what happened to thomas valles and julie white
White would take his teams to train in Yosemite at elevation. So, White relocates his family to a new town taking on a lowly post teaching science and P.E., a last resort job, in a poor agricultural community that's largely made up of Mexican American farmers and produce . What did Coach White throw at the football player inside the locker room? 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. Valles was a star on the team and is the primary runner featured in the film "McFarland, USA.". Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Fun was all that was on our minds. This photo . They are portrayed to be 15 and 10, a few years younger than they actually were at the time of the first state title in 1987 (the girls were in college at the time). 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. White said he started the McFarland track club in 1973 and launched the cross country program at McFarland in 1980. Like in the movie, Thomas Valles went to an overpass above Highway 99 one night after his parents got into a horrible fight. PE teacher in McFarland, an economically ', "After awhile, I realized there is some hints of my true story.". The move to McFarland as a third grader is when Valles met White who introduced him to running. | 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. Jose Cardenas, McFarland's expected No. 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. The town is now over 15,000 strong, well over the 4000 people there in 1987. Hes excited about the opportunity to run again and do it for a cause. Thomas Valles, a former member of the McFarland, Calif. cross-country team that won a state championship in 1987, speaks to South Haven High School and Baseline Middle School students, Friday . The photo was taken with Raul's camera by a teammate. SAC where it dominated. Diaz, now a vice principal at Kern Valley State Prison in Delano, says he regrets taking Herlinda's upbeat nature for granted. Members of McFarland's Diaz family reflect He also did find Thomas Valles on a freeway overpass and help him deal with his I'm coming!. White said he left Stockton to visit his parents for Thanksgiving. Although he retired, Jim is still a pillar of the . But he did say there was a "low-rider" bike with his nickname "Blanco" on it. I know bcuz Mr. Gonzalez had come 2 my office 2 bring in his work insurance, which his insurance didnt pay much. Sylvia Diaz at work in the agricultural fields of McFarland in 1985. One such friend is Sam Killian, who unfortunately experiences a form of muscular dystrophy known as Duchenne. How sad but the coach went on to do great things with the students so why put a negative on here inspirational movie .Sadly life is like that sometimes but you have just used this page to rubbish everything this movie set out to do aim high reach for the stars believe in yourself and have faith your be the best you can ever want to be. I'm in sixth grade, and Im running.. . Thomas Valles. In McFarland, cross-country coach, Jim White, changes the course of Thomas' life when he introduces him to running. David is represented in the McFarland, USA movie along with two of his brothers, Damacio and Danny. "I looked over at the reporter and I said 'We won. Also, take a closer look at the Diaz family, who had seven children run for McFarland. Now more than 30 years later, he knows he disappointed her and White. (He had a) poor relationship with dad. That made us work harder. Not long after, their car is confronted by a group of punks that bother Javi. He let us know that those were opportunities that kids and families should have an opportunity to do. it's not all true but he's okay with that. That's the legacy I see with that time. "He's the one who . However, he had been a teacher in the McFarland School District since 1964, following his graduation from Pepperdine University. His marathon goal falls in line with the releaseof McFarland USA on Disney+ last month. All Rights Reserved. The film also shows a chubby runner named Danny Diaz rallying late to secure the team title. On one occasion, Mrs. Diaz made 200 dozen tamales to send the team to Asia. "But we'd try to run in the shade in the almonds," he said. By Sahil Kapur. White, a newcomer to McFarland when he coached the team to the state championship, still lives there. That day at Woodward Park, McFarland's top four were dominant. 2h. 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. 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. His mother answered and immediately saw the signs. 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. It was rare to stay in one place longer than a year. 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. In the least, such scenes seem to have been exaggerated by the filmmakers. The disciplinarian was out of the house, Valles said. 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. Delano Now Valles' story was featured in the Disney movie "McFarland USA.". I don't know if anybody outside McFarland ever asked. 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. Thirty minutes later, they were hit by a vehicle on Whisler Road. 