Thus began the relationship that was depicted -- sometimes painfully -- in the film. He also says that Jim White recruited him and his classmates in middle school to start running. So I'd have two practices." A former . 'Everybody in the world is going to think I'm fat and I wasn't fat.' He said the high school had 4,000 students and he "felt like a number." Sophomore Johnny Samaniego was 12th overall (sixth in scoring). He and his wife Cheryl met at Magic Valley Christian College in Idaho. Friends remember Herlinda as bright and outgoing. Sylvia had just made her first communion a week before and that got Herlinda all excited. That was pretty amazing. Raul Diaz is now Father Raul Diaz, pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Dinuba. ", Q: Whats the latest on Bakersfield Police Department Detective Damacio Diaz, who is facing multiple federal charges after FBI investigators a, Positive Cases Among Kern Residents: 309,529, Recovered and Presumed Recovered Residents: 304,455, Percentage of all cases that are unvaccinated:71.13, Percentage of all hospitalizations that are unvaccinated:83.13, Source: Kern County Public Health Services Department. She put him to bed for school the next day but not before telling him he would be like his dad. Jim White coaching photo by Kirby Lee/Image of Sport. White sees the athletic Especially when you travel, people treat you like youre important, Valles said. ', "Thomas was at our house almost every day.". MileSplit California Editor: 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. He said your story back then is mine now, Valles recalled. We still run the same roads, along the same fields, just with different kids. Eventually sophomore Danny Diaz crossed in 91st (68th) to close out the scoring. Cookie Preferences / Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Generated by 10.1.2.159 from cache (3498 ttl) in 11 milliseconds. Brief Version. The McFarland high school team was fast, and Valles was at the forefront of the 87 championship team. 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. 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. 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. "She wanted to meet Danny Diaz," White said. on Coach Jim White challenged him and his peers to run. SAC where it dominated. Runner Thomas Valles and his family arrive at the world premiere of 'McFarland, USA' at the El Capitan Theatre on February 9, 2015 in Hollywood, California. Yes. Yes. to know what it feels like to be While the Disney film "McFarland USA" depicts the inspirational story of the team and . They talk about being Any one of those tragedies could form the basis of a retrospective, but there's another story, one I just rediscovered, that bears retelling because of the effect it had on the town and the high school cross-country teams of that celebrated era. 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. "My parents divorced. compositor Karina Benesh . It was indeed the first time that many of the kids ever saw the ocean. He was the one who introduced us to bowling, to miniature golfing, to going to the beach for the first time. Thomas Valles prays before the start of the Kern Invitational on November 1, 1986, five days after two teammates from the girls team were killed during a practice session. "We couldn't go out there and run those things," White said. It was a great honor to win that first one.". Twenty-one years later, and he has a different outlook. It's all Hollywood. "He's the one who . The real Coach Jim White took both the boys and girls cross country teams to the California central coast beach at Cayucos during the 1985 season (not the 1987 season). But, no, that title did not immediately begin the school's run of state championships. Today, hes a motivational speaker. He says that Delano Now We were going in the right direction with our training they just started believing in whatever I was saying. ", 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. Tu cuenta de Descarga previa (EZA) se mantendr vigente durante un ao. Thanks, The disciplinarian was out of the house, Valles said. Top, from left: Johnny Samaniego, Luis Partida, Damacio Diaz and Coach Jim White. It was rare to stay in one place longer than a year. What is it about distance running that not only allowed seven kids to dominate, but brought a whole community together? 5. He might have been one of them had somebody who cared not intervened in his life. "You saw the hills at the end of the movie.". It wasnt unusual for his father. Plainview Herald. Norma and Dolores were two of Sylvia and Herlinda Gonzalez's teammates and close friends. No. But hours and hours together with nothing to do but run mile after grueling mile together creates a bond. By 1986, Texas-born Coach Jim White, nicknamed Blanco by his Latino team, had built a locally dominant cross country team. He has been fired from several jobs, and eventually ends up in the titular town (the only place that would hire him). SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. Who was Thomas Valles? Although the State Meet has always been held at Woodward Park in Fresno, the film includes the Griffith Park Observatory in Los Angeles in the background of what was portrayed as the State Meet course. experience coaching the team. Jim White (Costner) finds his days as a football coach numbered when an incident with a player leads to his dismissal. White said he started the McFarland track club in 1973 and launched the cross country program at McFarland in 1980. 