During that year when the team won the title, all three daughters were actually in college in Texas. We wish you nothing but luck & happiness for all your years to come. David Diaz: Hector Duran . This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/place/Aix-les-Bains, CRW Flags - Flag of Aix les Bains, France. Victor Puentes: Michael Aguero . A caption says what became of me, a sort of champ in my own life too, I guess. True. I was never good at sports I chose ballet after my volunteer coach shamed me in pee-wee baseball and appreciate all the more how people can rise after defeats. Victor Puentes, one of the brightest students on the team, went to college but then had to leave school when his mom got sick. Which is why, when Mr. White was trying to persuade me to switch to cross-country for my junior year, he jokingly told me that they would win the inaugural state championship with or without you.. In the rest of the movie, he takes a back seat to the actors portraying the runners who performed better at the race. The film depicts the McFarland team forming and winning the state championship in the same year (1987). "He thinks hes out there still, so someone needs to be there to kind of calm him down and stuff. At a cross-country race almost 30 years ago, the gun sounds and the seven boys from McFarland High burst across the starting line amid a stampede of runners from around the state. For years, McFarland had a strong running tradition, he says. Then you spent afternoons running miles upon miles upon miles. "The inspirational message of the movie is essentially true," he said. Damacio Diaz went to college, then became a police officer and a 17-year veteran of the Bakersfield Police Department as a detective. The inspirational message of the movie is essentially true. Try to see differently. No stupid Mexicans. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. "Actually, lettuce didn't grow there, but that's a minor thing. Now, 28 years later, Cardenas has had to relive that vexing memory because his performance is a focal part of "McFarland, USA," a film occupying theaters nationwide. Jim White recalls an incident where his cross-country runners were shot breaking up a fight, and one of the boys was killed. 1987 was the first year that the state cross-country championship race was offered to schools. The McFarland team continued to run races in North America, Europe, and Asia. Costner gives Whites lessons learned late genuine weight. While Jim and his daughter Jamie watches the boys in his PE classes run laps around the track, Jamie makes a comment about Victor and Johnny being incredibly fast runners; Jim agrees, and has an epiphany: to start a cross-country team. The mother of the three Diaz boys really did forbid them to run cross-country at one point. White taught fifth-grade science and seventh- and eighth- grade PE and woodshop. (Jason Kempin / Getty Images). New Zealander Niki Caro (Whale Rider, North Country) directs the late 1980s-set McFarland, USA, a tightly focused drama based on the true story of White and his out-of-left-field cross-country runners. Pop. The dream came true for them, but not me. The land is ours. ), Aging beloved YA author Judy Blumes inevitable foil isnt so bad after all, Review: The entertaining Peter Pan & Wendy charts a familiar course to Neverland, Rihanna has Smurfs on the brain for her next movie: Hope this gives me cool points, Review: In Guardians 3, ultra-weird superhero fun doesnt have to be Rocket science, The new Tom Cruise just might be a London office worker with a taste for risk. I knew a movie involving one of the biggest disappointments in my youth might be made someday. Besides Mr. White, other good-hearted adults looked after the towns needy youth.. Jose Cardenas always wanted to serve in the military. Danny Diaz (Ramiro Rodriguez), Coach Jim White (Kevin Costner), Jose Cardenas (Johnny Ortiz), Thomas Valles (Carlos Pratts) and David Diaz . Its a chance to pause, slow down, get our bearings before we get up and go again at a kinder pace. I thank you and your fellow team mates for a real life example for ALL the young folks. Aix-les-Bains, Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes, France is located at France country in the Towns place category with the gps coordinates of 45 41' 18.5964'' N and 5 54' 55. . "Jose Cardenas had had a bad race," Valles recalled recently about his teammate who was the team's seventh runner that day, finishing 148th. . "I did not run a good race that day," he said, explaining that he was so far back that he earned no points for the team. Since his retirement, he has also traveled the country as a motivational speaker and to help promote the movie. But his school had a long tradition of success in cross country, which is not how its portrayed in the movie. Hell talk about the ins and outs of the movie, running and more as part of a spaghetti fundraiser Saturday night at the J.F. And though people in McFarland did have jobs in the farms, they weren't picking lettuce, as shown in the film. When gang members show up and harass them, a fight