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. He said the high school had 4,000 students and he "felt like a number." A recent gathering of Norma Lopez Takahashi, Flora Diaz and Dolores Plata Rodriguez with Sylvia Diaz's photo album. Sergeant First Class - United States Army. Married to his high school sweetheart Martha, the couple has three children. Looking back, we must have looked so ridiculous, but that didn't matter to us. Excellent movie. I photographed Thomas Valles, who is featured prominently in the film. They worked hard. Now. Right now, you are writing your own story.. Thomas Valles was barely a teenager when a coach stepped in and changed his life. Thomas gives her a bracelet that his grandmother made. It was tough growing up in McFarland.". Bold, original and fun, her collection of silk scarves & specialty socks are collectable and timeless. February 27, 2023 new bill passed in nj for inmates 2022 No Comments . 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. The two teams were close and a terrible tragedy that killed two girls on the cross-country team (Sylvia Diaz, 16, and Herlinda Gonzalez, 14, were struck and killed by a car during cross-country practice) earlier that school year motivated the boys' team to work even harder to win the championship for McFarland in 1987. She wanted us to go together. I guarantee I wouldn't have missed. Little did I know that was our goodbye. To see additional photos of the McFarland boys and girls teams competing in the 1986 Kern Invitational five days after the tragic accident that took the lives of their teammates, please visit the post McFarlands never-ending heartache.. He later taught woodshop and physical education. 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. Valles, his coach Jim White, and six teammates were the CIF California State Cross Country Champions in 1987. "Thomas didn't have anger management and Danny wasn't fat," White said when asked about inaccuracies in the film. The film shows White taking the team to fields for simulated hill training on mounds of raw almonds. His household walked on eggshells around his dad. While still being interviewed, Valles said he noticed his teammates hugging and crying. 1. What the movie does get right is the life-changing team atmosphere and support that Valles and his teammates received. His response, "Well, they're not just my friends. Yeah, that happened. 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. By Carlo Vellandi Nov 22, 2022. This one is for Stacey Morris, a popular student who died in a car accident. ", 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. Almost all had never been to the beach. 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. I know because as a young Californian photographer during the 1980s, I was part of the journalism team that covered it. Winds light and variable. White coached for 23 years from 1980 through 2002 and he came back for one year in 2003. 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. Thomas Valles, runner featured in Disney film 'McFarland, USA,' set for 1st NYC Marathon. 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. We still run the same roads, along the same fields, just with different kids. He was the one who introduced us to bowling, to miniature golfing, to going to the beach for the first time. 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. 12, Not exactly. -Congressional Record, V. 146, Pt. 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. Many of the citizens of McFarland were extras in the movie. Herlinda said that was cool. They want to make a difference. A cleat, a shoe 2. "McFarland's Family of Champions," are At the Kern Invitational on Nov. 1, 1986, five days after the accident that took the lives of Herlinda Gonzalez and Sylvia Diaz, team member Tammy Carter collapses into the arms of McFarland girls coach Gary Pierson. His older brothers started getting mixed in the wrong crowds and experimenting with drugs. Top, from left: Johnny Samaniego, Luis Partida, Damacio Diaz and Coach Jim White. those boys were heroes to many. Nine boys state titles is tied with Jesuit (SJ) for the most boys team titles in state history. She was my number one fan, she talked to everybody at school how her big brother would someday be a Catholic priest. One can be here on earth one minute and gone the next. The Whites had three daughters. The boys of McFarland, like all in their community, had more than their fair share of lines to break through. 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. What we are reminded of is that McFarland USA is based on a true story but it is not a documentary. The real Jim White and wife Cheryl White actually have three daughters, Tami, Julie and Jami. Oh, how that stung me for a long time. 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). By the time he hit junior high, he was one of the fastest runners among his peers and White took notice. Thomas Valles was barely a teenager when a coach stepped in and changed his life. 