COACH, PLAYER BONDED FOR LIFE PLAISANCE PROVIDED GUIDANCE, DIRECTION FOR BORNN TO FOLLOW.Byline: Gerry Gittelson Staff Writer SAUGUS - When Saugus High football coach Jason Bornn invited his former high school coach, Mike Plaisance, to talk to Bornn's history students about civil rights this past Friday, the meeting between the two was like a family reunion Often an annual event, a family reunion takes place on a specified day each year for the purpose of keeping an extended family closer together. Some reunions may be held less often. . Bornn grew up without a father, and after some turbulent adolescent years Plaisance took on that role in the 1980s. Plaisance, a 56-year African-American who grew up in Louisiana and retired from coaching in 1999 after 20 seasons, calls Bornn the son he never had. When Bornn enrolled at Village Christian High of Sun Valley, he felt like a lost soul teetering on the edge. ``I was running the streets and acting up. Eventually, I got arrested, and I think that was the point when I realized I had to change things or I would end up down the wrong road,'' Bornn said. ``I'd been raised by a single mom who did the best she could. She did a phenomenal job but she worked a lot of hours, and I had no male role model.'' Plaisance remembers Bornn as an undersized undersized see dwarfism, runt. , but determined defensive lineman who simply needed a guiding hand. ``I told Jason, 'Hey, you're either going to be a knucklehead, or you're going to mature,' '' Plaisance recalled. ``I've always believed there is no such thing as a bad kid. But they do have to learn to accept consequences. I think the biggest change happens when they stop trying to make excuses and alibis and start to just accept consequences and move on.'' Bornn blossomed on the football field, emerging as a top small-school player in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. . He was only about 170 pounds but loved to hit, helping Village Christian twice defeat Alpha League rival Montclair Prep of Panorama City. ``I remember one time when I sacked (Montclair Prep quarterback) Keyaan Cook so hard that snot snot n. Nasal mucus; phlegm. came out of his nose,'' Bornn said. ``Football gave me an avenue to vent my frustration. I was pretty much a psycho out there, really relentless. From the time the play started until the whistle A simple whistle is a woodwind instrument which produces sound from a stream of forced air. Many types exist, from small police and sports whistles (also called pea whistles), to much larger train whistles, which are steam whistles specifically designed for use on blew, I went 180 miles per hour and I hit whoever I could.'' Bornn admits there was always a letdown letdown 1. the sudden flush of milk flow that occurs when the calf begins to suck or when milking commences in a properly prepared cow. Depends for its occurrence on the release of oxytocin from the pituitary gland in response to massage of the teats and udder. after the game. ``It was always frustrating frus·trate tr.v. frus·trat·ed, frus·trat·ing, frus·trates 1. a. To prevent from accomplishing a purpose or fulfilling a desire; thwart: afterward af·ter·ward also af·ter·wards adv. At a later time; subsequently. Adv. 1. afterward - happening at a time subsequent to a reference time; "he apologized subsequently"; "he's going to the store but he'll be back here when I'd see all my friends with their dads, and they'd say, 'Good job, son,' '' Bornn said. ``My mom was there, but it just wasn't the same.'' Plaisance was always there to pick up the pieces. When Bornn's career ended, Plaisance invited him to join the coaching staff. ``I just saw something in Jason. He was bright, he was innovative, and all he ever needed was someone to show him the right direction,'' Plaisance said. Bornn was only 19 but Plaisance gave him the job as defensive coordinator A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a football team in the National Football League or college football who is in charge of the defense. This position aids the head coach a great deal in many ways by delegating play calling to other coaches and allowing the head . ``He did a good job, too. Jason was with me for six years, and most of the time we had the No. 1 defense in the valley,'' Plaisance said. Bornn moved on to Muir of Pasadena, where he worked as an assistant for several years. He also spent a year at Canyon High and a year at Occidental College History The Birth of Occidental College Occidental College (commonly referred to as Oxy) was founded on April 20, 1887, by a group of Presbyterian clergy and laymen. before accepting the head job at Saugus two years ago at 32. Bornn said he carries what he learned from Plaisance into his coaching style and his everyday life. ``As a coach, I think what Mike Plaisance taught me more than anything was just to have good character, to be honest with players, and to have a disciplined football team,'' Bornn said. ``But most of all, I think he taught me the value and importance of running a program with class. Mike is phenomenal at PR, and he's just so charismatic and has a real gift with speaking - better than me. He taught me to treat everyone with respect and as human beings. Not just my players but everyone - the mother of a freshman kid, the guys working the chain gang, the reporters, everyone. That's something I got from him.'' Bornn is one of several former Village Christian players under Plaisance who are now head coaches. ``I'm happy for all of my former players who work as coaches, as policemen, as fireman, as civil servants,'' Plaisance said. ``Maybe I got a chance to instill in·still v. To pour in drop by drop. in  stil·la tion n. some values and ethics ethics, in philosophy, the study and evaluation of human conduct in the light of moral principles. Moral principles may be viewed either as the standard of conduct that individuals have constructed for themselves or as the body of obligations and duties that a into their lives, but I can't be the one to take credit for it. I'm just happy they're successful citizens in this world.'' Bornn holds a special place in Plaisance's heart. That's why the two have remained close through the years. ``Jason isn't just a coach. He's a father, he's a teacher, he's a family man,'' Plaisance said. ``Believe me, that's a real success story.'' Gerry Gittelson, (661) 257-5218 gerry.gittelson(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Jason Bornn, left, looked up to Valley Christian of Sun Valley football coach Mike Plaisance when he played in the 1980s. Courtesy of Mike Plaisance |
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