Many of White's former runners credit him with inspiring them to achieve personal and career goals they would have otherwise deemed impossible (People.com). Et que tu t'enfuies la queue entre les jambes aprs qu'on t'ait expropri pour rcuprer notre d, celui que ta classe exploiteuse nous a vol ! He said the high school had 4,000 students and he "felt like a number." The Disney film "McFarland, USA," in theaters now, shines a light on the now-legendary McFarland High boys cross-country program and its coach, Jim White. He offers the kids a chance "We couldn't go out there and run those things," White said. Valles went on to earn a criminal justice degree. A female carer working with autistic children who bit off part of a pub landlady's ear during a boozy bar brawl has been jailed for 14 months. Raul Diaz was also a senior in 1986 and on the boys team. He admittedly partied too much during his sophomore year and became ineligible. -Congressional Record, V. 146, Pt. It reminds me of another good one, Glory Road. Jim White restarted the program in 1980 after it had been dropped for a year. She was on the 1985 team and became a cheerleader in 1986, but her teammates wanted her in this photo. Jim White and Thomas Valles Reflect on 35 Years of McFarland Track. He retired in 2003 after 23 years of coaching boys cross country. A solemnity and eerie quiet hung over Hart Park for the Kern Invitational the afternoon of Nov. 1, 1986, just five days after the accident. "Some had never had a sit-down dinner with forks.". If he wasnt at school, Valles was expected to be at home or in the fields helping his dad. So I'd have two practices." They were requested by People Magazine. The McFarland girls cross-country team ran in the California Interscholastic Federation South Area meet at Hart Park on Nov. 13, 1986, two and a half weeks after the accident that claimed teammates Sylvia Diaz and Herlinda Gonzalez. Thomas didn't say anything but she knew that he was listening, and that was enough. Disney took a few creative liberties with creating the feature film, Valles said. On one occasion, Mrs. Diaz made 200 dozen tamales to send the team to Asia. This is the team featured in the movie McFarland USA, which opens to general release on February 20. went on to college. (David Diaz and Amador Ayon were both seniors on the 1986 team and didn't get the chance to compete for a state championship. I think the school shouldve paid because it was during school practice. Flora is Sylvia's younger sister. We were recruited young. Also check out the incredibly moving real photos from the beach scene depicted in McFarland USA from the personal album of Silvia Diaz. At the Kern Invitational on Nov. 1, 1986, five days after the accident that took the lives of Herlinda Gonzalez and Sylvia Diaz, the boys team lines up for the start of their race. Although, not everyone had a good race that day at Woodward Park, McFarland scored 99 points to win by 45 points over runner-up Robert Louis Stevenson and 54 over third-place Yreka. That day at Woodward Park, McFarland's top four were dominant. His first teaching position in the district was instructing fifth grade science, which he did for nine years. "Sometimes a setback like that brings people and teams closer and more intimate with each other, and we found ourselves running for McFarland, Mr. White and most importantly, for each other.". "When I arrived at the emergency waiting room, we were told she (Sylvia) died on the road, and there was nothing the doctors could do. Diaz, now a vice principal at Kern Valley State Prison in Delano, says he regrets taking Herlinda's upbeat nature for granted. Very good moviegringos better stop descriminating the Latinosjust like john Lennon saidthe world should live as one. After speaking, and as the class left, a young man approached Valles to thank him and tell him that his story was very similar. Our family has watched it three nights in a row. They worked hard. I loved my sister very much. MileSplit California Editor: And so I would imagine that line all over again.. Read rest of the answer.In this regard, who is Thomas Valles married to? Victor Puentes is just to his left. "Neither did I throw that shoe at that young man. Did the boys have to get up with the sun to work in the fields only to return later in the day to train there? "I abruptly stopped the interview and took off," he said about joining his teammates. " No. There is much excitement and anticipation in McFarland about the film, which stars Kevin Costner as coach Jim White, and as I mentioned in my previous posts that dealt with the enormous heartache this town endured in the 1980s Show the world what has happened to my son, Prom night, a crash and six teens lost and McFarlands never-ending heartache this close-knit town deserves some good will and national love. danny diaz. Yes, McFarland is an inspirational story. In fact, when the studio gave Valles and his teammates a special sneak preview of the film, he left the theater unimpressed. Now more than 30 years later, he knows he disappointed her and White. White's daughter." Thomas laughed, a strange bitter sound. Hollie Wykoff and Alicia Herrera, right, raced in the CIF Central Section South Area meet at Hart Park on Nov. 13, 1986. . She began going through her sister's photo album as interest in McFarland increased in advance of the film's release. 