The State of The Read Optional Union

One year down, a big year ahead

It’s hard to believe that it’s already been a year since I started this iteration of The Read Optional. Doing so at the time was, in many ways, a leap of faith. I was at a career crossroads: To continue to write stuff that didn’t engage or excite me, slamming my head against a wall as an editor once again turned down a 3,000-word pitch on the art of cone coverages; to go back into scouting full-time; to shift careers altogether; to re-launch the old platform that allowed me to write about what I wanted with the tone I wanted.

I opted for the latter – partly because I had seen those I admire most take a similar leap. 

It’s been some run. It started as me hammering away into my laptop, my dog by my side, writing with (probably too much) enthusiasm about the nuances of the sport that I engage with. A year on, I’ve been able to work people through such fun things as the uptick in Quads formations, the details of Quarters Match coverage, Drop-8 coverages, how teams layer an offense, the stat…