Meet Jonathan Bornstein

Jonathan Bornstein was born November 7, 1984 in Torrance, California to a Jewish American Father and Mexican Mother. He has 5 siblings (2 older step sisters from the same mother, 1 older biological brother, 1 younger step brother from same father, 1 younger step brother from same mother (although he doesn't consider any of his siblings “step”)). His parents were divorced when he was 3 years old and he and his older brother Andrew were mainly raised by his dad from that point on. Since Jonathan was a younger brother, he was continually trying to keep up with his older brother and that is one of the reasons he is so competitive. He hates to lose, but knows that it is a part of life and you have to learn from it.

In school, Jonathan enjoyed and excelled in math and science at an early age but wasn't until after high school that he found a passion for reading and understanding the world through different eyes (switched major to sociology at UCLA). He always understood that a quality education is important but more than anything he has always liked playing sports. From 4th grade until 8th grade, he and his brother Andrew would arrive home from school and play one-on-one basketball to 100 (by 2 and 3 pointers) on the pull out basketball hoop in their driveway, at least a few times a week. Outside of school and within the neighborhood, he and his friends were constantly playing street hockey, two hand touch football, basketball, whiffle ball, baseball, pretty much anything to stay active, except soccer.

Soccer wasn't the most popular sport amongst the neighborhood kids and was relegated to official AYSO/Club practices or backyard wall sessions alone. Oh but how those backyard wall ball sessions alone, imagining he was scoring the game winning goal or making the game saving tackle, shaped him into the person that he was and would become. When he was in 4th grade, his dad remarried and they moved as a family (Dad, Stepmom, older brother, himself, younger (step) brother) to Los Alamitos, California. He would remain in Los Alamitos from 4th grade until graduation from Los Alamitos High School. He had a pretty standard American high school experience. Freshmen year took all the necessary classes and tried out for the school soccer team. He thought he was better than he was, but quickly got humbled when the varsity coach told him he would playing Frosh/Soph for his first year.

He didn't let that get him down though and made some solid new friends who would push him to become better than he ever knew he could be. He has always cherished that about close friends, the way they have the ability to see in us what we ourselves are unable to see. It was his sophomore year that was an even more humbling experience. As three of his fellow sophomores were being promoted to the Varsity soccer team, he and one other friend were being left behind on Junior Varsity. They both talked about quitting; multiple times; but there was an urge and unknown desire to prove everyone wrong that was being lit inside of him. Instead of quitting, hard work happened: extra runs after practice, extra crosses, extra shots on goal, and a little growth spurt (puberty).

Jonathan's junior year of high school rolled around and he was starting to take AP classes (english, pre calc, statistics) and somehow the more he focused and struggled with a heavy plate of academics, the better he felt he did at soccer. To this day, he still says that "the busier you stay, the better off you will you be". His wife likes to say, "if you don't fill your time with the things you want to do, someone or something else will fill it for you." He likes the way she says it better. He made the Varsity team his junior year and although everyone expected him to be a bench player, he defied those odds and became a regular starter and contributor both offensively and defensively. To be honest, he was never in it for the stardom or the popularity, his favorite part of playing soccer was making relationships and creating bonds that can only be formed when a cohesive group works together to obtain something bigger than any individual could alone.

Junior year, he and his teammates came up short (kind of got robbed) in the CIF semifinal game. He felt so bad for his brother and all the other seniors who wouldn't get another chance at winning something. That was when he realized that we always have to make the most of the opportunities that we are given. The realization of that lesson is a lot easier than the application and applying that mentality is something he still tries to do today. When he and his fellow Seniors came back the next season, they never looked back. They went on to have the best season in school history; winning CIF and going 27-1-1 overall.

The biggest things he learned throughout his high school career was how important it is to be a great teammate and never believe the people who don't believe in you. Jonathan went on to have a successful college career at Cal Poly Pomona for two years and then transferring to UCLA for the last two seasons of soccer before eventually being drafted to play professionally for Chivas USA in 2006 in the MLS. He spent 5 seasons in the league where he was named Rookie of the Year, MLS Best XI, three time all star. Things seemed all great for Jonathan and he decided to make an international move to Mexico in 2011.

Things got a little complicated during his first few years in Mexico. The language barrier and culture shock were things that made for a difficult transition. Jonathan found himself always on the bench for 3 years, constantly trying to get to a new team but just never finding the right situation. Thoughts of wanting to quit passed through his head. He was drinking and partying a little too much and just felt that to get back on top was a long road and didn't see a path. Finally, things started to turn around in 2014 when he switched teams and cities to Queretaro. He started to refocus upon arrival at the new team and one of the best things in life that has ever happened to him happened. A Brazilian teammate of his introduced him to one of his wife's amazing friends and they fell in love.

Long story short, they got married, have two beautiful girls, and Jonathan has never been happier. Juliana, his wife, completely changed his life for the better. Jonathan grew up in a Jewish family and Juliana in a Catholic. She constantly questioned the Catholic religion and eventually converted and was baptized Christian. At the same time that Juliana and Jonathan were getting to know each other, Juliana was constantly praying for Jonathan to get to know God. She never told him that she was praying for him though. Jonathan, throughout his career, has been asked to attend bible study on multiple teams and in multiple settings and always said no. A few months into knowing Juliana, Jonathan felt an urge to listen and finally attend one of the team bible studies. He left that team bible study a new person and asked Juliana if she would like to attend the church of the Pastor who led the bible study that Sunday. She broke down crying...her prayer had been answered.

Jonathan has since been educating himself and strengthening his relationship with God and also was baptized Christian. He honestly knows that he was a little lost soul for a few years and that is why life just didn't seem to be working out, but he was saved and now he never looks back. Everything he does is for his family. They are his motivation, inspiration, joy, and reason for living.