breaks out and Julie is pulled to safety just before getting injured. Jose, you are a success & a hero. Disgraced former Bakersfield Police Department detective Damacio Diaz, one of the real-life heroes of the movie "McFarland USA," was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court in Fresno to five . Although White isnt a track coach, he sees great potential for a cross-country team at McFarland High. I wish you and your family all the best. Meanwhile, Jim settles into his neighborhood and learns about the troubled life of one of his other students, Victor Puentes (Sergio Avelar), whose uncle just got out of prison and whose father is still in prison. They knew he truly cared about them, and the guys would work extremely hard because of the respect they had for him. I wish you great strength, grit and joyful moments. Maria Marisol : [reading Jose Cardenas's paper] We fly like blackbirds through the orange groves, floating on a warm wind. Its a beautiful story of perseverance, teamwork and community! In fact I was getting ready to post about the article Mr. Cardenas wrote during the movie about running through the groves. It was not predominately Hispanic as depicted in the film. "I never had any live chickens around where I lived and, in the 1980s, we listened to the same music as other kids - Madonna and Michael Jackson and pop things like that - in addition to Hispanic music.". This past weekend I saw McFarland, USA, a movie about one phase of your life, growing up in the agricultural town of McFarland, California. Cardenas admits hes had mixed reactions about the movie. Cardenas was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1970, served seven years in the U.S. military and was deported in 2009 after a drug conviction. Subsequently, McFarland High School missed qualifying for the 2014 State Meet for the first time in 24 years; many feel the school is being punished for its success. The film was co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Mayhem Pictures. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. His battles with the church arent over, 17 SoCal hiking trails that are blooming with wildflowers (but probably not for long! Ms. Diamond, Thanks for your comment! Thomas, who was suspended for fighting a kid that made fun of his pregnant sister, is given a chance to avoid suspension if he agrees to join the cross-country team. . The 67-year-old Cardenas was born in Mexico but moved to the United States when he was seven years old. He hadn't lived in Mexico since he left when he was seven years old, and he spoke little Spanish. We speak to the gods. We saw the movie as a team, but we also wanted to invite local runners and the whole community, too.. We watched the movie together and they loved it. "It's a great lesson to us, McFarland, that if we give our children, our young men, our young women goals, we let them see what's possible, they can exceed beyond their own wildest expectations." ~ Kevin Costner 8) Some Experience All Rights Reserved. The film depicts McFarlands opponents as snobby, rich, and rude to the poor McFarland team. Jose, who was one of the top four runners for the team and a key scorer, really did start the race too fast, a very unusual move for a runner who had just recently ran the same course perfectly. The odds seem stacked against Jim, who is just as inexperienced at coaching cross-country as the boys are at running it. KGET TV-17, an NBC affiliate in Bakersfield, California, created this Emmy-nominated segment that tells the story of McFarland High Schools legendary cross country program and the family, and coach, that helped mold a town. One of these leaders was. The team hot to where they went because of you and others. On the day he met Kevin Costner during the film shoot, Costner shook his hand and said, Youre better looking than the actor whos playing you! Danny was never overweight as portrayed in the film but rather, quite the opposite. And White wasnt the only adult who looked after the kids. He had always wanted to be in law enforcement eventually pursued that career, starting in the 1990s. Meanwhile, the White family builds a bond with the McFarland community. It saddens me that he viewed the race as the biggest disappointment of his youth, but in the same sense I admire his vulnerability & honesty. The opening sequences of the film are fictional. Well, my story is very long with happiness, sadness, accomplishment, rewards, and many more. Your personal disappointment gave another teammate (who, according to the movie, had nothing to offer the team butkeeping his faster brothers on the team) his first chance to make adifference. White really did go and work in the fields and pick crops with his runners to show support to them and their families, as it is portrayed in the film. A part of the region of Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes situated in the eastern France, the town of Aix-les-Bains is a part of the Savoie department and is a small community established on an amazing natural setting, in the highlands of the Alps. 2. White quickly learns