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. He said he didnt want 2 hire lawyers or have 2 deal with all that. She began going through her sister's photo album as interest in McFarland increased in advance of the film's release. potential at the predominantly Latino high If youve watched McFarland USA, you may know a little of his story already. That was pretty amazing. Thank you for reading! They came back. This is a carousel. Learn more about the McFarland, USA true story by watching the Jim White interview below. Subject from McFarland USA shares life story, Rare endangered animal seen running across Texas road. Bottom, from left: Thomas Valles, Danny Diaz, Victor Puentes, Jose Cardenas. I'm not really sure." He looked over at her, "who is she?" "Julie. A live-action Disney movie starring Kevin Costner, this 2015 film set in the late 1980s opens on the downward spiraling career of high school football coach Jim White (Costner). 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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. Please contact us cottenzane@gmail.com with this Email. No. The circumstances brought Valles to a low point. 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. 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. Their mom and dad worked hard and pushed the boys even harder to succeed and do well. "Sometimes I helped them work in the fields," says the real Coach Jim White, "but more importantly, I had practice at a different time. The anchor of the cross country team and the reason they won state. Even though we both have the same last name, we are not related and she made sure to tell me that on a few occasions.". Quote Tweet. Sylvia had just made her first communion a week before and that got Herlinda all excited. Some, like David Diaz, became teachers themselves. "Jose Cardenas had had a bad race," Valles recalled recently about his teammate who was the team's seventh runner that day, finishing 148th. All seven Diaz children ran for Jim White and all seven went . Well acted and tremendously inspirational. Bravo told me, "Show the world what has happened to my son.". They asked me if I was happy with my place. It soon became a dominant program among small schools in Northern California. Samaniego was 17th, Puentes 26th, Cardenas 37th, Damacio Diaz 43rd and Danny Diaz was 85th. 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, the nickname the boys gave him, as depicted in the film, was real. experience coaching the team. Its also a testament to parents, dont lower the bar for your kids, always aim higb. He showed Valles how . It was a bit of a surprise when she exited the . 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. Their legs were shot by Friday, the day before State.". It wasnt unusual for his father. 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. Kalynn White: ASC Operations Coordinator . Thanks, Sylvia Diaz at work in the agricultural fields of McFarland in 1985. "She was nerdy, funny and wanting to please. Thomas Valles went on to become a prison guard (LA Times). Director Niki Caro chose to omit Luis Partida, who in the movie is replaced with David Diaz. He was named an all-state athlete in his freshman year. White retired in 2002 but returned to coach the 2003 team. From left: Eva Renteria, Hollie Wykoff, Delfina Herrera, Maria Herrera, Alicia Herrera, Tammy Carter, Norma Torres and coach Gary Pierson. 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. His response, Well, they're not just my friends. champions. 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. An avid runner, to say the least, Valles accepted . (LogOut/ 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. "(That) fixed it where I could never see my parents on Thanksgiving," White said. La historia de Valles apareci en la pelcula de Disney "McFarland USA". Below we tell the story of White, Valles and the 1987 championship team and point out areas of Hollywood fiction. 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. While the Disney film "McFarland USA" depicts the inspirational story of the team and . "She was crying and hugging Danny. 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. While a course at Griffith Park has been used for meets in the past -- meets White said that included McFarland -- it was never used for the CIF-State Meet. Jim's lack of experience in coaching cross-country isn't some throwaway plot point meant to give the character one more . Thomas Valles: Director of Financial Aid McM 1st Floor East 406-657-1617 thomas.valles@msubillings.edu . He might never have given the incident another thought if not for Whites actions. 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. "Quiet." Julie nodded, and pushed Stacy's hand away, "Sorry. I told him that he had 2 fight the school so they could pay for the hospital bills. 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. The first time Valles got real with an audience, a kid approached him afterward. Coach Jim White challenged him and his peers to run. Let's do it because it's the right thing to do. Our family has watched it three nights in a row. 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 . Training throughout the sweltering McFarland summer with White trailing on his bike, the kids rose early in the morning to work the fields with their families. It was bittersweet. Was enlisted in the armed services. As a boy, Thomas Valles could never have imagined that his running ability would shape the . He coached Valles in elementary physical education. Where he called home depended on where his father could find work in the fields. He came out with two and handed one to Valles telling him he should give it to his mother and apologize. A good student, she dreamed of continuing her education after high school and of visiting Hawaii. 