The Return of Connection
What was old, has become new.
I saw something this week that genuinely made me smile.
Hacky sacks are making a comeback.
Yes, Hacky Sacks.
According to a recent article, groups of Gen Z students are gathering across high schools and college campuses, playing footbag together again. Young men standing in circles, laughing, competing, connecting, and spending time together face-to-face instead of through screens.
And the moment I read it, I was transported back to my years at The Ohio State University.
If you ever spent time on the Oval back then, you remember it.
Circles of students everywhere.
Music playing.
Conversations happening.
People meeting people.
Hacky sacks flying through the air.
There was something deeply human about it.
Nobody was curating a personal brand.
Nobody was filming content.
Nobody was worried about algorithms.
People were simply present with one another.
And maybe that’s why this resurgence matters more than people realize.
We Are Starving for Real Connection
We live in the most technologically connected era in human history.
Yet loneliness continues to rise.
Isolation continues to rise.
Depression continues to rise.
Especially among men.
Many men today have:
Hundreds of online connections
Very few real friendships
Endless information
Very little genuine accountability
Constant stimulation
Almost no true stillness or presence
We never want to carry life alone.
Brotherhood has always mattered.
Men sharpen men.
Men challenge men.
Men strengthen men.
Not through perfection.
Not through performance.
But through presence.
Sometimes the most important thing a man can hear is:
“I understand.”
“I’ve been there.”
“You’re not carrying this alone.”
The Power of Gathering
There is something transformational that happens when people physically gather together.
Energy transfers.
Stories get shared.
Walls come down.
Laughter returns.
Perspective widens.
And often, clarity emerges.
This is why I believe gatherings matter so deeply.
It’s why I host conversations.
It’s why Brotherhood remains central to the Warrior Forge mission.
It’s why spaces where men can talk honestly are becoming more necessary—not less—in the digital age.
Because men don’t just need information.
They desire connection.
Raised Analog, Leading Digital
Maybe that’s part of why this story resonated with me so much.
Many of us grew up raised analog, but now lead in a fully digital world.
We remember what it actually felt like to gather.
To sit together.
To wrestle with ideas face-to-face.
To build friendships without notifications interrupting every moment.
And now we’re watching younger generations rediscover pieces of that experience.
Honestly?
I think that’s hopeful.
Maybe the return of hacky sack isn’t nostalgia.
Maybe it’s rebellion.
A rebellion against isolation.
Against digital exhaustion.
Against living life entirely through a screen.
Maybe people are remembering something important:
Human beings hunger for community.
And men, especially, were designed for Brotherhood.
Be Extraordinarily Bold.