BELLFLOWR, Calif. – Building a winner takes an unwavering vision and a championship mentality.
As St. John Bosco prepares for their third state title game, the picture of their success comes into focus. Over the last decade Head Coach Jason Negro has built a winning culture. His dedication, enthusiasm, and faith in his program have made Bosco a national power.
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“I think that was something that we talked about from the first time I addressed the team is we are going to be excellent, we are going to be great, we are going to be an elite program. And if you don’t want to be a part of it, then you shouldn’t step into the room,” says Negro.
Since taking over, all he has done is win. Three California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section championships and two state titles later, Bosco is a destination for some of the nation’s top talent. Negro has built more than a program in Bellflower, he has built a brand.
“We’re going to show that. St. John Bosco is a destination. And you want to be great, you want to be elite, then you need to be at a program like ours,” Negro says.
Negro has pretty much won everywhere he has been. From his time as an assistant at Bosco in the late 90s to guiding a Trabuco Hills program to new heights as their head coach after that, he has been a driving force of success.
What made it so special to come back to Bosco was coming home to his alma mater, where he played football and baseball as a member of the class of 91.
“The amount of effort you out into the program, the amount of energy you have each and every time you step into the field, it means a little bit more when you’re at your alma mater than when you’re just at a regular school trying to lead a team. Not that your effort is any different, not that your commitment to trying to be as great as you can be is any different. But being at the alma mater just means a little bit more,” Negro says.
As he and his team prepare to stay atop the national rankings, they do so with an exclamation point - to leave no doubt that they are the best team in the state and the nation.
“If you can consistently be good no matter what you’re faced against from a year-to-year basis, then I think that’s ultimately what’s going to determine and define who you are and the success that you’ve had,” says Negro.
Winning is a culture.