He transferred to Humboldt State University, in Arcata, Calif., and earned a journalism degree. McFarland was not a desperate last resort. He took my place, and McFarland miraculously still won. Since his retirement, he has also traveled the country as a motivational speaker and to help promote the movie. "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.". Below are 10 McFarland Fun Facts that will inspire and give you a wonderful background about the movie. I thank you and your fellow team mates for a real life example for ALL the young folks. David Diaz: Hector Duran . Victor Puentes. 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. Victor Puentes served a sentence at the penitentiary, but continued his education and got a good job. Just like in this movie Coach White kept pushing the boys forward, and where he got them. Jim buys Julie a nice dress and has a wonderful time with Julie at the party, even dancing with his daughter who is overwhelmed with joy. He has a LinkedIn profile but it does not contain much detail. In reality, their opponents were more friendly and respectful. His arrest was a big shock to the community because he had been so well-loved and respected. I too did not see your performance as a failure. 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. Finally, it eventually became something the whole town was involved in. Warmly, Laura. The school is located in a poor Latino community. But Cardenas isn't just sitting around and hoping. The state championships arrive, and the entire town of McFarland comes to support the team. I wish I could say I never fell short of working hard; I often do. The incident costs White his job, and, with no other employment choices, he moves out of town with his wife Cheryl (Maria Bello) and two daughters, Julie (Morgan Saylor) and Jamie (Elsie Fisher). At the qualifier, a coach slips an offer to Jim to leave McFarland for a full-time job at a large, wealthy school. That was my normal, and that was good.". Hurley Family Y. After a difficult first half, a disrespectful player talks back to White in the locker room during the coachs half-time talk. ), 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. Jim is so distraught by this incident that he begins to seriously consider leaving McFarland and accept the job offer at the wealthy school. The odds seem stacked against Jim, who is just as inexperienced at coaching cross-country as the boys are at running it. One of these leaders was. The director, Niki Caro, chose to do this because she wanted to feature more family in the story. Cardenas, a staff sergeant in the Army, lives in Virginia Beach, Va., with his wife and daughter. Witnesses offer conflicting accounts, How Palm Springs ran out Black and Latino families to build a fantasy for rich, white people, Mars Voltas lead singer broke with Scientology and reunited with the band. Jim White retired from coaching and still lives in McFarland. He's rallied, marched and met with California politicians as part of a group of deported veterans lobbying the government to allow them to return to the U.S. based on their military service. It was a real eye-opener for our kids, because the kids in the movie picked in the fields before and after school.. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Actually, we were favored to win by a larger margin. He does a great job. Goes Out newsletter, with the week's best events, to help you explore and experience our city. True. Es uno de los 3 hermanos que corre para Jim White. On The Scene With Kathy King. A caption says what became of me, a sort of champ in my own life too, I guess. Jim retired in 2002 after 23 years of coaching and continued to serve as a volunteer coach occasionally. Other questions:subscriberservices@theadvocate.com. The dream came true for them, but not me. To learn more about how we use your information, please read our privacy policy. Learn how your comment data is processed. Even that teaches everyone who sees your story to see these truths: 1. He can be reached at mal.vincent12@gmail.com. In their first meet in Palo Alto, the boys endure mockery from the other more experienced and well-funded teams, and they suffer the humiliation of finishing in last place. His wife enjoyed it more than he did, he says. All other trade-marks and graphic not owned by www.MrsKathyKing.com that appears on this post are the property of their respective owners, who may or may not be affiliated with, connected to, or a sponsored of www.MrsKathyKing.com. "McFarland, USA" tells a heartwarming story about . Disney Pictures can thank me, I guess, for creating some true drama To this day, I dont know why I went out uncharacteristically fast. Jose Cardenas, 67, stands at U.S.-Mexico border fence in Tijuana that has been painted with the names of deported U.S. veterans. The McFarland, USA true story confirms that at first, the mother of the Diaz brothers -- David, Damacio and Danny -- forbid them from competing. Give others a chance to shine. McFarland, USA (2015) Full Cast & Crew. You were and are a team player. Tambin es pizcador en las maanas. Again, thanks for your article, and thanks to Mr. Cardenas for your inspiration. We went on to better our lives.. During that year when the team won the title, all three daughters were actually in college in Texas. Updates? Sponsored . 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. 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. Jose, you are a success & a hero. We do not guarantee the accuracy of the given coordinates of the places in our database. Your email address will not be published. A versatile and innovative financial manager with 30 years of management and leadership experience seeking to utilize skills in adult education and fiduciary oversight of multi-billion dollar . But by going out so fast, I had endangered our dream. And when Jose lost his steam and fell behind in the end of the race, the other runners really did pull off the unexpected, and they made up the difference, which included Dannys dramatic come-from-behind performance as we see in the film. (9%) are the normal age for attending high school (15-19). His wife Cheryl, who tirelessly supported her husband and his coaching, described the runners this way: These kids are like our own kids and grandkids. He'll talk. Thank you for being part of this community. A full body orgasm at the L.A. Phil? In fact I was getting ready to post about the article Mr. Cardenas wrote during the movie about running through the groves. Joe Vaughn is best known for leading the Buena High, California girl's basketball team to 500 plus victories. Also the challenges they all face in life, not to mention cross-country races against better-supported and -trained teams throughout California. Jose Cardenas: Rafael Martinez . Latitude and longitude coordinates are: 45.688499, 5.915300. However, just when it seems