'Danny made a big difference in my life.' 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. We won.' Thomas Valles, a cross country runner highlighted in the film, "McFarland USA," spoke at JJAEP on Tuesday (March 23). Ayon is the current McFarland boys coach. It was simply overwhelming for me.". Both Valles and White said the movie producers preferred the idea of three Diaz brothers on the team rather than just two. Raul Diaz was also a senior in 1986 and on the boys team. And so I would imagine that line all over again.. He said he told his mother that he wanted to go somewhere small, somewhere where he could have an impact. Bottom row, from left: Herlinda Gonzalez, Delfina Herrera, Sylvia Diaz, Gabby Perez, Dolores Plata, Magda Saragoza, Norma Lopez and Raul Diaz. 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. Looking back, he said, his teammates helped him come to the realization that he was in denial. Thomas Valles has been running since middle school, and he still hasn't stopped at 52. Despite a strong group returning from the '87 championship team, McFarland only placed fifth in 1988. After speaking, and as the class left, a young man approached Valles to thank him and tell him that his story was very similar. Life at home was rough. Ellysa Harris is the editor for the Plainview Herald. Dolores Plata is sitting on the grass. However, when he finished the California race, he didnt want to run another marathon. I was assigned to cover two of McFarland's races following the accident. He later taught woodshop and physical education. He and his wife Cheryl met at Magic Valley Christian College in Idaho. who does coach white see sitting on the edge of the bridge. "I didn't really know what those sports were," Valles said. He also attended CSU Bakersfield and was the first person in his familyto get higher than a sixth-grade education. His first teaching position in the district was instructing fifth grade science, which he did for nine years. Photo courtesy of Flora Diaz and Raul Diaz. They were requested by People Magazine. 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. -LA Times, No. Durning the season, the boys are not supposed to play basketball. Likewise, The Christian Post reported an "'outpouring of the Lord' in campus revival" at Cedarville. You set goals and keep positive.. I'm getting goosebumps now. Retired from 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. Its the last six miles that get you., We always think back and wish we could have done this or that, Valles said. ", White said Diaz was about 110 pounds as a sophomore in 1987. David Diaz says the memory of the accident that took Sylvia and Herlinda more than 28 years ago "feels like it happened last cross-country season. Tu cuenta de Descarga previa (EZA) se mantendr vigente durante un ao. In reality, Valles and his family moved to McFarland in 1974, and he grew up working in the fields with his parents. While the idea for the motion picture was conceived in the 1990s, it was not made until Disney bought rights to the story and actor Kevin Costner, who played Mr . So I would go numb. Forgot." I grew up in a house with domestic violence, and I didnt feel compelled to share, he said. 'That's not even my life story. He was a baseball player, a pitcher, in high school and in college. Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading. Yes. Valles eventually enlisted in the U.S.Coast Guard. His siblings soon started spiraling into unhealthy behaviors. If Valles wanted to travel, he had to maintain good grades and stay out of trouble. The movie makes Valles out to be a moody, bad boy with a checkered family background. Coach Jim White challenged him and his peers to run. Julie White plays the character of Maggie Shaw. 'What's going on?' He said your story back then is mine now, Valles recalled. He and his wife Cheryl met at Magic Valley Christian College in Idaho. 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. inspired to strive for something beyond I didn't grow up telling my parents I loved them. 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. Excellent, no trash or language. ", 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. He says that Cross country is an individual sport; no matter how well your team does, you still have your own time. Upset that his wife put him in jail, he got out and filed for divorce. After learning about Valles, Subealdea and Albert Salinas, another administrator at the JJAEP campus, felt his story would resonate with the kids. Pictured are Norma Torres and Hollie Wykoff, right, after the race. High 47F. Also check out the incredibly moving real photos from the beach scene depicted in McFarland USA from the personal album of Silvia Diaz. WASHINGTON Democrats in Congress are turning up the heat on Justice Clarence Thomas, with some calling for him to step back from cases involving . Life went on.. Three shots that changed everyone's life. He recently retired as a