Baseball is so much more than a game to me. It ended up being the catalyst that helped me build a strong and meaningful relationship with my son.That's because in the countless hours spent going to open fields to play catch, or driving back and forth to team practices and especially when traveling to baseball games and tournaments all across America, we were given the rare gift of time to talk and truly connect with each other. And in today's 24/7, social media heavy, hectic and frenetic 'always on' world, that's a rare gift for a father-son to have. Now that he's in college, we don't get a chance to hang out with each other as often anymore, but we still welcome the opportunity to continue 'playing catch' to talk about the ups and downs of growing up, parenting and the lessons we continue to learn along life's journey. Production music courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com.
Black Lives Matter. Period. We discuss why we believe this to be true based on our own honest self reflections since George Floyd was murdered and the subsequent protests that have erupted around the world in support of the BLM movement. We are Asian Americans and while we've certainly faced racism throughout our lives, we cannot begin to understand, fathom or truly grasp the systemic racism that has plagued the black community for hundreds of years in this country. So, this podcast cannot be a definitive statement on BLM, but truly is just one family's multi-generational POC perspective on why black lives should absolutely matter to us all.We stand in solidarity with the black community and are committed to doing what we can to understand and ultimately help change the systemic racism that exists for them. Black Lives Matter.For questions/comments, please reach out to us at: PlayingCatchwithMySon@gmail.com.Production music courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
With college grad season in full swing we take time to reflect upon Sean's freshman year at college, what led up to his decision to attend this institution, his first impressions of school, fun experiences (and not so fun experiences) during the year, and everything in between. If interested, here are a couple of YT videos capturing our experiences with the milestones and/or events we discuss in the podcast:Induction Day - https://youtu.be/dWv807BG4l8Plebe Parents' Weekend - https://youtu.be/l2YSTiGnkbINavy Football Experience - https://youtu.be/c_OhjW0aRh4Also, for anyone interested in getting more in-depth perspectives on the United States Naval Academy, we highly recommend you check out The Academy Insider with Grant Vermeer podcast. Please note, this podcast does not reflect the views and opinions of the U.S. Department of Defense, the United States Navy, and/or the United States Naval Academy. All commentary and thoughts contained in this podcast are expressly those of my son and I.For questions/comments, please reach out to us at: PlayingCatchwithMySon@gmail.com.Production music courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
As the world continues to grapple with the Covid-10 pandemic - and all the negativity that goes along with it - our family has been trying to find a silver-lining through this crisis. And while we certainly join the human race in wishing we were back to a semblance of normality, we are leveraging the forced isolation and social distancing imperatives to: reconnect with one another, get in shape, improve ourselves...and binge watch TV and movies together as a family!For questions/comments, please reach out to us at: PlayingCatchwithMySon@gmail.com. If interested:The fitness app/website that we refer to can be found at: www.strava.comThe learning app/website we talk about can be found at www.skillshare.comPlease note, we are not sponsored by these apps, nor do we receive any benefit from mentioning these sites. Production music courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
Have we forgotten to say, 'hello'?! Cell phones, AirPods, social media and life's daily stresses (and Covid-19!) make it more difficult than ever to connect with people on a more 'human' level. And while we all have 'bad days', or get self-absorbed in our own thoughts and issues, someone else is always having a worse day than we are at that particular moment in time. With this reality check, we remind each other that regardless of our mood (good or bad) there's really no excuse to forget what it means to be courteous, human and kind to others - because it doesn't take much effort as even a simple wave of the hand, a smile, or just saying 'hello' to someone can make all the difference in the world and turn an otherwise 'bad day', into a better one. For questions/comments, please reach out to us at: PlayingCatchwithMySon@gmail.com.Production music courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted our way of life here in America and around the world. While every level of government, their respective agencies and the healthcare industry at-large look to combat this deadly disease, all of us can - and should - do our part to stem the tide of this viral outbreak. We all have a choice to make: continue to gather in large groups, drink beer, party and ignore what's going on around us; or adhere to the CDC guidelines, healthcare experts and other government leaders' directives to stay at home, embrace social distancing, wash our hands more frequently etc. to help save lives...maybe even the life of a family member, a friend or your own. We sincerely hope that ALL of us will come together and demonstrate the American spirit, our character and values to beat this thing down as ONE united nation to get us back to our normal way of life.For questions/comments, please reach out to us at: PlayingCatchwithMySon@gmail.com.Production music courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
The natural circle of life dictates the inevitability of having to say goodbye to loved ones, family members and friends. Hopefully this is far into our respective futures, but reality isn't so kind. Dealing with the passing of loved ones is never easy, but it seems extra difficult when it happens unexpectedly...especially when they leave us at a young age. Through our personal experiences - past and present - we grapple with this topic in the context of embracing life, the value of friendships and in appreciating the opportunity to truly connect with others. For questions/comments, please reach out to us at: PlayingCatchwithMySon@gmail.com.Production music courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
With movies like Parasite, bands like K-Pop sensation - BTS, and foods like Kalbi and Bibimbap becoming more mainstream in America today, identifying with Korean culture and growing up Korean-American is much different today than it was when I grew up in the 70s and 80s...or is it? In this context we discuss some of our interesting experiences growing up as an Asian-American and also talk about the broader topic of diversity, cultural differences including the importance of food to culture, and why we embrace the fact that we are Korean-American.For questions/comments, please reach out to us at: PlayingCatchwithMySon@gmail.com.Production music courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
Everyone loves to win. But, sometimes our heroes and role models lose sight of their personal values and the idea of fair play, in order to 'win'. We discuss this topic in the backdrop of the (January 2020) Major League Baseball video cheating investigation involving the Houston Astors, the college admissions scandal, little league baseball games and other examples where personal values and integrity are compromised in the relentless pursuit of winning. For questions/comments, please reach out to us at: PlayingCatchwithMySon@gmail.com.Production music courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
Did I really do that? Yup, I did. We recount the ‘interesting’ ways I tried to pass on some life skills to my son starting at a very young age - from looking people in the eyes and having a firm handshake, to being comfortable presenting in front of audiences and being able to express one’s opinions on paper. I am thankful that he survived my madness and craziness and while I certainly won’t be winning any father-of-the-year awards any time soon I’m very humbled, relieved and proud that he has become a confident young man.For questions/comments, please reach out to us at: PlayingCatchwithMySon@gmail.com.Production music courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
Instilling a positive 'can-do' attitude and a 'go for it' mentality at a very young age helped my son get accustomed to taking risks in life and not looking back. We talk about how my son ultimately took this approach as he entered the high school dating game, college applications, becoming a volunteer EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) and other stories. And while he has had some successes along the way, this positive mindset has allowed him to not let failures stop him from trying new things and just 'going for it'! For questions/comments, please reach out to us at: PlayingCatchwithMySon@gmail.com.Production music courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
I fell in love with the game of baseball growing up and spent hundreds of hours ‘playing catch’ and watching my home team play. And while my passion for the game has not gone away, baseball took on new significance after I became a father. My son and I spent countless hours playing catch over the past decade and some of our most meaningful conversations - and dare I say relationship growth - occurred while having a catch. So, while playing catch became almost a daily routine for us during my son's formative years through to his senior year in high school - this podcast is not about baseball. It’s really about the trials and tribulations of growing up, parenting and how the art of 'playing catch' helped us build a father-son bond to tackle life’s challenges.For questions/comments, please reach out to us at: PlayingCatchwithMySon@gmail.com.Production music courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
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