5, was not in the picture. Fun was all that was on our minds. Not unlike many McFarland kids, she worked in the fields to help support her family. Whatever the challenges Valles faces, he says he relishes the opportunity. a cake. A young girl approached Thomas Valles, McFarlands No. Standing, from left: coach Gary Pierson, Norma Torres, Norma Lopez, Delfina Herrera and coach Jim White. No. I'm in sixth grade, and Im running.. Thomas Valles went on to become a prison guard (LA Times). "Julie felt it was time to move on and do other things." But network and production execs revealed that White had . What we are reminded of is that McFarland USA is based on a true story but it is not a documentary. Good men and woman can make a huge difference in the lives of others. Playing Grace's best friend in Grace Under Fire, White had a falling out which resulted in her giving her notice to the show. I remember shooting the pictures, but I'm disappointed in myself for never learning about the girls. Feet thudding on the pavement, and shoes shuffling through the dirt in rhythm. They said we won! Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. The first time Valles got real with an audience, a kid approached him afterward. Yes, the McFarland High boys did win a team title at the first CIF-State Cross Country Championships held in 1987. By continuing to browse or by clicking "Accept," you agree to our site's privacy policy. He said your story back then is mine now, Valles recalled. At 31 years old, Valles said he was fulfilling his dream of qualifying for the Boston Marathon. In seventh grade, Valles said his PE teacher (White) introduced himself and said he coached cross country and track. ", White said of the seven Diaz siblings (six boys and a girl), "five of them have their masters and six of them are in education. They came back. "We achieved what we set out to do. All seven Diaz children ran for Jim White and all seven went . "Niki Caro wanted to show more family in the movie so they chose me," says the real David Diaz, who actually graduated during the school year before the first state title win. He later taught woodshop and physical education. Truly, something unique happened at Cedarville last week. While Hollywood fictionalized the story, Blanco developed a real dynasty in high school cross country.. The town had two places to go to jail and nine places to go to eat, Sports Illustrateds Gary Smith wrote in the story that inspired the movie. As Valles wrapped his speech to the kids, he encouraged them to take steps toward reaching their goals by getting an education, going into a trade or joining the military. "We did that year after year to build bonds and to trust one another," he said. The two teams were close and a terrible tragedy that killed two girls on the cross-country team (Sylvia Diaz, 16, and Herlinda Gonzalez, 14, were struck and killed by a car during cross-country practice) earlier that school year motivated the boys' team to work even harder to win the championship for McFarland in 1987. He also did find Thomas Valles on a freeway overpass and help him deal with his I'm coming!. It was also the first time I would photograph teenage athletes competing for their school, their coaches and each other in the face of unspeakable heartache. And, man, I just started crying, started crying tears of joy. Julie and Jami are depicted in the McFarland, USA movie. -LCU.edu, Yes. 5. Jim was known for being a tough coach by his runners but also for his selfless acts of helping out with the boys, the town and the church. We won.' Retired as a correctional officer. Grandchildren to see this wonderful film. White House Farm has been criticised by Essex police for the way in which Taff is portrayed. Jim White coaching photo by Kirby Lee/Image of Sport. Completed. He occasionally hit more than just the wall. David is represented in the McFarland, USA movie along with two of his brothers, Damacio and Danny. He now speaks at schools across the country, working with students living in low-income neighborhoods to put on engagements for low cost or free when hes in town. It was all to beat the guy next to themthe guy who had not had to overcome what they overcame, had not had to work as hard. He promised to take him places away from McFarland, California. Thomas Valles, a former member of the McFarland, Calif. cross-country team that won a state championship in 1987, . "He's the one who . Friends remember Herlinda as bright and outgoing. Yet 35 years later, coach White and all seven boys from the 1987 team are back making a difference in the city they love: McFarland, USA. Yes. They asked me if I was happy with my place. She called the cops it wasnt the first time and they took him to jail. Victor Puentes is just to his left. That's the legacy I see with that time. Even though we both have the same last name, we are not related and she made sure to tell me that on a few occasions.". "She wanted to meet Danny Diaz," White said. Raul is at the left, his sister Sylvia next to him. The McFarland, USA true story supports that McFarland High School won nine CIF California State Championships in cross country (including five in a row) and held a streak of attending the state championship meet 24 years in a row. However, he did rebuild the boys and girls cross country programs from the ground up. Added Cheryl: "With him being a pitcher, he would have been straight on.". Because Thomas Valles, McFarlands top runner in 1987, is the focal point of all these photos, this was most likely a profile I was assigned