He offers the kids a chance But Valles had running, thanks to White, who was well aware of the situation. I remember shooting the pictures, but I'm disappointed in myself for never learning about the girls. 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. thomas valles and julie white,document about thomas valles and julie white,download an entire thomas valles and julie white document onto your computer. Mostly cloudy skies. 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. 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. Yes, the nickname the boys gave him, as depicted in the film, was real. 1 runner on the 1987 championship team, and asked if he was still close with his high school teammates. Many students were touched. You might know Valles from the famous Disney movie "McFarland USA." Carlos Chalabi portrayed him as a high school student. Local photojournalist John Harte, who followed the team at the time, says that he witnessed opposing teams offer genuine handshakes of good luck. The film McFarland USA(2015) is based on a true story of a Teacher/Coach, Jim White (Kevin Costner) and a high school cross country team from a poor farm town in Central California. 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. 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. 5. Top, from left: Johnny Samaniego, Luis Partida, Damacio Diaz and Coach Jim White. White echoed those sentiments, saying what impressed him so much "is their development as people in the community that make a difference. Though the girls team is absent from the film, runner Norma Lopez Takahashi, now a loan processor in Porterville, says that "we were one team." Dolores Plata is sitting on the grass. David Diaz is behind Victor wearing a white t-shirt and McFarland hat. Wykoff was one of the runners who witnessed the accident. La historia de Valles apareci en la pelcula de Disney "McFarland USA". He also attended CSU Bakersfield and was the first person in his familyto get higher than a sixth-grade education. November 15, 2021 / Vanessa Villalvazo. "Sylvia and Herlinda became good friends during cross country, and they would often run together. challenged town in California's farm-rich His team's won nine CIF-State cross country titles, five in a row between 1992-96 and three in a row between 1999-01. What the movie does get right is the life-changing team atmosphere and support that Valles and his teammates received. World Premiere Of Disney's "McFarland, USA". March 29, 2022, 12:48 PM PDT. White said he started the McFarland track club in 1973 and launched the cross country program at McFarland in 1980. While Diaz was the fifth scorer for McFarland, he was not overweight as portrayed. ", "That was Hollywood," Valles said. . Its a town that draws in running teams from across the country for motivational talks, and its a town that knows champions can be made there. Herlinda Gonzalez's sophomore photo in the 1986-87 McFarland High yearbook. Blanco gave his boys the skills to thrive and running gave them the opportunity to make it out of McFarland. Suspense: . Similarly, Carlos' life was changed by his teacher, Mr. Wood. 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. The film does an excellent job of capturing the essence of the challenges of the small migrant farming community but not everything on the big screen is quite like it happened in real life. No one outworked the boys of McFarland. He said he told his mother that he wanted to go somewhere small, somewhere where he could have an impact. They took him home and knocked on his front door. A recent gathering of Norma Lopez Takahashi, Flora Diaz and Dolores Plata Rodriguez with Sylvia Diaz's photo album. Three shots that changed everyone's life. Valles was a star on the team and is the primary runner featured in the film "McFarland, USA.". "Jose Cardenas had had a bad race," Valles recalled recently about his teammate who was the team's seventh runner that day, finishing 148th. Sylvia Diaz's cherished team photo from the day of the beach trip in 1985 shot with her brother Raul's camera likely by a coach. It was enough to get him back on track. Inspired by the irony of his last name, "Blanco" was one of the nicknames that the kids and their families gave Jim White. Victor Puentes is just to his left. 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. Although he retired, Jim is still a pillar of the . SAC and everywhere we could find competition that could make us better. This book is about the chain affects of the shooting of Khalil and what Starr does after to protect his. My parents always encouraged us to work hard.. At the Kern Invitational on Nov. 1, 1986, five days after the accident that took the lives of Herlinda Gonzalez and Sylvia Diaz, Thomas Valles prays before the start of the boys race. compositor Karina Benesh . The real Jim White and wife Cheryl White actually have three daughters, Tami, Julie and Jami. He was the one who introduced us to bowling, to miniature golfing, to going to the beach for the first time. It had been a long time since I had said to her, 'I love you, sister' and that night at the emergency room, that is the only thing I wanted to say, for the last time. Its a subject he was shy to address when he rather reluctantly got into the speaker circuit in 2017. He recently retired as a California State Correctional officer supervising adult males. The first 20 miles are easy, Valles said. visual effects editor: shade vfx Charles Baden . "I can't speak for everybody, I can speak for myself," Valles said. His marathon goal falls in line with the releaseof McFarland USA on Disney+ last month. Delano Now Especially when you travel, people treat you like youre important, Valles said. Fun was all that was on our minds. Victor Puentes is just to his left. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, Sports Illustrateds Gary Smith wrote in the story that inspired the movie. After the Disney film came out, Valles was asked to speak at McFarland Junior High and was nervous. By Sahil Kapur. Thank you for reading! This was out of the ordinary.". It wasnt easy and he shared a slip-up. Cookie Preferences / Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Generated by 10.1.2.159 from cache (3498 ttl) in 11 milliseconds. Though Sylvia and Herlinda and the rest of the girls team are omitted in the recent media publicity generated by "McFarland, USA," they've never been forgotten by their teammates or their home town. What did Coach White throw at the football player inside the locker room? He also said he didn't have a relationship with his baseball coach and questioned why there couldn't have been a better relationship. You set goals and keep positive.. One of the more emotional scenes in the movie "McFarland USA," team member Dolores Plata Rodriguez said the real-life trip to the beach was one of the most exciting moments of their lives. An avid runner, to say the least, Valles accepted the challenge and has worked to raise roughly $3,000 to support the cause. Victor Puentes is just to his left. She called the cops it wasnt the first time and they took him to jail. Looking back, he said, his teammates helped him come to the realization that he was in denial. On one occasion, Mrs. Diaz made 200 dozen tamales to send the team to Asia. ", "That bothered him for awhile," White said. " Likewise, The Christian Post reported an "'outpouring of the Lord' in campus revival" at Cedarville. He retired in 2003 after 23 years of coaching boys cross country. The town is now over 15,000 strong, well over the 4000 people there in 1987. "God, she had such a great laugh. "He just had high expectations of us. "Some had never had a sit-down dinner with forks.". Valles says while a lot of the movie is based on fact, it is a movie, and liberties were taken. In 1964, after graduating from Pepperdine, White was hired to teach middle school science in McFarland. 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. "That's how we developed that. White said there are hills around orange groves about six miles outside of town where the team goes for true hill training. I want all of my. He never saw the money he made as it went to support his family. Just like that, the town's emerging bright light -- a cross-country program enjoying success even before 1987, the year depicted in the film -- was immersed in heartbreak. It was rare to stay in one place longer than a year. Update, February 19, 2015: I found these additional photos from my coverage of the 1986 South Area championship at Hart Park. A cleat, a shoe 2. Danny Diaz, daughter Delia Diaz, Gabriel 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. . It was simply overwhelming for me.". Valles recalls running laps as a third grader trying his hardest to be the fastest. "I didn't really know what those sports were," Valles said. The film also shows a chubby runner named Danny Diaz rallying late to secure the team title. In this photo shot by Raul Diaz on Oct. 4, 1985, the McFarland High cross- country team gets what would be most members' first taste of the ocean when coach Jim White made an impromptu trip to Cayucos following the Santa Maria Invitational. If he wasnt at school, Valles was expected to be at home or in the fields helping his dad. Our family has watched it three nights in a row. "You couldn't tell if she was ever having a bad day, because she was always so uplifting and a pleasure to be around. Well, yeah, that happened. 12, Not exactly. I think the school shouldve paid because it was during school practice. what score does the mcfarland cross country team get at the palo alto invitational. Here's all you need to know about Taff Jones. Hollywood put Coach Jim White and his boys state title team in lights with McFarland USA but how much of the movie resembles what truly happened.. College Progression Tracker 60m 100m 100H 110H 200m 300H 400m 400H 800m 1600m 3200m Discus Shotput Javelin High Jump Long Jump Triple Jump Read about and view photos of "McFarland USA's" forgotten inspiration, team members Sylvia Diaz and Herlinda Gonzalez, who died in a practice accident in 1986. JJAEP is an alternative school based in Plainview (independent from any local school districts) that takes in students from around the region that have had run-ins with law enforcement or disciplinary issues at school. None of us could carry a tune even if our lives depended on it. 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. McFarland, USA (also known as McFarland) is a 2015 American sports drama film directed by Niki Caro, produced by Mark Ciardi and Gordon Gray, written by Christopher Cleveland, Bettina Gilois and Grant Thompson with music composed by Antnio Pinto.The film was co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Mayhem Pictures. Pictured are Norma Torres and Hollie Wykoff, right, after the race. The actor rode the pink bike, not the coach. Julie Pettitt-Booth: Executive Director of Undergraduate New Student Services McM 104 . Development as people in the film `` McFarland, USA. `` in! Shy to address when he rather reluctantly got into the speaker circuit in 2017 a championship... And asked if he was shy to address when he rather reluctantly got into the speaker circuit in 2017 Jami... Out of McFarland was in denial bowling, to going to the realization that he to... Officer supervising adult males over the 4000 people there in 1987 school science in McFarland to support family... 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