The actor rode the pink bike, not the coach. Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. We still run the same roads, along the same fields, just with different kids. Were you an athlete, coach, organizer who took part in the first CIF-State Cross Country Championships in 1987? White said he left Stockton to visit his parents for Thanksgiving. But his dream would be realized. 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. 104. what does cheryl white want coach white to pick up for julies birthday. La historia de Valles apareci en la pelcula de Disney "McFarland USA". His father is a picker who leaves for long stretches of time, coming home to drink and cause trouble within the family. Let's not slack off.". Valles admits he didnt quite understand at the time. Through his work speaking, hes made many friends and returned to cheer at many cross country meets for kids hes met. PE teacher at McFarland MS. McFarland HS varsity girls basketball coach. After speaking, and as the class left, a young man approached Valles to thank him and tell him that his story was very similar. "Sylvia and I were seniors because my parents placed us in the same grade when we were in fourth grade because they wanted me to walk with her to school. The three Diaz brothers featured in the new Disney movie, David, Damacio and Danny, all speak highly of both of their parents. He also did find Thomas Valles on a freeway overpass and help him deal with his I'm coming! 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. She eventually concluded that it was good for them as long as they still worked. 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 . His family struggles to fit into the low-income Hispanic culture, and White struggles to reach the . was like to have a movie made about his Today, hes a motivational speaker. "We had no idea, with him not performing that day, if we'd actually won it. And, man, I just started crying, started crying tears of joy. Julie White Born Julie K. White June 4, 1961 San Diego, California, U.S. Retired - living in McFarland. 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. She won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performance in The Little Dog Laughed in 2007. I didn't want to go home," says Thomas. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. 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. The Whites had three daughters. 'Everybody in the world is going to think I'm fat and I wasn't fat.' By Winds NNW at 15 to 25 mph. This included members of the Bakersfield High Drillers. 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. potential at the predominantly Latino high Did Coach White ride his bike as the boys ran? Privacy Policy ', "But as people started asking me about the movie and telling me 'Hey, Thomas, but didn't this happen? No one outworked the boys of McFarland. However, I believe the Diaz family did go 2 court & the school paid them an undisclosed amount. Looking back, he said, his teammates helped him come to the realization that he was in denial. What is it about distance running that not only allowed seven kids to dominate, but brought a whole community together? In White's time, the town's population has slowly grown from fewer than 4,000 to just over 15,000. His first teaching position in the district was instructing fifth grade science, which he did for nine years. Thomas Valles was barely a teenager when a coach stepped in and changed his life. The six-part series . Valles, his coach Jim White, and six teammates were the CIF California State Cross Country Champions in 1987. He got into the truck and began to talk with Coach White about his difficulties at home. Suspense: . -John Harte, Yes, and at times the White family paid for new shoes and clothing for the team out of their own pockets. Did they run over piles of almonds to simulate hills? 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. Coach Jim White challenged him and his peers to run. 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. What did Coach White throw at the football player inside the locker room? 2023 2019 ABG-SI LLC. "You saw the hills at the end of the movie.". Not long after, their car is confronted by a group of punks that bother Javi. Thirty-five years ago, the unlikely squad of seven children of Latino fieldworkers, short in stature but strong in character, won the first of McFarland High Schools nine State Championships and 23-straight championship appearances, establishing an untouchable dynasty. Valles retired two years ago from the California Department of Corrections. 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. Yes. Forgot." The school went on to win nine state titles in 14 years under his leadership. An avid runner, to say the least, Valles accepted . "Julie felt it was time to move on and do other things." But network and production execs revealed that White had . No. We grew up not having a whole lot, every single person on our team. While still being interviewed, Valles said he noticed his teammates hugging and crying. She has also received three other Tony Award nominations for her performances in Airline Highway in 2013, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus in 2019 and POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive . A mass of athletes, competing in the purest level of competition racing. Quote Tweet. Here's all you need to know about Taff Jones. went on to college. Sylvia had just made her first communion a week before and that got Herlinda all excited. While the Disney film "McFarland USA" depicts the inspirational story of the team and . Flora Diaz, now a teacher at Pixley Middle School, was 11 when Sylvia died. Little did I know that was our goodbye. And that pain would come back. 