Ethan Bryan on Lessons From Playing Catch and the Importance of Play

Through play, life lessons such as learning to deal with adversity and developing resilience take on a layer of fun. Andrey Yurlov/Shutterstock

Every day for 366 days in a row, rain or shine, or in freezing wind, Ethan Bryan played catch. He played catch with friends new and old, with his daughters, with other great fans of baseball, with people who had never played catch, with people from around the world with whom he didn’t share a language but could still communicate and connect through playing catch.

“It was such a fun experience, such an amazing experience meeting so many new people, hearing so many new stories—it’s such a life-giving experience, going outside and engaging in physical activity, and really connecting deeply with people,“ said Bryan, who’s a storyteller at heart. ”I found out that we all have a lot in common.”