Rhett always loved playing sports. Baseball and football were as much a part of his childhood as ice cream and waiting for the school bus. Often, the time spent waiting for the bus and another long day of school involved playing catch with classmates. He seemed to think that the enjoyment of playing catch was contagious, and willed others to want to play with him. Rhett became good enough to play baseball in high school and a little in college, but soon the business of life would keep his glove and ball on the shelf more than it wasn’t.

Fast forward to that trip across the country,  and Rhett was standing under the St. Louis Arch, passing the time before a Thursday Night Football game. He was approached by a random stranger who asked to throw the football with him, and the idea of Play Catch For Good was born. Rhett felt firsthand the joy and connection that playing catch provides to people who may have no other common interest than enjoying the day by playing catch. After that chance encounter, Rhett began playing catch at other landmarks, like the Golden Gate Bridge, the Grand Canyon, and wherever his travels took him. The experience was always the same. People having fun and connecting through the game of catch. 

After returning home, Rhett started Play Catch For Good to encourage everyone to play catch, and to provide those in need with the necessary equipment, including a partner, so everyone has the opportunity to enjoy a game of catch. He also applied to designate one day as National Play Catch Day. The National Day Calendar turned down his request for a single day because, in their opinion, the idea actually deserved an entire week. National Play Catch Week is now the third full week in June, so that it always includes Father’s Day.