that the young people of McFarland see nothing but a hardscrabble future for themselves, offering no opportunity to advance up the economic ladder. "Life is not just one race," he said. He'll talk. Photo by RON PHILLIPS -- From left, Johnny Sameniego (Hector Duran), Victor Puentes (Sergio Avelar), Damacio Diaz (Michael Aguero), Danny Diaz (Ramiro Rodriguez), Coach Jim White (Kevin Costner), Jose Cardenas (Johnny Ortiz), Thomas Valles (Carlos Pratts) and David Diaz (Rafael Martinez) share a scene in 'McFarland, USA.' While he was in the military, Cardenas applied for U.S. citizenship, but he says his application was never processed. He says Tijuana is almost like living in the United States because there are many Americans there, but there's one big difference: Cardenas can't see his family, who lives just across the border in San Diego, his home of more than 50 years. You pushed too hard; you didnt last. (9%) are the normal age for attending high school (15-19). Im in the Army, he says, so I have to stay in shape.. Pace yourself. McFarland, USA runs an inspirational race. It drew national attention because for him, the final race portrayed in the movie was one of the most painful memories of his life his mistake of starting out too fast put enormous pressure on his team to make up the points. Well said! All together now: Ommmm and Just Win,Baby, Never a Dull Moment, With The Big QuestionsKid, Open Letter to Jose Cardenas, One of McFarland, USAs Real LifeChampions, View lauranicolediamondauthors profile on Facebook, View @LauraNDiamond1s profile on Twitter, View laurandiamonds profile on Instagram, DELIVER ME: True Confessions of Motherhood, McFarland, USA - The 1987 McFarland Cross Country Team, Open Letter to Jose Cardenas, One of "McFarland, USA"'s Real Life Champions, Forget spring cleaning in a soon-to-be empty nest. Open Letter to Jose Cardenas, One of "McFarland, USA"'s Real Life Champions Published on March 3, 2015 Dear Mr. Cardenas, This past weekend I saw " McFarland, USA, " a movie about one phase of your life, growing up in the agricultural town of McFarland, California. Not immigrant no more. The lake also has the largest and the most beautiful natural lagoons of the country. Jose wrote an essay for the Los Angeles Times in March 2015 describing his experience with the McFarland team. Your contribution is so appreciated. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), First Minority Business Trade Show helps spread word for entrepreneurs, Salisbury City Council to discuss new fire station on Mahaley Avenue at Tuesdays meeting, License plate reader cameras assist area law enforcement. The state championships arrive, and the entire town of McFarland comes to support the team. I enjoyed your essay as well. Jose has done speaking engagements as well since the movies release. Its good to hear from you. Our kids are so excited about his appearance.. He started coaching the high school cross-country teams in 1980, not 1987. Actually, we were favored to win by a larger margin. Thanks Laura for this wonderful and insightful letter to MR JOSE CARDENAS. Damacio Diaz recalled fondly in an interview for the film that he would often jog with his dad, Paul Diaz, who worked hard for his family. He remains an active and well-loved member of the McFarland community, often working with youth. He then worked at an institution in Soledad, California, followed by a job at the Substance Abuse Treatment Facility in Corcoran, California. Es uno de los tres hermanos Diaz. Other questions:subscriberservices@theadvocate.com. On the way home, Jim stops by the beach in Cayucos and lets the runners have an afternoon of fun there because theyve never seen the ocean before. The mantra at our house has all ways been that good luck and opportunity comes through HARD WORK. (LogOut/ Powered by - Designed with theHueman theme, (Visited 2,021 times, 2 visits today, 1,283,698 total visits overall), describing his experience with the McFarland team. I havent ran another race since middle school because of it. He would often buy shoes and food for his runners. We speak to the gods. Victor Puentes. It was a real eye-opener for our kids, because the kids in the movie picked in the fields before and after school.. He sees McFarland students running all over the community, including the produce fields. His journey from McFarland was pushed by his love for writing. Shafter, California, a town that neighbors and competes with McFarland in sports, also had a remarkable cross-country team that excelled despite its small school size and limited resources. The actor playing me takes off too fast and begins to fade halfway through the three-mile course. The shoe bounces off the locker, hits the player in the face, and cuts his cheek. The team really did call Jim Blanco as a nickname. Jim White and his wife Cheryl, depicted as kind, caring people in the film, were that way in real life. It took one of our usually slower runners to sprint mightily down the stretch. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing it?
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