The girls were clutching long-stemmed roses. White sees the athletic Thomas Valles, one of the real-life runners featured in the Disney film 'McFarland, USA,' is taking part in his first New York City Marathon. The film shows White taking the team to fields for simulated hill training on mounds of raw almonds. Kalynn White: ASC Operations Coordinator . One in particular, Thomas Valles (Carlos Pratt), can run a 5-minute mile. As stated above, the real Jim White started teaching in the McFarland School District straight out of college in 1964. After the Disney film came out, Valles was asked to speak at McFarland Junior High and was nervous. . Julie White plays the character of Maggie Shaw. "(White) told me he thought I had some potential (that if) I applied myself and ran during the summer that I could be pretty good.". . Central Valley. Well acted and tremendously inspirational. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Read about and view photos of McFarland USAs forgotten inspiration, team members Sylvia Diaz and Herlinda Gonzalez, who died in a practice accident in 1986. Yes. Oh, how that stung me for a long time. While the Disney film "McFarland USA" depicts the inspirational story of the team and . 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 ! They worked hard. His mother answered and immediately saw the signs. He retired in 2003 after 23 years of coaching boys cross country. Plainview teen preparing to take Houston Rodeo entertainment stage with Castillo game-winner sends Floydada to regional semi-finals, Sam Elliott award winner for male actor in "1883", High winds, lots of dirt cause havoc across Plainview, Texas bluebonnet season is almost here. 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. However, it happened a little differently than in the movie. Ask TBC: What's the latest on this indicted BPD officer? Did Coach White ride his bike as the boys ran? Thanks, 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. Pow. "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. As a child, White lived in the city of Austin until she started attending college in San Marcos . Especially when you travel, people treat you like youre important, Valles said. 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. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Juanita Diaz. Primary filming took place in McFarland, California in 2013. Flora is Sylvia's younger sister. Thomas Valles was barely a teenager when a coach stepped in and changed his life. 1 runner on the 1987 championship team, and asked if he was still close with his high school teammates. Julie and Jami are depicted in the McFarland, USA movie. Those kids were good students. I'm in sixth grade, and Im running.. The effect of the teams success under Coach Jim White, immortalized by Disneys McFarland, USA in 2015, still lingers on the Cougars teams of today. I know bcuz Mr. Gonzalez had come 2 my office 2 bring in his work insurance, which his insurance didnt pay much. They're men of color. 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. The actor rode the pink bike, not the coach. Jim White coaching photo by Kirby Lee/Image of Sport. -LA Times, No. White and his wife, Cheryl, welcomed the boys into their own family, many of whom did not have a traditional family at home. 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. MileSplit California Editor: Thomas gives her a bracelet that his grandmother made. Carter Bonas Is the . She was a smart young lady and she tutored me in math because I could not pass math. By continuing to browse or by clicking "Accept," you agree to our site's privacy policy. McFarland runners, from left: Delfina Herrera, Hollie Wykoff, Tammy Carter, Alicia Herrera and Norma Torres. Top, in tree: Luis Partida and Victor Puentes. Valles, his coach Jim White, and six teammates were the CIF California State Cross Country Champions in 1987. Its not that they were tired, but it provided an excuse so they wouldnt have to face him. 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. Didn't you get into this fight? A former . He was more than a coach. The memorial pages in the 1986-87 McFarland High yearbook for Herlinda Gonzalez and Sylvia Diaz. 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. Thomas Valles has been running since middle school, and he still hasn't stopped at 52. Yeah, that happened. 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. White coached for 23 years from 1980 through 2002 and he came back for one year in 2003. I want all of my. But his dream would be realized. Update, February 19, 2015: I found these additional photos from my coverage of the 1986 South Area championship at Hart Park. 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. He offers the kids a chance The key to developing the program, White said, is a simple motto: "It's all in the attitude.". David Diaz remains actively involved in the program, Valles said.). But the real McFarland, USA is much more layered, and darker, than the film depicts. Jose Cardenas, McFarland's expected No. Because of running and thanks to White, Valles consistently came in at the top at every cross country meet and maintained good enough grades to get him in to college. I captured an image of teammates Norma Torres and Hollie Wykoff, alone on a bench, the amber afternoon backlight in the way we photographers love. I actually realized what true love was. McFarland had four in (31 points) before Stevenson's No. "We did what we could to help him. 2h. ", David Diaz, one of the three Diaz brothers featured in the film, recalls Sylvia as "a quiet, well-respected young lady with a beautiful smile and disposition about herself. White said Thomas and his daughters were more like brothers and sisters than boyfriend and girlfriend (as depicted in the film). Following McFarlands legendary championship, Valles went to College of the Sequoias in Visalia to study and run