I don’t want to make a big deal out of it or anything, but writing for and maintaining this website is hard work. Yes, I’m aware that doing so is a conscious choice that I make on a daily basis. Coming up with original content, tweeting semi-regularly, putting together my own graphics, researching and making contacts with leads, coming up with shirt designs, the list goes on and on. And all of those things take lots and lots of time. As Mrs. WSOTP likes to put it, I have a hobby that’s steadily turned into a job… without pay.

Now, trust me when I say I’m not looking for sympathy. I enjoy all of this (well, most of the time), and it gives me a bit of an excuse to watch all of the soccer that I want to watch. But most of the time it’s a thankless task that few get excited about. Aside from me, of course.

Well today, I’m going to take a moment to gloat a little bit.

Once a week, XI Quarterly — a new quarterly soccer publication featuring some of the best writers and artists from around the American soccer landscape — pushes out a list of “Good Soccer Reads”.  The list contains links to five stories compiled from the web and deemed worthy by the @xiquarterly Twitter feed. Have a look at number five on this week’s list…

Yup, that’s right… that’s your boy right there. It’s not quite like having one of my pieces actually featured in the pages of XI (yet anyway), but it sure is a decent start.

(By the way, if you haven’t read the piece mentioned in the article above, check it out here. It really is probably one of the best bits of writing I’ve ever done. So enjoy it already.)

And while just having one of my pieces picked up is honor enough, my real point in pride comes when you look at the publishers of the other four stories listed: ESPN FC, The Guardian, Goal.com and The New York Times. That’s some serious prestige there, especially when squared up against my tiny corner of the blogosphere. ESPN are the self-proclaimed leader in sports in the United States. The Guardian is arguably the most well-respected daily newspaper in the UK. Goal.com is one of the leading soccer websites on the internet. And The New York Times is… well, The New York Times.

So while I’m trying to prevent my ego from convincing me that this is a clear indication that I should be writing for some of those more famous publications, I can’t help but beam with pride just a little bit. This kind of recognition seems fleeting in the world of American soccer journalism, but I’m really hopeful that it’s the first of many to come.

In the mean time?  I’m just going to soak it in like a (quasi-)famous writer should.