OPINION|
In 2018, inspired and encouraged by my daughters, I played catch every day for the entire year.
That year changed my life.
I wrote a book about the lessons I learned through playing catch. “A Year of Playing Catch” published in 2020. People read that book and they, too, picked up their gloves and started playing catch.
Like Jason in Oregon and Adam in California.
Like J.D. in Massachusetts and Don and David in New York.
Like Dan in Missouri and Kevin in Iowa.
Like Joe in Bolivar and Travis in Nixa.
Six years later, I’m ready to do it all over again.
Catch365 reboots in 2024
I grew up playing catch with my dad.
I remember the baseball field he took me to when he taught me how to catch pop-ups. I was 8 years old. The baseball field is no more, but I still love to catch pop-ups. I remember playing catch in the street and dodging cars, and playing catch in the backyard and ducking under tree branches. I remember when my fastball finally warranted the purchase of a catcher’s mitt, and going shopping for one while we were on a family vacation. And I remember the last time he took me shopping for a new glove, back when I was a sophomore at Kickapoo High School. I stood before a wall of gloves at Bass Pro Shops and dreamed of playing for the Kansas City Royals.
What I remember most about playing catch with Dad is this — every time I asked, he said yes.
Every single time.
When I think about growing up, I remember a dad who wanted to play catch with me, who wanted to spend time with me, who wanted to find a way to encourage me as I chased my dreams.
Play, fatherhood and mental health
The United States has been declared the world’s leader in fatherlessness — almost 18.5 million children grow up without their dads playing an active part in their lives. Jason Riley, a columnist for the Wall Street Journal, contends that fatherlessness is the biggest root of crime. A couple more quick statistics:
- 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes;
- 71% of high school dropouts lack engaged fathers;
- 85% of incarcerated youth don’t have fathers present in their lives;
- 90% of homeless and runaway youth lack engaged fathers.
As we witness in the movies “Field of Dreams” and “The Adam Project,” playing catch is an activity that is associated with one’s dad.
Playing catch is an exercise that develops trust, teaches empathy, encourages curiosity, opens lines of communication, and keeps us grounded in the present.
Good Dads in Springfield
This year, I want to encourage dads across the country to consistently spend time with their children playing catch, so I’m partnering with Good Dads. Good Dads began with the mission of helping all communities, large and small, to begin an initiative to support responsible father engagement. More good dads mean stronger schools, safer communities, and more robust economies.
Dr. Jennifer Baker, who founded Good Dads in 2015, the same year my beloved Royals won the World Series, says, “If we really want to help kids and communities, then we must do something different. We must help fathers be all they were intended to be. We must help them be more engaged with their children in meaningful ways.”
I am convinced that if more people played catch on a consistent basis, this world would be a better place.
Dr. Tom House is probably best known for being the person who caught Hank Aaron’s 715th homerun in April of 1974. In the summer of 2022, Dr. House said, “You can change someone’s life with one game of catch.”
I agree.
So.
Wanna play catch… again?
