JONATHON BORNSTEIN - ANATOMY OF A WINNER

As I get out of my car and make my way up the front walk of his Los Alamitos childhood home I hear "Hey, DC just scored come on in we have the game on." For the next hour we watch the split screen coverage of DC United v Galaxy and the "Beckham Cam." Jeff and Rochelle Bornstein, Jonathon's parents apologize for not having me for dinner as Jonathon makes sure its okay if he finishes the box of Milk Duds he's been snacking on. The Bornstein's have that certain something called the "hang factor." A term we used growing up to describe "pretense free people" who are very easy to be around. Hang factor is particularly helpful for my visit because Sports Page Soccer Magazine wanted to interview both Jonathon and his parents about their rapidly rising soccer star.

After having met with hundreds of professional athletes over the years I can candidly say you will not find a person who is nicer and at the same time more competitive than Jonathon Bornstein, the 2006 MLS Rookie of the Year. Bornstein had four assists and six goals his opening year and has played for Chivas USA since his professional soccer debut in the MLS. Bornstein has been called up ten times to date for his National team for whom he scored the winning goal on his US Men's National Team debut against Denmark on January 20, 2007.

As far back as he can remember, sports have been an integral part of his life. A typical day in the life of the Bornstein's growing up included Jonathon, his older brother Andrew and his father Jeff playing pick up basketball, football or any other sport they could find or think of in their yard or the street in front of their Los Alamitos home. Jonathon's "formal" introduction to soccer was a natural outgrowth of his dad's involvement as soccer coach for his sons. Jeff was coaching his older five year old son Andrew's AYSO team and asked AYSO if his four year old son Jonathon could play on the team as well. The rest, as they say, is U.S. soccer history. Jonathon embarked on a path which has led him at the tender age of twenty-two to a first team position as well as a recurring call up to play for the US Men's National Soccer team.

When Jonathon, who presently plays left flank defender, shuts down opponents who are older, taller and or bigger than himself he simply does what he has always done. Weaker players can be intimidated by so called mismatches in height, strength, etc. Jonathon sees it differently, he simply "takes care of business" as he and Jeff put it and proceeds to out hustle, and out wit and out play his opponents.

In July 2007's Copa America, Bornstein had the pleasure and responsibility of marking Argentina's Lionel Messi (presently one of the world's premier goal scorers.) Jonathon, understandably nervous at first given the daunting nature of the task, quickly proceeded to embrace the challenge and to "get up and stay up in Messi's grill." Anyone familiar with Messi, who saw the match up, can attest to the utter frustration the Barcelona top gun exhibited in being shut down by the twenty two year old American. Whether it was a "coaching call" or as a result of Messi's request, the second half of the game found Messi switched to the side of the field farthest away from Bornstein.

In an age where many world class athletes should only be emulated, if at all, during that fraction of their lives they actually take the field, Jonathon Bornstein is the kind of person you want your son or daughter to become. The adage about the "apple not falling far from the tree" certainly seems to be the case with the Bornsteins. Jeff has reinforced with Jonathon the importance of remaining humble notwithstanding the attention and accompanying temptations surrounding his son's rise to prominence in the world of international soccer.

Take a typical Chivas USA home game for example. While most of the players head straight for the showers and locker room following a game, Bornstein instinctively heads for Sections 107, 108 and 109 of the Home Depot Center in Carson to share the moment with his parents, family, friends and burgeoning fan base. Jonathon quickly acknowledges that he feels bad he realistically cannot sign the number of autographs he would like to for those who support him and his team. Where winners typically grab what they can whenever they can, Bornstein has become a winner and will likely remain so because he understands at the tender age of twenty two that it is also about giving back.

Staff Editorial Sports Page Soccer Magazine