The Takeaway Check, Issue #39

An update on my upcoming book

Veterans Day is Monday. It’s a good time to reflect on my next book, which is about the connections between lacrosse and the military. A few weeks ago, I was interviewing Ingrid Boyum; she was the goalie for the United States in the first ever women’s World Box Lacrosse Championship and is the former goalie for Navy.

It was our second interview for my book — she shared so many fascinating stories — and as we were wrapping up, she began asking me a question. “So when,” she started before stopping herself. “I’m sure this is the most hated question,” she continued before pausing again, clearly being careful about her words. “Can you keep me updated on when this is coming out?”

I told her I would, of course, keep her updated. I want the people I talk with to see the finished product, and if they know it’s out there, I hope they will help spread the word and aid in my promotion of the book.

But that wasn’t the original question it seemed like she was going to ask. It seemed like the original question was going to be “When will this be published?” That’s a tougher question to answer.

No, I don’t hate the question of when the book will be published; it just means people are excited to see this project out in the universe, which I’m appreciative of. It’s good to know this is something people are looking forward to. Writing this book has, however, been a more challenging project to put together than my first book.

There are the obvious differences. When I wrote Major League Life, I started the process in June of 2019 and published in June of 2020. The COVID-19 quarantine happened during this time. I was home and didn’t have to go into school to teach. This was also before Zoom took off, especially in schools, so my responsibilities were simply to be available via email during normal school hours in case a student had a question about the enrichment work or if they wanted to fix an already submitted assignment for a better grade. That meant I had seven hours a day (not including commuting time), five days a week of limited responsibility, which was plenty of time to write, revise, and edit, which I did several times through.

I also wrote that book before I had children; it was just my wife, our dog, and me.

Since my first book, we are back in school, I am now the head coach of a high school varsity lacrosse team, and — more importantly — we’ve had two children. All of that commands a lot of attention and energy, so there’s less free time to write.

The way this book is being written is different as well. For Major League Life, I’d travel to the different cities and interview players and coaches at practice, shootaround, or warmups. I would do a little sightseeing during the day, go to the game in the afternoon or evening, and then head back to the hotel. At the hotel, I’d transcribe the interviews and, since I had all the information because each chapter was an isolated event, start writing.

My new book, however, doesn’t follow the same path as the first. I’ve interviewed around 100 different people and counting. This includes interviews with players from Navy’s 2004 team that went to the championship such as Matt Russell, Ian Dingman, and Steven Looney; Maryland men’s head coach John Tillman, Duke men’s head coach John Danowski, Army women’s head coach Michelle Tumolo, and former Virginia head coach Dom Starsia; and professional lacrosse icons like Kyle Harrison, Rob Pannell, and Greg Gurenlian. It isn’t as simple as showing up to a practice and talking with a bunch of people. Interviews aren’t grouped together by topic or chapter, though, so I haven’t always had all the voices I’ve needed or wanted for a specific subject.

Then, I listen to them in the car like podcasts and make voice notes that timestamp the different topics of discussion as well as really strong quotes so I can go back and easily access information.

The stories also keep evolving. Several times, I’ve had the person I’m interviewing say, “You know who you should talk to?” or “You know what you should look into?” which leads me to another path to explore.

Why do I go back and listen to all the interviews, making notes along the way, instead of just pulling them up and listening as I write? Why do I keep interviewing new people about new topics when I already have so many?

Because I want this to be good.

First, if it’s going to have my name on it, I’m not going to half-ass it; it need to be a positive example of all the hours, work, and energy I’ve put into it. I started working on this in the spring of 2022. I’m not going to waste all the time I’ve put into this by putting out a product that is less than my best.

The second reason I’m taking my time is because the people I’m writing about deserve it. I always try to put forth the upmost respect for all the profiles I write because everyone’s story is important. In this case, however, writing about veterans is a special subject. Some of the people I’m writing about, such as Brendan Looney and Jimmy Regan, paid the ultimate sacrifice. It would be a dishonor to all of these individuals if I rushed and wrote something that was subpar just for the sake of finishing the book. These individuals deserve to have their story told with dignity and care.

So yes, I’ve talked about my upcoming book for some time now. Yes, I want to finish it and share these incredible stories with you all. Yes, it is frustrating sometimes not knowing when the light at the end of the tunnel is coming.

I am not, however, going to sacrifice the quality of this product to answer to those anxieties. I am going to make sure this book is done properly, and if that means taking more time, then that’s what I’m going to do. The people whose stories I’m telling deserve it, and you, the people that will read it, also deserve it.

So thank you for your patience, and I hope that when I do finish this book — I currently have drafts of four chapters completed — you believe it is worth the wait.

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