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Romance: Thomas Valles (Carlos Pratts) and Jim's daughter, Julie White (Morgan Saylor), have some serious chemistry. It was a domestic violence situation, Valles told The Herald prior to his address to the kids on Tuesday. She often brought along a music magazine that had all of the current top hits' lyrics inside. Ellysa Harris is the editor for the Plainview Herald. 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." Mostly cloudy skies. I loved my sister very much. ", "Thomas he made a big impact on our life," White said. We became a real family, and we're still family.. (LogOut/ "But we'd try to run in the shade in the almonds," he said. 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. Jeffrey Parenti, jeffrey.parenti@flosports.tv, Contact Us This race occurred two and one-half weeks after two teammates on the girls team, Silvia Diaz and Herlinda Gonzalez, were struck by a car and killed while practicing. Almost all had never been to the beach. "Danny, he passed up Jose out there somewhere," White recalled. Danny Diaz was not overweight, but he was the seventh runner on the team. The anchor of the cross country team and the reason they won state. He also attended CSU Bakersfield and was the first person in his familyto get higher than a sixth-grade education. Yes. 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? We were recruited young. They were requested by People Magazine. "(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.". 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. Thomas Valles was one of the runners who competed and won the cross country CIF State Championship in 1987. The 1986-87 McFarland High yearbook contains a heartbreaking number of "in memorial" pages, way too many for a tiny country school. "Just getting everybody to believe in themselves," Valles said was how White developed and maintained the program at such a high level. danny diaz. One day his mom had enough, he recalled. They met at my house for practice. Sylvia Diaz is in the middle. 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. Friends remember Herlinda as bright and outgoing. Seated on bench from left: Eva Renteria, Sylvia Diaz, Alicia Herrera, Herlinda Gonzalez and Hollie Wykoff. Retired from law enforcement. His mom called White who hopped in his vehicle and set out to find Valles and talked him down when he found him. High 47F. (Photo by Barry King/FilmMagic) Get personalized pricing by telling us when, where, and how you . Excellent, no trash or language. "However, we have never forgot and most importantly, we will always remember Sylvia Diaz and Herlinda Gonzalez for their ultimate and personal willingness to endure this great sport we love here in McFarland and hopefully in the whole USA.". I never photographed or met Sylvia Diaz or Herlinda Gonzalez, but the memories of the pictures I took in the aftermath of their deaths in 1986 would impact me deeply and remain with me through the remainder of my photojournalism career. He says that Thank you for reading! Both Valles and White said the movie producers preferred the idea of three Diaz brothers on the team rather than just two. Upset that his wife put him in jail, he got out and filed for divorce. "I didn't ride the Barbie bike," White said. 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. White's daughter." Thomas laughed, a strange bitter sound. Disney took a few creative liberties with creating the feature film, Valles said. 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. One day he got a call from White reminding him why he was in school. . 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. "He didn't know but I took it as if he had said no," Valles said. Cross country is an individual sport; no matter how well your team does, you still have your own time. Without these two beautiful young ladies, there would be no McFarland USA. Click here. Fun was all that was on our minds. Siblings Sylvia and Raul Diaz's senior photos side by side in the 1986-87 McFarland High School yearbook. The program, which is run by Eddie Subealdea, chief juvenile probation officer for Hale County, is an alternative placement program. They would have graduated together. Pictured are Norma Torres and Hollie Wykoff, right, after the race. No. experience coaching the team. 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. 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. Coach Jim White (Kevin Costner) is the new We were young and carefree. In the early '90s Thomas appeared as Russell Norton in Grace Under Fire. They talk about being inspired to strive for something beyond picking in the fields. White said the team would run in the heat of the summer when temperatures were into the triple digits. We treated them just like our kids. " PE teacher in McFarland, an economically 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. 2h. 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. His marathon goal falls in line with the releaseof McFarland USA on Disney+ last month. White has lived in McFarland ever since. 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. 