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Pat Chun transcript:
Growing up in Strongsville, Ohio, Pat Chun often felt on the outside—
An Asian-American boy always recognized as Asian – but seldom as American.
Pat Chun: “And Karate Kid comes out, you know, and then all of a sudden, you know, your dad becomes Mr. Miyagi and everyone’s waxing on, waxing off in front of you.”
But there’s nothing more all American than sports.
“It’s the one thing that regardless of what you look like, what you sound like, if you can play it, if you can talk it, it just connects you.”
And he is certainly connected.
Distinguished and distinctive in the world of athletics: the first Asian-American Athletics Director of a power conference – first at Washington State
Now at U-Dub
But it’s come with challenges he never saw coming
It’s the most pain that i’ve ever walked into
And it’s a success that his mother still can’t quite appreciate.
“There were four outcomes for me coming out of the womb - doctor, lawyer, engineer, and failure. so I’m four.”
SUCCESS IS MESSY. AND THIS IS WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE.
I’M MONIQUE MING LAVEN.
AND THIS IS A PODCAST ABOUT REALLY SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE –
AND THEIR MISTAKES, SETBACKS, SCREWUPS –
BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT MAKES YOU SMARTER AND STRONGER.
YOU HAVE TO KEEP TAKING YOUR BEST SHOT – AGAIN AND AGAIN --
AND IT’S GOING TO BE
“HIT AND MISS”
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When Pat Chun first became Athletics Director at Washington State in 2018 – then six years later at the University of Washington – there was one huge college sports fan I thought of: Earl Wong.
He didn’t go to school in Washington. He was a University of California Golden Bear, Class of 1940, and he was my grandfather.
Grandpa would’ve been rooting for Chun. He would’ve recognized the power of sports in Chun’s life – and how it could be a bridge over racial divides.
He would have identified with the prejudice Chun faced—
how he laughs it off, while still being concerned about how it affects his family.
And the easy way he chuckles about it – not because it’s funny, but because it’s ridiculous. And sometimes laughter *is the best medicine.
But he also says the biggest mistakes in his life are his own. We may all recognize something of that in ourselves – if we’re as honest as he is.
Now, you Cougs out there – you may want to hate on him. You can’t forgive him for leaving Washington State for U-Dub. (My friends Mary and Julie, I’m especially talking about you). I know, I know – anywhere but U-Dub. But let me know if hearing more about his experience changes anything for you.
Back when he and I talked about his “betrayal” – he cited one big decision he made that left Wazzou in a much better place.
And that’s since gotten blown up… You’ll know what I’m talking about.
But back to when Pat Chun first started at Washington State.
2018.
He became the first – and only – Asian-American Athletic Director in a power conference—
The Washington Post wrote an article about it…
And Grandpa would have saved it.
MML: “the title was how rare is Pat Chun’s path in college sports. You’d have to be an Asian American to understand this. Yeah. ...