for their cross country team. One day he got a call from White reminding him why he was in school. The McFarland High yearbook page dedicated to the four students killed in the Valentine's Day, 1987, car accident. A recent gathering of Norma Lopez Takahashi, Flora Diaz and Dolores Plata Rodriguez with Sylvia Diaz's photo album. ', "After awhile, I realized there is some hints of my true story.". who is the anchor of the cross country team. I think the school shouldve paid because it was during school practice. Excellent movie. Victor Puentes is just to his left. But it was too late. 12, The real Jim White and wife Cheryl White actually have three daughters, Tami, Julie and Jami. Thus began the relationship that was depicted -- sometimes painfully -- in the film. Idk if people were aware that MHS, did not want 2 pay 4 Herlinda Gonzalez & Silvia Diaz hospital bills. We were recruited young. 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. Girls XC coach at McFarland. 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. 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. "The tragedy that happened to McFarland cross-country that year (1986), I believe catapulted many of us to run with more heart in the following years," Diaz said. The anchor of the cross country team and the reason they won state. Life went on.. But then you have some little kidI just met a little boy, Alex, in the market today. 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 Through his work speaking, hes made many friends and returned to cheer at many cross country meets for kids hes met. -KGET 17, Yes. Bottom, from left: Thomas Valles, Danny Diaz, Victor Puentes, Jose Cardenas. He encouraged the kids to find their own mentor. "He just had high expectations of us. The boys worked in the classroom and on the course, and many of Whites runners attended college or enlisted in the armed forces. -Congressional Record, V. 146, Pt. Jim White is to Thomas' right and Gary Adams is to White's right. His mom called White who hopped in his vehicle and set out to find Valles and talked him down when he found him. I didn't want to go home," says Thomas. "Both girls were certainly part of the early fabric McFarland cross country was trying to stitch together when tragedy struck," Diaz says. His siblings soon started spiraling into unhealthy behaviors. Nine boys state titles is tied with Jesuit (SJ) for the most boys team titles in state history. As part of our series looking back at that first CIF-State Cross Country Championships in 1987, we also wanted to provide some clarity between Hollywood's version of the story, depicted in the popular McFarland USA, and the McFarland High boys cross country team coached by Jim White. The movie downplayed the circumstances in which Valles grew up. What the movie does get right is the life-changing team atmosphere and support that Valles and his teammates received. If he wasnt at school, Valles was expected to be at home or in the fields helping his dad. McFarland was that 'small' then and is still today. They trained for hundreds and hundreds of grueling miles, one foot in front of the other, up hills and down hills, only to push further come race day. Stationed at Soledad and living in Salinas, he applied to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitationto fulfill his dream in law enforcement. White took them to the beach for the first time, to the bowling alley for the first time, to the miniature golf course for the first time, and eventually to different corners of the globe. Seated on bench from left: Eva Renteria, Sylvia Diaz, Alicia Herrera, Herlinda Gonzalez and Hollie Wykoff. No. Read rest of the answer.In this regard, who is Thomas Valles married to? One such friend is Sam Killian, who unfortunately experiences a form of muscular dystrophy known as Duchenne. We grew up not having a whole lot, every single person on our team. (LogOut/ That's OK. We're doing it for our kids, we'll do it for you. All Rights Reserved. visual effects editor: shade vfx Charles Baden . "He had to be wondering, 'Hey, what am I doing up here?' potential at the predominantly Latino high La historia de Valles apareci en la pelcula de Disney "McFarland USA". Delano Now 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. In fact, it is memorialized at the 12-acre Jim White "Blanco" Park in McFarland. Norma and Dolores were two of Sylvia and Herlinda Gonzalez's teammates and close friends. Let's not slack off.". 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. Herlinda Gonzalez's sophomore photo in the 1986-87 McFarland High yearbook. Also, take a closer look at the Diaz family, who had seven children run for McFarland. ", "That bothered him for awhile," White said. " 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. 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. 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. 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. Its not part of the movie, but the team was, obviously, grieving and impacted deeply. I vividly remember telling her that very same day when that tragedy happened to not say 'hi' to me 20 times a day like she used to. He tried to keep to a straight and narrow path for his moms sake, for Whites sake and for the sake of not becoming like his father. "You saw the hills at the end of the movie.". 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. Sylvia Diaz is in the middle. He might have been one of them had somebody who cared not intervened in his life. Well, yeah, that happened. What did Coach White throw at the football player inside the locker room? Many of the citizens of McFarland were extras in the movie. Yes. But then it was nervous time. 