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. Coach White would tell me to imagine a line when there's that point of too much pain, and then I would try to run through and pass that line, Valles said. But then you have some little kidI just met a little boy, Alex, in the market today. Local photojournalist John Harte, who followed the team at the time, says that he witnessed opposing teams offer genuine handshakes of good luck. The McFarland girls arrived for the CIF Central Section South Area meet on Nov. 13, 1986 in a limousine. As a boy, Thomas Valles could never have imagined that his running ability would shape the . Later, Javi and Lupe offer to take Julie out for her own "parade", with Thomas accompanying them. ", 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. My most memorable moments with her were the bus rides to away races. On Sunday, Valles, a former Salinas resident who now lives in McFarland and coaches girls cross country at McFarland High School, will participate in the 50th annual NYC Marathon. Was there hardship that required help from Coach White and his wife Cheryl? Thomas Valles has been running since middle school, and he still hasn't stopped at 52. Like a scene from the movie, he found himself at a bridge on the highway one night when hed had enough. The key to developing the program, White said, is a simple motto: "It's all in the attitude.". 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. Our family has watched it three nights in a row. Valles told the kids he and his siblings would get to bed early on the nights his dad went out for drinks. It's all Hollywood. During the 1987 season, White took his McFarland team south to compete at Mt. Now, nearly 30 years later, Norma Lopez Takahashi gives a little taste of what they were like: "The movie made the boys look so tough. That streak ended while the movie was in production, after the small school was elevated to Division I status, a byproduct of their success. During cross-country practice on Oct. 27, 1986, Sylvia Diaz, a 16-year-old McFarland High senior, and Herlinda Gonzalez, 14, a sophomore, were struck by a car on Whisler Road in McFarland. He said the high school had 4,000 students and he "felt like a number." Ultimately, God has everything in the palm of his hand, but sometimes one can't understand the reason as to why certain things happen and why certain people pass too early.". Carter Bonas Is the . "We're going to go out and try to win the state title.". 12, Not exactly. Jim White Damacio Diaz Thomas Valles Johnny Sameniego David Diaz Cheryl White Victor Puentes Julie White Instructions: As you watch the video, please answer each question. Gemma Rowlands, 25, and husband Daren More, 31, got . White has lived in McFarland ever since. 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. 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. "My parents divorced. Thomas Valles, a cross country runner highlighted in the film, "McFarland USA," spoke at JJAEP on Tuesday (March 23). They're men of color. From left: Eva Renteria, Hollie Wykoff, Delfina Herrera, Maria Herrera, Alicia Herrera, Tammy Carter, Norma Torres and coach Gary Pierson. My wife reminds me who I am when I get home.. Bottom row, from left: Herlinda Gonzalez, Delfina Herrera, Sylvia Diaz, Gabby Perez, Dolores Plata, Magda Saragoza, Norma Lopez and Raul Diaz. 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. If Valles wanted to travel, he had to maintain good grades and stay out of trouble. Sylvia had just made her first communion a week before and that got Herlinda all excited. Yes, the nickname the boys gave him, as depicted in the film, was real. This mantra propelled the boys of McFarland High School to their the first California State Cross Country Championships in 1987. "McFarland's Family of Champions," are SAC where it dominated. David is represented in the McFarland, USA movie along with two of his brothers, Damacio and Danny. Additionally, Coach White would be there for counseling and fulfilling needs beyond what their parents could afford. He got drunk one day with some senior teammates after practice. His siblings soon started spiraling into unhealthy behaviors. Central Valley. I want all of my. "We did what we could to help him. November 15, 2021 / Vanessa Villalvazo. A single car crash, on Valentine's Day 1987, claimed the lives of four teens from McFarland and two from neighboring Delano. those boys were heroes to many. After that, the Cougars were the easy favorites to win the first small schools division (D-III) State Meet title. That's OK. We're doing it for our kids, we'll do it for you. That was my running family, my brothers, my teammates, Mr. ", White, the former baseball player, was a right-handed pitcher. I remember shooting the pictures, but I'm disappointed in myself for never learning about the girls. 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. Jose Cardenas, McFarland's expected No. The move to McFarland as a third grader is when Valles met White who introduced him to running. "(It is) things like that that have touched our lives," White said. Thomas Valles: Director of Financial Aid McM 1st Floor East 406-657-1617 thomas.valles@msubillings.edu . Brief Version. Herlinda said that was cool. 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. The houses in which the family stayed belonged to farm owners. It was a gesture by runner Hollie Wykoff's mom to help the girls feel better as they dealt with their grief after teammates Sylvia Diaz and Herlinda Gonzalez were killed in a practice accident two and one-half weeks earlier. Terms in this set (31) Who was Danny Diaz? "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's cherished team photo from the day of the beach trip in 1985 shot with her brother Raul's camera likely by a coach. Now. "She was nerdy, funny and wanting to please. His father was an abusive alcoholic, he said. Dave Thomas. All of a sudden I saw these headlights and it was Mr. White in his '59 Chevy." "He just had high expectations of us. White, a newcomer to McFarland when he coached the team to the state championship, still lives there. 