AS JOURNALISTS, WE ARE LOATHE to direct attention to ourselves, but every once in a while something happens that makes us stand up and shout.

Such is one of those moments. The news came in the form of an e-mail from my sister, Alix Kennedy, editorial director of the monthly magazine Family Fun, forwarding an e-mail from one of her editors with a link to an article in the Chicago Tribune. It ranked her magazine 25th on its list of ''The 50 Best Magazines.'' The e-mail contained a short message: ''And note also the fine showing by Soccer America. A Kennedy family sweep!''

Soccer America ranked 43rd on the Trib's list. Pretty cool, eh?

The list is a mix of national heavyweights and niche publications, like ourselves. Soccer America was one of only two sports publications, along with Sports Illustrated at No. 4. Do I believe we're better than Field & Stream, ranked 44th, or Newsweek or Playboy, unranked as ''Mags gone bad'' by the Trib panel? Maybe not. Was the selection a surprise? Sure. Was it a shock? Not when you believe in the quality of your product.

I'd be lying if I said Soccer America is an easy proposition. Never was. It was founded by Clay Berling in 1971 and continues today thanks to Clay's will and that of Publisher and President Lynn Berling-Manuel.

Clay's inspiration was to launch a national magazine covering soccer in America. The challenge was there wasn't anything ''national'' about the sport. The challenge today is so much is happening at so many levels.

We accept the recognition of the seriousness with which we have attempted to cover American soccer, but we also believe Soccer America's ranking reflects the seriousness with which the sport is viewed today. For that we thank our readers.

The 50 Best Magazines*

1. Cook's Illustrated
2. The New Yorker
3. Martha Stewart Living
4. Sports Illustrated
5. People
6. Wooden Boat
7. Q and Mojo (tie)
9. Entertainment Weekly
10. Esquire
11. Vogue
12. Atlantic Monthly
13. Fine Homebuilding
14. Texas Monthly
15. New York
16. Time
17. Smithsonian
18. FHM
19. Washington Monthly
20. Details
21. Reason
22. Consumer Reports
23. Essence
24. US Weekly
25. Family Fun
26. American History
27. Saveur
28. Granta
29. Sound on Sound
30. Dwell
31. Harper's
32. BusinessWeek
33. Sport Compact Car
34. Outside
35. The New Republic
36. The Christian Century and America (tie)
38. American Bungalow
39. National Geographic
40. Fortune
41. Creativity
42. ToyFare
43. Soccer America
44. Field & Stream
45. Metropolis
46. Vegetarian Times
47. The Week
48. Trains
49. Wizard
50. Yoga Journal
*Chicago Tribune, June 12, 2003

by Soccer America Managing Editor Paul Kennedy