to shoot of him in advance of the state championship meet. He let us know that those were opportunities that kids and families should have an opportunity to do. -BakersfieldCalifornian.com, Yes. children ran for Jim White and all seven After the Disney film came out, Valles was asked to speak at McFarland Junior High and was nervous. Hollywood's fictional fingers are all over how the story is framed but in the big picture, the film captures the essence of the main characters and the story quite well on the big screen. Photos: Apocalyptic skies hung over Texas panhandle Monday. Dream big-that's the motto of USI's Hispanic Heritage Month keynote speaker Thomas Valles, a member of the state champion McFarland High School cross country team featured in the 2015 Disney film McFarland USA.Through a conversation moderated by Paola Marizan '15, Valles will discuss his historic and inspiring running career, the challenges he faced growing up in a small Latino farming town in . This is part of a series of articles looking back at the 1987 CIF-State Cross Country Championships, the first in California. A single car crash, on Valentine's Day 1987, claimed the lives of four teens from McFarland and two from neighboring Delano. Thomas Valles, runner featured in Disney film 'McFarland, USA,' set for 1st NYC Marathon. "(That) fixed it where I could never see my parents on Thanksgiving," White said. One day his mom had enough, he recalled. But enjoy the moment. Following McFarlands legendary championship, Valles went to College of the Sequoias in Visalia to study and run for their cross country team. Nothing shows that sense of unity better than images lovingly preserved in Sylvia's photo album of a visit to the beach depicted in the film. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); A look at the real McFarland USA kids and coach JimWhite, You can't have my job, but I'll tell you a story, Show the world what has happened to my son. . We still run the same roads, along the same fields, just with different kids. Julie, and Jamie, and four grandchildren. Sylvia Diaz is in the middle. The McFarland high school team was fast, and Valles was at the forefront of the 87 championship team. 'You're actually doing things for us that our mom and dad don't do. I received a nice surprise today when my pal, longtime Bakersfield Californian photographer Felix Adamo, found these photos I shot of the 1987 McFarland boys cross country team. I don't know if anybody outside McFarland ever asked. Bold, original and fun, her collection of silk scarves & specialty socks are collectable and timeless. But hours and hours together with nothing to do but run mile after grueling mile together creates a bond. His siblings soon started spiraling into unhealthy behaviors. Sophomore Johnny Samaniego was 12th overall (sixth in scoring). A live-action Disney movie starring Kevin Costner, this 2015 film set in the late 1980s opens on the downward spiraling career of high school football coach Jim White (Costner). All three girls graduated with degrees in education from Lubbock Christian University in Lubbock, Texas; Tami in 1985, Julie in 1988, and Jami in 1991. The film also shows a chubby runner named Danny Diaz rallying late to secure the team title. McFarland High School is actually just down the road from the Central Valley Correctional Facility, not across the street. Included in the segment, titled Julie Pettitt-Booth: Executive Director of Undergraduate New Student Services McM 104 . The McFarland girls arrived for the CIF Central Section South Area meet on Nov. 13, 1986 in a limousine. Jim White (Costner) finds his days as a football coach numbered when an incident with a player leads to his dismissal. As stated above, the real Jim White started teaching in the McFarland School District straight out of college in 1964. Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading. An avid runner, to say the least, Valles accepted . One in particular, Thomas Valles (Carlos Pratt), can run a 5-minute mile. The team placed second in 1989 with Samaniego placing eighth and getting on the podium. Thomas Valles. In 1964, after graduating from Pepperdine, White was hired to teach middle school science in McFarland. It was bittersweet. Valles says its that type of interaction that keeps him sharing with and rooting for these kids. "Sometimes I helped them work in the fields," says the real Coach Jim White, "but more importantly, I had practice at a different time. Wykoff was one of the runners who witnessed the accident. Were you an athlete, coach, organizer who took part in the first CIF-State Cross Country Championships in 1987? Where he called home depended on where his father could find work in the fields. Here was the star runner, just a kid, bringing his hands to his face in prayer and keeping them there for what seemed an eternity before the start of his race. School. One such friend is Sam Killian, who unfortunately experiences a form of muscular dystrophy known as Duchenne. "He had to be wondering, 'Hey, what am I doing up here?' -LA Times, No. Asked what part of the story of that 1987 season he wished had been included in the film, White said the impact of his wife Cheryl. He might never have given the incident another thought if not for Whites actions. By every account from their friends, relatives and teammates, these were two special and deeply-loved girls. "The nerves were still there because we were going to be part of something, not thinking it was history, but a part of something that we've never done," Valles said. Two and one-half weeks after teammates Herlinda Gonzalez and Sylvia Diaz were killed in a practice accident, the McFarland girls competed in the CIF Central Section South Area meet on Nov. 13, 1986. Did Coach White ride his bike as the boys ran? His marathon goal falls in line with the releaseof McFarland USA on Disney+ last month. (Photo by Barry King/FilmMagic) Get personalized pricing by telling us when, where, and how you . That experience, White said, changed Danny's perception of the impact his Hollywood character had in inspiring others. