(February 25, 2016) Humility is a wonderful attribute but it was hurting Tim Slack in the sports broadcasting job market. It was only after Slack realized that a bit of self-promotion can be helpful that opportunity came his way. Now, Slack is joining the Fayetteville SwampDogs as their full-time Play-by-Play Broadcaster and Assistant General Manager.
The SwampDogs play in the Coastal Plain summer collegiate baseball league. Slack and his wife Krista will relocate from northern California where Tim was teaching, coaching high school baseball and doing freelance play-by-play.
“Fayetteville is a remarkable fit for my wife and I,” says Slack. “I’m learning how much more the broadcasting industry is than just broadcasting. Working for the SwampDogs is really about being a part of the community. In Fayetteville, I get to use my abilities to impact the community and contribute to an exceptional organization.”
In addition to play-by-play, Slack will assist with media relations, graphic design, sales and other areas of administration. The opportunity came after SwampDogs GM Jeremy Aagard asked STAA for recommendations.
After trying unsuccessfully to even land an interview the past two off-seasons, Slack realized he needed to make changes in his approach this off-season.
“[STAA CEO Jon Chelesnik] told me in the fall that I was not trusting his suggestions,” says Slack. “I was really confused because, in my mind, I was following his advice to a T. It really took some self-evaluation to critique my applications in the same way I critique my work.
“I think I was a little embarrassed to talk about myself in any form of self promotion and possibly misrepresent myself. It was through that processes that I remembered that my motivation was to provide a better life for my family, and that promoting myself would help me do that. Talking it over with my wife really convinced me to push forward and to showcase what I am able to do.”
Fayetteville is far from Slack’s first job broadcasting baseball play-by-play. He was part of the broadcast teams for the Class-A Modesto Nuts and the independent Orange County Flyers. In between, he spent two years on the sports staff at a radio station in Western Kansas.
For Slack and his wife, Fayetteville represents the perfect job at this stage of his career.
“As a broadcaster it’s easy to get caught up in the well known jobs with high profiles, but a job that is desirable for one broadcaster might not be the right fit for me. Knowing what I need and want helps me market myself better to a team. That’s probably a no-brainer to a lot of broadcasters but it’s taken me a long time to be picky and really focus on what the best fit is.”
(Visit Tim’s STAA Talent Page).