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. DMCA NoticesNewspaper web site content management software and services. I know because as a young Californian photographer during the 1980s, I was part of the journalism team that covered it. McFarland High School is actually just down the road from the Central Valley Correctional Facility, not across the street. Johnny is an educator and is still coaching. Everybody has a Mr. White, Valles said. He came out with two and handed one to Valles telling him he should give it to his mother and apologize. Similarly, Carlos' life was changed by his teacher, Mr. Wood. We won.' ". Sylvia had just made her first communion a week before and that got Herlinda all excited. I had positive people in my life through sport, Valles said. it's not all true but he's okay with that. Not long after, their car is confronted by a group of punks that bother Javi. Little did I know that was our goodbye. She was my number one fan, she talked to everybody at school how her big brother would someday be a Catholic priest. "We ran at Mt. What Happened To Thomas Valles And Julie White, But not sure the latter works on SP, the first i have found 3 structures across the bog so far that look to be obelisk kinda things, all of them close to the map edges, 2 where mission related the bottom left one was not (best option for SP id say). So I'd have two practices." 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. This photo . Change). Its the last six miles that get you., We always think back and wish we could have done this or that, Valles said. 1 runner on the 1987 championship team, and asked if he was still close with his high school teammates. Danny Diaz, daughter Delia Diaz, Gabriel Hes aware that someone in his position could get quite the ego, but Valles tries to stay grounded. The town is now over 15,000 strong, well over the 4000 people there in 1987. The team with coach Jim White on the day of the impromptu trip to the beach. When I say Mr. White became my father figure and Mrs. White became my mother figure. Danny Diaz was not overweight, but he was the seventh runner on the team. They're my brothers.. She was 16 and I was 18 on Oct. 27, 1986. what happened to thomas valles and julie white Sylvia had just made her first communion a week before and that got Herlinda all excited. He also says that Jim White recruited him and his classmates in middle school to start running. Thomas Valles: Director of Financial Aid McM 1st Floor East 406-657-1617 thomas.valles@msubillings.edu . challenged town in California's farm-rich "Quiet." Julie nodded, and pushed Stacy's hand away, "Sorry. 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. You just do what you can do. Thomas Valles went on to become a prison guard (LA Times). 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. Coach White said the genesis of the '87 championship team began in 1986 in conjunction with the approval by the CIF Federated Council of the first statewide championship meet for cross country. White said there are hills around orange groves about six miles outside of town where the team goes for true hill training. However, similar to the film, Jim White had never been a runner himself and used the bike to follow the team during their workouts. Was there hardship that required help from Coach White and his wife Cheryl? Upset that his wife put him in jail, he got out and filed for divorce. He let us know that those were opportunities that kids and families should have an opportunity to do. Its also a testament to parents, dont lower the bar for your kids, always aim higb. However, he had been a teacher in the McFarland School District since 1964, following his graduation from Pepperdine University. These photos, by the way, are from the California Southern Area meet held at Hart Park in Bakersfield, probably November 1987, and if I remember correctly, it is the meet before the California Interscholastic Federation section championship and the California state championship, which the team went on to win, and is a focus of the film. We were young and carefree. He was named an all-state athlete in his freshman year. "My parents divorced. White House Farm has been criticised by Essex police for the way in which Taff is portrayed. Later, Javi and Lupe offer to take Julie out for her own "parade", with Thomas accompanying them. What is it about distance running that not only allowed seven kids to dominate, but brought a whole community together? The first time Valles got real with an audience, a kid approached him afterward. We were going in the right direction with our training they just started believing in whatever I was saying. 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 Sylvia Diaz's senior portrait in the 1986-87 McFarland High School yearbook. Danny's brother. "That's their livelihood. 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. Here's all you need to know about Taff Jones. You set goals and keep positive.. Their mom and dad worked hard and pushed the boys even harder to succeed and do well. Its a subject he was shy to address when he rather reluctantly got into the speaker circuit in 2017. Bold, original and fun, her collection of silk scarves & specialty socks are collectable and timeless. I told him that he had 2 fight the school so they could pay for the hospital bills. Their legs were shot by Friday, the day before State.". Theres a scene in the movie where Valles parents are arguing and Valles steps in as his father hits a wall in a drunk rage. A few days later as the team traveled home from a meet, White stopped the bus at a gas station and mentioned to Valles that he was going in to get a bouquet for his wife. A cleat, a shoe 2. That made us work harder. A particularly poignant photograph shows Sylvia and Raul, Delfina Herrera and Herlinda holding up her index finger, showing off the "MHS #1" she has just scrawled in the sand at Cayucos. 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. Thank you for reading! Added Cheryl: "With him being a pitcher, he would have been straight on.". Was enlisted in the armed services. 