She often brought along a music magazine that had all of the current top hits' lyrics inside. Included in the segment, titled "McFarland's Family of Champions," are Danny Diaz, daughter Delia Diaz, Gabriel Diaz, Damacio Diaz, David Diaz, Diego Diaz, and father and mother Paul and Juanita Diaz. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Thanks, That streak ended while the movie was in production, after the small school was elevated to Division I status, a byproduct of their success. Hes aware that someone in his position could get quite the ego, but Valles tries to stay grounded. Winds NNW at 15 to 25 mph. Thomas Valles. The more Stan Jones persisted in his pursuit of Jeremy, the more irate Taff became, using a combination of rank and intimidating behaviour to dismiss any concerns about Jeremy and the way in which the case was being handled . 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. Thomas Valles went on to become a prison guard (LA Times). what score does the mcfarland cross country team get at the palo alto invitational. Raul is at the left, his sister Sylvia next to him. No one outworked the boys of McFarland. He cared and he showed it. The McFarland, USA true story reveals that, unlike the movie, he didn't come to McFarland on his last leg after being fired several times for losing his temper with players, superintendents, etc. school and decides to put together a cross Jim White and Thomas Valles Reflect on 35 Years of McFarland Track. -Congressional Record, V. 146, Pt. . ", 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. 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. But the real McFarland, USA is much more layered, and darker, than the film depicts. 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. Although he retired, Jim is still a pillar of the . All seven Diaz Thomas Valles was barely a teenager when a coach stepped in and changed his life. "We ran at Mt. Included in the segment, titled was like to have a movie made about his Disney took a few creative liberties with creating the feature film, 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. Samaniego was 17th, Puentes 26th, Cardenas 37th, Damacio Diaz 43rd and Danny Diaz was 85th. He was more than a coach. White, 79, said his experience at Franklin shaped his path toward McFarland. I'm in sixth grade, and Im running.. They were cross country state champs in 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000 and 2001. No contact since high school. The team placed second in 1989 with Samaniego placing eighth and getting on the podium. Jim White (Costner) finds his days as a football coach numbered when an incident with a player leads to his dismissal. Like a scene from the movie, he found himself at a bridge on the highway one night when hed had enough. After learning about Valles, Subealdea and Albert Salinas, another administrator at the JJAEP campus, felt his story would resonate with the kids. (LogOut/ 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. A young girl approached Thomas Valles, McFarland's No. White has lived in McFarland ever since. Playing Grace's best friend in Grace Under Fire, White had a falling out which resulted in her giving her notice to the show. compositor Karina Benesh . Romance: Thomas Valles (Carlos Pratts) and Jim's daughter, Julie White (Morgan Saylor), have some serious chemistry. 1. White echoed those sentiments, saying what impressed him so much "is their development as people in the community that make a difference. Valles, his coach Jim White, and six teammates were the CIF California State Cross Country Champions in 1987. That experience, White said, changed Danny's perception of the impact his Hollywood character had in inspiring others. -KGET 17. Everybody has a Jim White in their lives, Valles said, referencing his famous high school coach. Did Coach White ride his bike as the boys ran? 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. 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. He said the high school had 4,000 students and he "felt like a number." However, he had been a teacher in the McFarland School District since 1964, following his graduation from Pepperdine University. 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). He coached Valles in elementary physical education. They met at my house for practice. Through his work speaking, hes made many friends and returned to cheer at many cross country meets for kids hes met. We were young and carefree. "He didn't know but I took it as if he had said no," Valles said. "She might hate me now. She called the cops it wasnt the first time and they took him to jail. White said he left Stockton to visit his parents for Thanksgiving. "Sylvia was so sweet, kind, and naturally stunning," says her friend and 1985 teammate Dolores Plata Rodriguez, now an assistant principal at Cesar E. Chavez High School in Delano. Sylvia Diaz is in the middle. "I abruptly stopped the interview and took off," he said about joining his teammates. " I was assigned to cover two of McFarland's races following the accident. 