'You're actually doing things for us that our mom and dad don't do. -Congressional Record, V. 146, Pt. February 27, 2023 new bill passed in nj for inmates 2022 No Comments . "(That) fixed it where I could never see my parents on Thanksgiving," White said. We treated them just like our kids. " 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. 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. He later taught woodshop and physical education. She was on the 1985 team and became a cheerleader in 1986, but her teammates wanted her in this photo. Higher wind gusts possible.. Whatever the challenges Valles faces, he says he relishes the opportunity. (Photo by Barry King/FilmMagic) Get personalized pricing by telling us when, where, and how you . It was an emotional and . What did Coach White throw at the football player inside the locker room? By The memorial pages in the 1986-87 McFarland High yearbook for Herlinda Gonzalez and Sylvia Diaz. Julie and Jami are depicted in the McFarland, USA movie. That was the true beginning of the program's championship run to eight more titles. However, he had been a teacher in the McFarland School District since 1964, following his graduation from Pepperdine University. No. The first time Valles got real with an audience, a kid approached him afterward. Jeffrey Parenti, [email protected], Contact Us Partly cloudy skies. Flora is Sylvia's younger sister. SKOTY. Retired from law enforcement. country team. While Diaz was the fifth scorer for McFarland, he was not overweight as portrayed. Standing, from left: coach Gary Pierson, Norma Torres, Norma Lopez, Delfina Herrera and coach Jim White. Thank you for reading! Herlinda was bound for greatness and every year during cross-country season, when the hot summers start to dissipate and the leaves start to change colors, I am reminded of how sensitive life really is. During his time there, he noticed the stories of these incarcerated men were similar to his own. Google ' McFarland USA fact vs. fiction' and you get quite a few options that separate the true story of the upstart cross country program at the rural Central California high school and Hollywood's spin on it in the 2015 film starring Kevin Costner as coach Jim White. -Congressional Record, V. 146, Pt. Thomas Valles has been running since middle school, and he still hasnt stopped at 52. His mother answered and immediately saw the signs. Danny Diaz, daughter Delia Diaz, Gabriel Didn't you get into this fight? White has lived in McFarland ever since. Coach Jim White and his wife, Cheryl, with team member Thomas Valles at the 1987 California Southern Area cross country meet at Hart Park in Bakersfield.. Beside above, what did the boys learn from their experience running for the McFarland High School cross country team? And, man, I just started crying, started crying tears of joy. Though it is very close, Jim White likely wouldn't have had a clear view of it from his classroom window, as a street of homes separates the school's athletic fields from the prison grounds. He was no fan of homework and was diagnosed with dyslexia creating some additional learning challenges at school but he was motivated to run and to travel. Education, law enforcement, business owners. Kevin Costner plays a high-school football coach who ends up leading a cross-country track team made up unlikely students to a state championship. His siblings soon started spiraling into unhealthy behaviors. 'tain mais faites-le taire, cuy-l, avec sa tte de vieux nourrisson moche, j'ai pas un sou et je ne rve que de la #REVOLUTION ! Middle row, from left: David diaz, Thomas Valles, Amador Ayon and Christian Rodriguez. Sept. 17, 2022 Submitted by the famil of Remedios E. July 14, 2022 Submitted by relatives Mary Ann Ruiz May 10, 2022 OUR CONDOLENCES TO FAMILY OF NICK RUIZ April 15, 2022 Submitted by the Ahumada Family Eddie Ahumada, Our Hometown Durning the season, the boys are not supposed to play basketball. That's the legacy I see with that time. Raul would walk across the graduation stage that spring without his sister, her hopes and dreams a memory preserved by his photographs. A recent gathering of Norma Lopez Takahashi, Flora Diaz and Dolores Plata Rodriguez with Sylvia Diaz's photo album. But Valles had running, thanks to White, who was well aware of the situation. Two weeks later, at the CIF Central Section south area meet, both McFarland teams arrived by limousine, rented by one of the parents as a gesture of sympathy. You just do what you can do. 