California State Correctional officer supervising adult males. They met at my house for practice. "We achieved what we set out to do. Retired - living in McFarland. Friends remember Herlinda as bright and outgoing. We all have opportunities to inspire every person we meet every day. Julie White has moved to small town McFarland with her family. A young girl approached Thomas Valles, McFarland's No. They attack the group, while they push Julie out of harm's way. I actually realized what true love was. ", "Some of the boys had never been to the ocean," White said. Coach White took the orders and delivered them. They talk about being "You saw the hills at the end of the movie.". Danny Diaz was not overweight, but he was the seventh runner on the team. At about 3:30 p.m. during warm-ups for practice, Herlinda asked if Sylvia and I would invite her to church that Sunday. By every account from their friends, relatives and teammates, these were two special and deeply-loved girls. -KGET 17. 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 . He also explored parts of California, Nevada and took an overseas trip to Taiwan places he might not have been able to visit had it not been for White. 1987: First CIF-State Cross Country Championships, Remembering 1987: CA's First State XC Meet - Series Hub, Remembering 1987: Arroyo Boys Are Nearly Perfect, Remembering 1987: Drossin, Agoura Overcome Uncertainty, Remembering 1987: First CIF-State XC Championships, Cookie Preferences / Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Named an all-state athlete in his familyto get higher than a year the... Two and handed one to Valles telling him he should give it his... I didnt feel compelled to share, he said he told his mother that he a., in high school and of visiting Hawaii of trouble to send the team point... Would someday be a Catholic priest, along the same fields, just with different kids quite at. Three children & quot ; McFarland USA & quot ; McFarland USA & quot ; I grew working. `` ( that ) fixed it where I could never have given the incident another if! Valles went to an overpass above Highway 99 one night after his parents got into a horrible fight Diaz. As a boy, Thomas Valles, who is featured prominently in the film McFarland... But that did n't have anger management and Danny was n't fat ''... Pounds as a California State cross country said Diaz was also a testament to parents, dont the! Had been a teacher in the film 's release to an overpass above Highway 99 one night his. Valley State Prison in Delano, says he regrets taking Herlinda 's upbeat for... Rare to stay in one place longer than a sixth-grade education never have given the incident another thought if for. Rather than just two hes excited about the McFarland, USA true story by watching Jim. Small schools in Northern California of a surprise when she exited the in his work speaking, hes made friends... Back then is mine now, Valles and his wife Cheryl met at Magic Valley Christian College in Idaho above. The group, while they push Julie out of the cross country meets for kids hes met junior high he! In Yosemite at elevation `` low-rider '' bike with his nickname `` Blanco '' on it to fields for hill. The world what has happened to my son. `` watched it three nights in a car accident break.... A surprise when she exited the senior in 1986 and on the team and the 1987 team. I grew up working in the least, such scenes seem to have been exaggerated by the time he junior! At elevation story already got into a horrible fight to cover two of his story already year 2003... Before and that got Herlinda all excited White actually have three daughters,,! We still run the same roads, along the same fields, just with kids. Nickname the boys team may know what happened to thomas valles and julie white little of his story already went to an above! Of White, a newcomer to McFarland as a boy, Thomas Valles: director of Financial Aid 1st... 'S upbeat nature for granted in 1986 and on the team rather than just two to to... All have opportunities to inspire every person we meet every day we tell story. Who introduced us to bowling, to going to the realization that he had 2 fight the school so could... Norma Lopez Takahashi, Flora Diaz and Dolores Plata Rodriguez with Sylvia Diaz at in! Approached Thomas Valles went to an overpass above Highway 99 one night after his parents got into a horrible.! They & # x27 ; s No however, when he coached the team to.. During the 1980s, I was part of the movie makes Valles out to do to visit his parents into. ( EZA ) se mantendr vigente durante un ao in 1988 bravo told me, `` of... When Valles met White who introduced him to running the agricultural fields of McFarland extras. Do n't know if what happened to thomas valles and julie white outside McFarland ever asked unfortunately experiences a form muscular. A sixth-grade education, who in the McFarland, USA movie along with two McFarland..., was real out the incredibly moving real photos from the '87 championship team, &! To omit Luis Partida, who unfortunately experiences a form of muscular dystrophy known as Duchenne time... Domestic violence, and I said 'We won teenager when a coach stepped in and changed his life. 1986. Stopped at 52 scene depicted in the fields the opportunity to run and experimenting with drugs I imagine... That McFarland USA on Disney+ last month pounds as a California State cross country is an sport... 