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. Whats incredible about Valles and his teammates outrunning the competition was that they were all pickerson local farms, children of immigrant families who hadnt typically seen that type of athletic opportunity. He said your story back then is mine now, Valles recalled. As he settled into his new home, he maintained the life of a homebody. The film also shows a chubby runner named Danny Diaz rallying late to secure the team title. challenged town in California's farm-rich : The actress is best known for her role as Lulu Hogg, the wife of Boss Hogg, on the classic "Dukes of Hazzard." She was also on "The Waltons" and "Step by Step." "Grace Under Fire" would be her last acting job as she retired after the show's cancellation and passed away on February 5, 2011, at the age of 89. McFarland was that 'small' then and is still today. Valles said he asked the McFarland principal if the team had won. "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. None of us could carry a tune even if our lives depended on it. This is part of a series of articles looking back at the 1987 CIF-State Cross Country Championships, the first in California. Diaz, Damacio Diaz, David Diaz, Diego -Congressional Record, V. 146, Pt. His father is a picker who leaves for long stretches of time, coming home to drink and cause trouble within the family. "I would not have been surprised if she had ended up becoming a doctor or some top-notch lawyer," says Plata Rodriguez. -LA Times. As stated above, the real Jim White started teaching in the McFarland School District straight out of college in 1964. Fuel your hometown passion and plug into the stories that define it. experience coaching the team. Likewise, The Christian Post reported an "'outpouring of the Lord' in campus revival" at Cedarville. His marathon goal falls in line with the releaseof McFarland USA on Disney+ last month. It was gold to us, but complete torture for the guys and probably Coach White as well. That interaction inspired Valles to continue sharing his story and without holding back. They raised three girls (not two as depicted in the movie) and recently celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary. While still being interviewed, Valles said he noticed his teammates hugging and crying. Life went on.. One day he got a call from White reminding him why he was in school. Tu cuenta de Descarga previa (EZA) se mantendr vigente durante un ao. To make up for the time they couldn't work in the fields due to cross country practice, Jim White would sometimes give his time to them by helping them pick in the fields. However, I believe the Diaz family did go 2 court & the school paid them an undisclosed amount. He came out with two and handed one to Valles telling him he should give it to his mother and apologize. White said Thomas and his daughters were more like brothers and sisters than boyfriend and girlfriend (as depicted in the film). Jose Cardenas, McFarland's expected No. "You try to offer them the same thing we offered our girls," White said. Immediately after the race, Valles said he was taken with a group of top finishers for awards and media but didn't know if the team had actually won. 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? ', "Thomas was at our house almost every day.". I have never forgotten what it was like covering 1980s McFarland, from the image of those girls posing in front of the limousine and trying to look happy to the night one year later when Ernesto Bravo saw me photographing his 14-year-old son, Mario, in his casket, the town's sixth cancer victim. They talk about being inspired to strive for something beyond picking in the fields. 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. It was bittersweet. The McFarland girls arrived for the CIF Central Section South Area meet on Nov. 13, 1986 in a limousine. Please contact us cottenzane@gmail.com with this Email. In reality, Valles and his family moved to McFarland in 1974, and he grew up working in the fields with his parents. The key to developing the program, White said, is a simple motto: "It's all in the attitude.". Terms of Use However, when he finished the California race, he didnt want to run another marathon. (LogOut/ I know because as a young Californian photographer during the 1980s, I was part of the journalism team that covered it. She was a smart young lady and she tutored me in math because I could not pass math. 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. "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. "Neither did I throw that shoe at that young man. Clockwise from top center is Dolores Plata, Herlinda Gonzalez, Gabby Perez, Alicia Herrera, Delfina Herrera and Magda Saragoza. Everybody is important. PrepCalTrack.com conducted this Jim White "We did that year after year to build bonds and to trust one another," he said. Sophomores Victor Puentes was 16th overall (10th) and Damacio Diaz was 22nd overall (13th). thomas valles and julie white,document about thomas valles and julie white,download an entire thomas valles and julie white document onto your computer. 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.". He and his wife Cheryl met at Magic Valley Christian College in Idaho. 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. And girlfriend ( as depicted in the fields reminding him why he was in school been surprised if she ended... College in 1964 coach White ride his bike as the boys ran coming to! Team had won students and he `` felt like a scene from the movie, he didnt to. He came out with two and handed one to Valles telling him he give. 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