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. Below we tell the story of White, Valles and the 1987 championship team and point out areas of Hollywood fiction. A good student, she dreamed of continuing her education after high school and of visiting Hawaii. Jim White is to Thomas' right and Gary Adams is to White's right. If one or two of those boys couldn't make practice at four o'clock 'cause they're just gettin' in from work, then I might practice at 6 or 7 o'clock with those boys. The program, which is run by Eddie Subealdea, chief juvenile probation officer for Hale County, is an alternative placement program. In actuality, Thomas was the number one runner for the 1987 State Championship Cross Country team for McFarland. An avid runner, to say the least, Valles accepted the challenge and has worked to raise roughly $3,000 to support the cause. Thomas Valles was one of the runners who competed and won the cross country CIF State Championship in 1987. school and decides to put together a cross His family struggles to fit into the low-income Hispanic culture, and White struggles to reach the . It was a bit of a surprise when she exited the . Central Valley. Following McFarlands legendary championship, Valles went to College of the Sequoias in Visalia to study and run for their cross country team. The 1986-87 McFarland High yearbook contains a heartbreaking number of "in memorial" pages, way too many for a tiny country school. Ellysa Harris is the editor for the Plainview Herald. 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. During the beach trip in 1985 when coach Jim White took the team to Cayucos following the Santa Maria Invitational, Herlinda Gonzalez wrote "MHS #1" in the sand. ", "It was a great accomplishment," White said. Excellent, no trash or language. He and his wife Cheryl met at Magic Valley Christian College in Idaho. -LCU.edu, Yes. Its also a testament to parents, dont lower the bar for your kids, always aim higb. Its a subject he was shy to address when he rather reluctantly got into the speaker circuit in 2017. They took him home and knocked on his front door. White said training would be scheduled to avoid the extreme heat, as well as obligations the boys had to work in the field, and Wednesday church. The boys worked in the classroom and on the course, and many of Whites runners attended college or enlisted in the armed forces. They were Rosa Soto, 18, Lionel Martinez, 16, Efrain Rodriguez, 19, and Sandra Perez, 17. "I grew up in a broken home," Valles said. Valles recalls running laps as a third grader trying his hardest to be the fastest. Girls XC coach at McFarland. Also, take a closer look at the Diaz family, who had seven children run for McFarland. At first, it is just a temporary place to live until she graduates high school . Where he called home depended on where his father could find work in the fields. Julie and Jami are depicted in the McFarland, USA movie. And that pain would come back. 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. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. After that, the Cougars were the easy favorites to win the first small schools division (D-III) State Meet title. He won nine state titles and went to the state meet every year but one, he said. He said he didnt want 2 hire lawyers or have 2 deal with all that. His marathon goal falls in line with the releaseof McFarland USA on Disney+ last month. Likely not. (He had a) poor relationship with dad. Occupation Actress Years active 1985-present Spouse(s). But the character of the town started changing, as coach White built success. Right now, you are writing your own story.. I grew up with domestic violence and that's what I knew. He recently retired as a California State Correctional officer supervising adult males. He then taught seventh and eighth grade woodshop and PE for 11 years at McFarland Middle School, and then switched to just teaching PE and coaching the high school cross country team. It was bittersweet. Send me an email at [email protected]. Now more than 30 years later, he knows he disappointed her and White. Dolores Plata Rodriguez says the bus trips were the most fun of her cross-country experience. Dad didnt want us in the calles, in the streets, Valles said. It soon became a dominant program among small schools in Northern California. I didn't grow up telling my parents I loved them. We thought that was normal, Valles said. interview. Beyond being a feel-good movie, and a good one at that, it has helped raise awareness of a small San Joaquin Valley farming town most Americans have never heard of. . Completed. I have cried welcome tears of joy and sorrow in the last few days," Flora Diaz said last month as thousands of people began viewing the photos from Sylvia's album. White, 79, said his experience at Franklin shaped his path toward McFarland. Sylvia Diaz at work in the agricultural fields of McFarland in 1985. But then it was nervous time. McFarland High School is actually just down the road from the Central Valley Correctional Facility, not across the street. "God, she had such a great laugh. children ran for Jim White and all seven The photos I made of the teams in the aftermath of the accident were the first I would shoot of McFarland's string of tragedies in the 1980s. Is now Father raul Diaz, daughter Delia Diaz, daughter Delia Diaz, pastor St.. While Diaz was the true beginning of the situation house almost every day. `` to &. True beginning of the program 's championship run to eight more titles tiny country school closer look at the of..., which is run by Eddie Subealdea, chief juvenile probation officer for County! Sophomore Johnny Samaniego was 12th overall ( sixth in scoring ) home, '' Valles said ). 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Had been a teacher in the streets, Valles said to a state championship cross program...
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