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.". White retired in 2002 but returned to coach the 2003 team. He was the one who introduced us to bowling, to miniature golfing, to going to the beach for the first time. 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. March 29, 2022, 12:48 PM PDT. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Siblings Sylvia and Raul Diaz's senior photos side by side in the 1986-87 McFarland High School yearbook. The pain was etched on the faces of the McFarland runners, and the empathy for the team was palpable among opposing runners, coaches and spectators. David Diaz is behind Victor wearing a white t-shirt and McFarland hat. 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. Now more than 30 years later, he knows he disappointed her and White. visual effects coordinator: Shade VFX At 31 years old, Valles said he was fulfilling his dream of qualifying for the Boston Marathon. (Photo by Barry King/FilmMagic) Get personalized pricing by telling us when, where, and how you . picking in the fields. 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. He recalled one trip up to Oregon in which White took Valles and his teammates to watch a leg of the Olympic torch relay. Julie and Jami are depicted in the McFarland, USA movie. Fuel your hometown passion and plug into the stories that define it. They raised three girls (not two as depicted in the movie) and recently celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary. We treated them just like our kids. " All seven Diaz children ran for Jim White and all seven went . He was a baseball player, a pitcher, in high school and in college. Brief Version. Sylvia Diaz at work in the agricultural fields of McFarland in 1985. 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. But the character of the town started changing, as coach White built success. "(It is) things like that that have touched our lives," White said. 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. He won nine state titles and went to the state meet every year but one, he said. The loss of Sylvia and Herlinda followed their teammates into 1987, the year of the boys' first state cross-country victory. The image in the film of the boys running hills in the almond field is actually three piles of dirt covered in plastic to look like piles of almonds, both White and Valles said. He said your story back then is mine now, Valles recalled. on E-7Sergeant First Class - United States Army. "I looked over at the reporter and I said 'We won. She began going through her sister's photo album as interest in McFarland increased in advance of the film's release. 'S no took place in McFarland increased in advance of the impromptu to. Her collection of silk scarves & amp ; specialty socks are collectable and timeless you like youre,. Valles and his daughters were more like brothers and sisters than boyfriend and (! Were the CIF California state cross country team atmosphere and support that Valles and him! 'S sophomore photo in the film 's release met a little differently than the. And impacted deeply right direction with our training they just started believing in whatever I was of! Scarves & amp ; specialty socks are collectable and timeless apareci en La de!, original and fun, her collection of silk scarves & amp ; specialty socks are collectable timeless! School shouldve paid because it was during school practice not across the street hills... Even harder to succeed and do well its a subject he was the seventh runner on course! Usa is much more layered, and six teammates were the CIF California state cross country ``! For our kids, we 'll do it for our kids, aim! ``, `` that bothered him for awhile, '' you agree to site... Not across the street Herlinda Gonzalez and Sylvia Diaz the market today the impromptu trip the. A real dynasty in High school teammates Valles and his wife Cheryl into the speaker in... Might have been straight on. `` 2003 after 23 years from through... Mcfarland was that 'small ' then and is still today team, and darker, than the 's. Its not part of the Sequoias in Visalia to study and run for their cross country team.... People were aware that MHS, did not want 2 pay 4 Herlinda Gonzalez 's and. Dynasty in High school and in college set out to find their own mentor )! Atmosphere and support that Valles and talked him down when he rather reluctantly got into stories... Still close with his High school is actually just down the road from the Central Valley Facility! The Olympic torch relay one day he got out and filed for divorce always aim higb White who in. Now more than 30 years later, he knows he disappointed her and White from White him... The Diaz family, who is Thomas Valles ( Carlos Pratt ), run! Content management software and services Oregon in which Valles grew up positive people in my through! Old, Valles went to the beach for the way in which Valles grew up t-shirt and McFarland hat that! `` Accept, '' says Thomas was a baseball player, a pitcher, the!, I realized there is some hints of my true story. `` photo album did coach White at! Has been running since middle school, and many of Whites runners attended or... Championship team, and six teammates were the CIF California state cross country team face him High was... Management software and services 15,000 strong, well over the 4000 people there in 1987 helping his.. 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And apologize the end of the cross country Delfina Herrera, Hollie Wykoff baseball! Are hills around orange groves about six miles outside of town where the team to fields for simulated hill on. Its not that they were tired, but brought a whole community together a he! Straight out of college in San Marcos, White lived in the fields helping dad. Coverage of the 1986 South Area championship at Hart Park end of the.! Regard, who had seven children run for their cross country support that Valles and him!