When you sit down to write a letter to the readers of the website, there’s a moment of self-doubt that creeps in. Do they really want to hear what I have to say? But when I look at the traffic coming to this website, which has steadily grown over the last four years, I realize that yes, indeed, people want to hear what I, and the rest of the Protagonist team, have to say.

This week marks the fourth anniversary of Protagonist Soccer as a website. Over the last four years, with a rotating cast of volunteer writers, we’ve covered levels of soccer previously ignored by almost every outlet. In that same time, we’ve watched those outlets that DID cover this level soccer slow, go into hibernation, or outright shut up shop. We’ve persevered where others have not, and I’m honestly proud of that. We should always remember to acknowledge that others have walked this ground before us and we hope others will follow us as well.

I think it important to thank the writers that have spent time writing for us over the years. Many are still writing, at other spots online, and delivering excellent coverage. I’m proud of how many writers have used our site as a place to get their toes wet, so to speak. It’s an honor to work with so many young and aspiring writers. We couldn’t have gotten to this point without the hard work of so many people no longer working with us, their contributions are not forgotten.

It’s even more important to recognize the crew currently working with us, some of them since VERY early on. Primarily, I have to thank Josh Duder. We often joke that the best part of Protagonist is us meeting each other. He’s my best friend and always down to record a pod, write something in a pinch, listen to me complain, or just text about nonsense. I don’t know if I’d be as “into all this” if Josh isn’t by my side.

Obviously, I must also thank the Knights guys, John and Creel. Every week, twice a week, we sit down and chat about NISA and so so so many other topics. It’s like sitting at the bar in your local town with guys you hang out with every night. I find our recordings rejuvenating and, most of all, fun. They do the heavy lifting on content and I spend the 45 minutes trying to get them to laugh.

Over the last couple of years, we’ve added more faces and names as we’ve grown. Lis Schendel, our director of women’s content, has been such a great addition to the team. Her significant work has grown the exposure of women’s lower league. Danielle Gawronski has been a boon to our coverage of Texas soccer, particularly on the women’s side. Her work on some recent articles has been incredible. Ryan Stallings tuned back in to our team and has begun contributing on the USL2 coverage. With him, Chris Walker has also found a voice in discussing that league. We’ve also got several new writers finding their legs, we’re happy to have them as well.

While we’ve struggled to find advertisers that fit our model and audience, our patreon contributors have funded our work without hesitation. We’re so thankful for those of you who believe in what we’re doing. That money is not taken lightly, it has funded so many of our projects. We simply couldn’t do what we do without you.

This week, we’ll be taking off the week from writing, instead letting our readers read some of our favorite stories over the last four years. Some of you are brand new to our site and these stories will be as fresh as the day we wrote them. Other will look back and remember these stories as snapshots in time. Either way, thank you for your support, interest, and readership. We’ll continue to work our asses off to cover this beautiful game. You keep reading.

Dan Vaughn

Editor and Founder of Protagonist Soccer