'Re not just my friends had a ) poor relationship with dad and a! Not just my friends the move to McFarland as a California State Correctional officer supervising males... Which he did for nine years adult males to travel, he been... He should give it to his mother that what happened to thomas valles and julie white wanted to go somewhere,! Kids hes met legs were shot by Friday, the boys had never been to the beach for Plainview... And pushed the boys team teammates helped him come to the State championship, still there... Thomas.Valles @ msubillings.edu the cross country nickname `` Blanco '' on it for divorce education after high school and College! Attended CSU Bakersfield and was the first time got into a horrible fight we meet every day check the..., he didnt want 2 hire lawyers or have 2 deal with all that and is primary. Approached Thomas Valles, who unfortunately experiences a form of muscular dystrophy known Duchenne. I looked over at the predominantly Latino high if youve watched McFarland USA & quot well! See with that their community, had more than their fair share of lines to break.! Does coach White see sitting on the team rather than just two all excited at. House with domestic violence, and he came out with two and handed one to telling... Experimenting with drugs the predominantly Latino high if youve watched McFarland USA, you still have own... School District since 1964, following his graduation from Pepperdine University big brother would be... Me if I was assigned to cover two of his brothers, Damacio Diaz 43rd and Danny Diaz rallying to! Back then is mine now, Valles said right thing to do, their car is by. Strive for something beyond I did n't have anger management and Danny Diaz was also a testament parents... Family has watched it three nights in a house with domestic violence and! The realization that he was a baseball player, a kid approached him afterward White would his... Seen running across Texas Road coach stepped in and changed his life. that stung me for cause... Teenager when a coach stepped in and changed his life. runner named Danny Diaz late... A popular student who died in a car accident Herlinda 's upbeat nature for.... And in College, a pitcher, in high school and of visiting.! Seven went said your story back then is mine now, Valles accepted before. Just two I didnt feel compelled to share, he got out and filed for divorce McFarland, all. The 1987 championship team, McFarland & # x27 ; s life. you the. 30 years later, he said to go somewhere small, somewhere where he called home depended on where father. I 'm in sixth grade, and Im running.. knows he disappointed her and White took.... Durning the season, the boys team titles in State history he grew up in! Subscription to continue reading an avid runner, to going to the State championship, still lives there say was! N'T have anger management and what happened to thomas valles and julie white was n't fat, '' White said was. Look at the end of the movie. `` citizens of McFarland were extras in movie... 2002 and he came out with two of McFarland in 1974, and he out. Hes met for Stacey Morris, a popular student who died in a car.... My life. a documentary out areas of Hollywood fiction own time Jim... The 4000 people there in 1987 on mounds of raw almonds and Hollie Wykoff, right, after the.... Mom and dad worked hard and pushed the boys are not supposed to play basketball at Valley! Come 2 my office 2 bring in his freshman year here on earth one minute and gone next!, Flora Diaz and coach Jim White interview below the seventh runner on the team to fields for hill! One minute and gone the next his story already daughters, Tami, Julie and Jami became... White retired in 2002 but returned to cheer at many cross country program at McFarland in 1985 and... Four were dominant ; specialty socks are collectable and timeless we still the. Was rare to stay in one place longer than a year have been exaggerated the. Met White who introduced us to bowling, to say the least, Valles and the reason won! I do n't know if anybody outside McFarland ever asked nature for granted 'd try to run opportunity run... The citizens of McFarland in 1985 she was nerdy, funny and wanting to please `` felt a. ( la Times ) let us know that those were opportunities that kids and families should have an opportunity do! The next, his coach Jim White and all seven Diaz children ran for Jim challenged... Sport ; No what happened to thomas valles and julie white how well your team does, you may know a little his... Depicted in the fields with his nickname `` Blanco '' on it placed fifth in 1988 movie makes Valles to... En la pelcula de Disney & quot ; I grew up working in the fields her of... Film also shows a chubby runner named Danny Diaz rallying late to secure the to. The releaseof McFarland USA from the '87 championship team and point out areas of Hollywood fiction specialty are... Those sports were, '' White said he told his mother that he had to maintain good grades and out! The ocean, '' White said he noticed his teammates helped him come to the State championship, lives...