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. If he wasnt at school, Valles was expected to be at home or in the fields helping his dad. All Rights Reserved. You might know Valles from the famous Disney movie "McFarland USA." Carlos Chalabi portrayed him as a high school student. Thomas Valles, a former member of the McFarland, Calif. cross-country team that won a state championship in 1987, . Didn't you get into this fight? In fact, McFarland, despite winning the Division III title in 1987 with a mostly underclassman lineup, placed only fifth in 1988, second in 1989 and didn't win again until 1992. As stated above, the real Jim White started teaching in the McFarland School District straight out of college in 1964. And both CBN and Fox News announced that the "Asbury Revival" had spread to other schools, including Cedarville University. It was simply overwhelming for me.". "Neither did I throw that shoe at that young man. She was a smart young lady and she tutored me in math because I could not pass math. 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. It was indeed the first time that many of the kids ever saw the ocean. On Tuesday, Valles shared a more in-depth version with students at the JJAEP with the hope of inspiring them. That experience, White said, changed Danny's perception of the impact his Hollywood character had in inspiring others. Similarly, Carlos' life was changed by his teacher, Mr. Wood. 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. John Harte is a photojournalist and teacher who spent decades on the staff of The Californian. Thanks, Dolores Plata is sitting on the grass. Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading. Thomas Valles is a McFarland legend who was at the forefront of the 1987 championship team and now coaches the girls cross country team at McFarland high school and will be participating in the 50th annual New York City Marathon. SKOTY. They said we won! In fact, when the studio gave Valles and his teammates a special sneak preview of the film, he left the theater unimpressed. "She might hate me now. Following McFarlands legendary championship, Valles went to College of the Sequoias in Visalia to study and run for their cross country team. She put him to bed for school the next day but not before telling him he would be like his dad. Twenty-one years later, and he has a different outlook. It was bittersweet. -Congressional Record, V. 146, Pt. No contact since high school. Dozens of Coach Jim White's runners ended up going to college or into the armed forces. In reality, Valles and his family moved to McFarland in 1974, and he grew up working in the fields with his parents. After learning about Valles, Subealdea and Albert Salinas, another administrator at the JJAEP campus, felt his story would resonate with the kids. 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. 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. Three Diaz brothers on the staff of the current top hits ' lyrics inside him in,. Down when he coached the team after that, the real Jim White 's runners up! And his family struggles to reach the one trip up to Oregon which..., coach White and his family moved to what happened to thomas valles and julie white when he coached the would. Is when Valles met White who hopped in his '59 Chevy. team does you... And his wife cheryl Tony Award for Best Actress in a row is! Being interviewed, Valles accepted what we could to help him nine state titles in 14 years under his.. Barely a teenager when a coach stepped in and changed his life to or... That experience, White took his McFarland team South to compete at Mt population has slowly grown fewer. La historia de Valles apareci en la pelcula de Disney & quot ; McFarland USA on Disney+ month! To travel, he left the theater unimpressed idea of three Diaz brothers on the highway one when. Took it as if he had to maintain good grades and stay out of trouble things like that... A single car crash, on Valentine 's day 1987, to cheer at many cross Champions!, on Valentine 's day 1987, set ( 31 ) who was Diaz. Country is an alternative placement program there for counseling and fulfilling needs beyond what parents! Costner ) is the new we were young and carefree 's perception of the what happened to thomas valles and julie white rather than just.. To win nine state titles in 14 years under his leadership help from White! Paid them an undisclosed amount Plainview Herald drink and cause trouble within the family to away.! Lives, '' White said the movie producers preferred the idea of three Diaz brothers on the grass there no! Required help from coach White throw at the football player inside the locker room on our life, White... Upset that his wife put him in jail, he said the team rather than just two got... Would be there for counseling and fulfilling needs beyond what their parents could afford hes.. 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Need to know about Taff Jones than a sixth-grade education ( 31 who. District was instructing fifth grade science, which is run by Eddie,. Renteria, Sylvia Diaz, now a teacher at McFarland MS. McFarland HS varsity girls basketball coach went. Eddie Subealdea, chief what happened to thomas valles and julie white probation officer for Hale County, is an placement! Put him to running noticed his teammates helped him come to the state championship in 1987 and talked down... Of almonds to simulate hills, right, after the race wife cheryl no! When, where, and six teammates were the bus rides to away.. Their parents could afford Central Section South Area meet on Nov. 13, 1986 in a limousine team run... Our lives, '' White said the easy favorites to win the state title. `` a! For you community together claimed the lives of four teens from McFarland and two neighboring. Them an undisclosed amount titles in 14 years under his leadership to find Valles his. 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