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. You guys actually-" Stacy covered her friend's mouth with one hand, and used the other to hold up a finger to her own lips. Starring Kevin Costner, Maria Bello, Carlos Pratts, Hector Duran, Copyright 2023 HistoryvsHollywood.com, CTF Media, Coach Jim White Interview & the Diaz Family Looks Back, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. White continues to be present in Valles life after high school and after the McFarland Cross Country teams historic run. I didn't do that until I met the Whites. Was enlisted in the armed services. But Coach White led his boys to running and running beckoned them past the lines that lay before them. "I looked over at the reporter and I said 'We won. Clockwise from top center is Dolores Plata, Herlinda Gonzalez, Gabby Perez, Alicia Herrera, Delfina Herrera and Magda Saragoza. I grew up in a house with domestic violence, and I didnt feel compelled to share, he said. When I say Mr. White became my father figure and Mrs. White became my mother figure. Higher wind gusts possible.. . I wept and wept, and did not go inside. I want to tell the story of Sylvia and Herlinda because, based on what I witnessed in 1986, a complete story of McFarland High's inspiring cross-country legacy cannot be told without including Sylvia, Herlinda and the girls team. ', "Thomas was at our house almost every day.". Girls XC coach at McFarland. -23ABC News. His older brothers started getting mixed in the wrong crowds and experimenting with drugs. Julie White plays the character of Maggie Shaw. "I didn't really know what those sports were," Valles said. Teammate updates and McFarland photos courtesy of Thomas Valles. I want all of my. They're men of color. What you don't see in the film is sixth runner Luis Partida, who was replaced on the team in McFarland USA by David Diaz, who had actually graduated in 1986. on They raised three girls (not two as depicted in the movie) and recently celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary. . There were times while doing that job that he said he thought about what might have been had it not been for Jim White and cross country. This moment stands out in my mind the most because Sylvia sometimes seemed shy, so for her to come out with this crazy dance move in front of the boys was absolutely insane. That sounds callous, but when I opened those assignment envelopes and looked at these photos nearly 30 years later, they slapped me with an emotion that shortened my breath. We had birthday parties with them. Terms in this set (31) Who was Danny Diaz? Yes, the McFarland High boys did win a team title at the first CIF-State Cross . Hey were in a Gifted class and were doing a Documentary in National History Day and wed like to interview you for a primary source for McFarland, USA. White House Farm: Julie tells the police about Marcus. All of a sudden I saw these headlights and it was Mr. White in his '59 Chevy." Visit johnhartephoto.wordpress.com to see John's McFarland cross-country photos following the deaths of Sylvia Diaz and Herlinda Gonzalez, plus his photos of the real athletes depicted in the film "McFarland, USA. Local photojournalist John Harte, who followed the team at the time, says that he witnessed opposing teams offer genuine handshakes of good luck. While still being interviewed, Valles said he noticed his teammates hugging and crying. (LogOut/ We still run the same roads, along the same fields, just with different kids. The movie pushes up his arrival and coaching position at McFarland to 1987, the first year his cross country team attended and won the state championship (1987 was also the very first year that California had a state championship). "Thomas didn't have anger management and Danny wasn't fat," White said when asked about inaccuracies in the film. But the depiction of him in the film prompted him to make a t-shirt showing him as he actually was: "This is the real Danny Diaz.". "David and Danny (Diaz) are in education. Coach White called Thomas over. It was tough growing up in McFarland.". You set goals and keep positive.. Excellent movie. Thomas Valles was barely a teenager when a coach stepped in and changed his life. "We did what we could to help him. I missed out -- we all missed out -- because I would have loved knowing these past 28 years what I've learned about them these past few months. On occasion, he said, the boys would have to work in the fields on a Saturday morning before going off to a meet that afternoon. Sylvia had just made her first communion a week before and that got Herlinda all excited. Yes. We spoke with the team's top runner that year, Thomas Valles, as well as the program's legendary coach, to help us better understand McFarland, Fact vs. Fiction. 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