welcome. There is also a huge demand, believe it or not, for greater coverage of the women's team, which is always strong to quite strong.
3. Baseball -- Thankfully, we have quite a long time before the Bears play baseball again, since I think most people just want to get away from it for a while. Here at ODB, we got away from it for basically the entire season. I want to do a better job there going forward.
4. Track -- This is more of a pipedream on my part since I know little to nothing about it. Just something to think about if you happen to be interested.
This list is not exclusive, so if you have other ideas or strengths, let's talk about it. I am also very much interested in finding someone with a background in graphics design, since that's the new hotness of the college blogs.
Background and qualifications: Other sites on SB Nation and elsewhere prefer things like journalism degrees and experience in sports or digital media. That stuff is less important to me than passion. I am, at my heart, a fan of Baylor sports. This blog is an outlet for people of similar ilk. Obviously, if you have that lofty a curriculum vitae and are interested, by all means, contact me. But it's not a requirement. In the past, I've tried to find as many people local to Waco as possible simply because they have a different perspective than most alums, but that is also not a requirement.
My ideal candidate:
- Has strong knowledge about and interest in Baylor, both current and historical.
- Possesses excellent writing skills.
- Will be active on the board itself in addition to contributing as a member of the staff.
- Is active on social media and capable of responding quickly to things that happen in the world of Baylor Athletics.
- Brings the funny.
Hours: As I've told people in the past that have reached out, I'm not a huge fan of telling people what and when they should write. I didn't start this blog with the idea of doing a set number of posts per day or only covering a certain number of things. I wanted to write about Baylor and saw very few people doing it well, so I did it. Ideally, ODB would have various contributors posting each day, with each writing perhaps twice a week. Those articles may be entirely original ideas (like Hammer's Rewind series or Colby's Tailgating pieces during the season), they may be recruiting news roundups, or they may be regular posts we formulate together.
Compensation: As the site grows, the opportunity may arise for monthly stipends to regular contributors. That's something we can talk about going forward, but I don't want to over-inflate expectations on that front. Nobody is getting rich off the blogging game (at this level, at least). If there is a way for a student to receive some kind of academic credit for writing for ODB, I will fill out all any paperwork necessary to make that happen.
This blog began less than 3 years ago with a real writing staff of just two-- myself and Prashanth. Since then we've added numerous dedicated individuals without whom ODB simply couldn't function. Some of them contribute through videos made in their spare time, podcasts recorded after work, or posts written simply as an outlet for their passion. I've met numerous wonderful people that I now consider friends, both on the board and at the tailgates, and I am incredibly proud of the community that we've grown here together. This past season was our best yet by far. What I'm trying to do now is make sure that momentum continues into the future. If you want to be part of that, please contact me.
How to Apply: Email me at OurDailyBears@gmail.com.