Welcome to jakerydersports.com!

I’m jumping back in to sports reporting and photography as an independent entity, with the hopes of providing quality, free reporting supported by contributions from those in the area. You can learn more by bookmarking this site, and following me on social media:

X: jakearyder

Instagram: jakearyder

Bluesky: jakearyder.bsky.social

And keep an eye out for my photos that will be uploaded and available for purchase on my SmugMug page: jakearyder.smugmug.com.

If you have a story idea, feel free to reach out at contact@jakerydersports.com.

More to come. Watch this space!

About three weeks ago, my time as Assistant Sports Editor of the Marshalltown Times-Republican came to an end. The position was eliminated, and I was laid off.

In the weeks since, I have mulled over what my next step would be. I have heard and read support from so many people in this corner of central Iowa, and I’ve had many conversations with Cali, my wife, about where we go from here.

We knew that we didn’t want to leave this area. We consider life in rural Grundy County, Iowa to be home. We’ve built close friendships and have otherwise gotten to know people in a way that is tough to rebuild, something we both have known from experience as we’ve traversed around eastern Iowa early in my journalism career.

The first week of August will be the 15th anniversary of my first job offer in journalism. And there haven’t been many days off in-between. This involuntary vacation is the longest I’ve gone without my boots on the ground, writing, interviewing, taking photos.

Am I stir-crazy? Maybe a little. Giving myself some perspective? Absolutely.

There have been plentiful challenges in these last 14 1/2 years in the journalism business. And as many know, it’s not a line of work that will take you from rags to riches. The work is hard, and burnout is easy. Many of my colleagues, whether it be in print, radio, TV, have opted to move on.

I think that “opting” is the sticking point for me. I didn’t want anyone else but me to make the decision that I’m done with this way of life, in this part of Iowa.

Since I’m starting at square one, I’ll start small. Most of my reporting and photography will be done in Grundy Center, to save on traveling expenses, with reporting focusing primarily on Grundy Center teams to start. But as we go on, I definitely want to branch out, though I’m not sure exactly how. As my wife and I always say – we’ll figure it out.

I intend to keep the reporting I do free – I know I need another login to remember like I need another hole in my head, and I imagine you’re probably the same way. My hope is to have at least one original piece of writing every week, though I may be heavy on the photo galleries to start.

If you find my work valuable, I’ve offered ways to support me directly. I have a Venmo set up that you can access by clicking the button below. Any amount helps. You can also contribute on Buy Me A Coffee, which does not require an account.

Also, my photos will be available for printing/download through SmugMug, at a price that I hope you will find reasonable. I’m also looking into sponsorship opportunities on social media posts and/or posts on here – if that’s something you’d be interested in for your business, drop me a line at contact@jakerydersports.com.

Here’s to new beginnings.