like the team will lose, Danny, the overweight runner on the team who typically never finishes fast enough to score points, picks up speed and reaches the finish line fast enough to secure the needed points for McFarland to win the championship. Thank you for sharing your appreciation! You moved on, kept running, went to college and graduated, creating opportunities that didnt exist before. Perhaps that is why stories like Mr. Cardenas and his teammates resonates so strongly, as reminders that what may seem impossible isnt. And by that measure, maybe I can let go for good the sour memory of the state race. Try to see differently. Victor Puentes, one of the brightest students on the team, went to college but then had to leave school when his mom got sick. "I lost my job and everything, so I didn't have nothing.". White loses his cool and throws a cleat at a locker. David Diaz. If you listen to how the runners speak about him (including current runners), you can tell he made a lasting impact on their lives. I enjoyed your essay as well -jose, You are a Radiant Beam Still Jose read the blog post and responsed: Thank you Laura for your take on my essay. les informations, l'actualit de la voile en Rhne. After high school graduation I went to junior college half an hour up Highway 99 and continued running. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Thats want counts as much as a victory itself. Beautiful family. Its a chance to pause, slow down, get our bearings before we get up and go again at a kinder pace. David Diaz and Valles are still running buddies, and Diaz recently completed the 5K Fog Run in Bakersfield. And though people in McFarland did have jobs in the farms, they weren't picking lettuce, as shown in the film. They were a family. A day later, I read inyour essay in the L.A. Times that your State Championship race was one of the biggest disappointments in my youth. Your long-held regret stirred the nurturer in me, and although you are a grown man, a journalist, husband, father, and Army sergeant, in my mind you are still that high school kid, and I cant help my motherly instinct to tell you how I see what you did that day, and what lessons you have taught me and my children. Damacio eventually returned to McFarland and was active in the McFarland community, was loved by many, and excelled at his job as a police officer. But "I broke out too early and faded about half way through the 3-mile course," Cardenas said. McFarland, USA, its leading man Costner and the seven novice actors who play the storys cross-country team run their feel-good story to the finish line in inspirational style. Cardenas grew up in a Hispanic community, and his team mostly competed against white teams. Despite the setback, the boys stick with Jim and continue training. Not immigrant no more. Jose Cardenas became a writer for the Los Angeles Times and at the time of the films release, was serving his country in the military. White wonders if he made a mistake. The scenes of the state race are the most prominent for Johnny Ortiz, the actor playing me. Es uno de los tres hermanos Diaz, lo ms gordito, el ancla del equipo. 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. And Cardenas still runs, but not competitively. (Spoiler alert for movie fans who arent aware that Disney movies havehappy and dramatic endings). DMS (degrees, minutes and seconds) format. After graduating high school in 1990, Johnny went to College of the Sequoias and competed as a runner from 1990-1992. And by that measure, maybe I can let go for good the sour memory of the state race. 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. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Jose, one of their key runners, starts out too fast. You might have miscalculated your strengths, but you took out energy from others as well who tried to follow you. Jim White represents the very best of the best, a quiet, graceful man who somehow let these kids know what was possible, he says. There are currently 37 luxury homes for sale in Aix-les-Bains, Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes on JamesEdition. Great reminder that we can revisit the things that inspire us. 1 May 2023. We wish you nothing but luck & happiness for all your years to come. As his addiction became worse in the 90s, he got in trouble with the law and served time in a penitentiary. We are portrayed as the underdogs, but thats not necessarily the way you see yourself as a child.. Kevin Costner stars as the coach of a seven-member team of cross-country underdogs. All Rights Reserved. Maria Marisol : [reading Jose Cardenas's paper] We fly like blackbirds through the orange groves, floating on a warm wind. We would not ask it from our loved ones, but somehow think it is okay to ask of ourselves. as part of a group of deported veterans lobbying the government to allow them to return to the U.S. Adelante Latin America Reporting Initiative. Mr. Cardenas, chin up! We were good Christian kids, and we put our abilities to good use. He sees McFarland students running all over the community, including the produce fields. The community has been real supportive of his being here, Marsh says. In a public statement, Damacio said that he regrets the decisions hes made and the lapse of judgment that led to the crimes, and that this was not the person he really was. He then transferred to Cal State University of Bakersfield (CSUB) from 1993-1995. 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. Population stats are from the United States Census Bureau. The Perezchica brothers Henry and Jose led McFarland, finishing 22nd and 37th overall . Many other shots of the town and high school were also filmed on-location. "People worked together in the town," Cardenas said. Jos Cardenas is a true inspiration. The shoe bounces off the locker, hits the player in the face, and cuts his cheek. Its good to hear from you. The emotional trip-to-the-ocean scene in the film really did happen, though not in 1987. "Life is not just one race," he said. The climb upward from despair for Coach White isnt easy. Niki Caro Writing Credits . If I had run as well as I did the previous week on the same course when we won the regional championship, the state race would not have been a nail-biter. Principal Camillo agrees, reluctantly, and Johnny is recruited as the teams first runner. Jim Price, a janitor at the high school, let me live with his family. So happy they all turned out to be heroes. The town is a known resort and a destination for tourist since it is situated on the shores of a large natural lake, the Lac du Bourget, which is a home to a few SPA resorts and excellent places to relax. McFarland, USA (also known as McFarland) is a 2015 American sports drama film directed by Niki Caro, produced by Mark Ciardi and Gordon Gray, written by Christopher Cleveland, Bettina Gilois and Grant Thompson with music composed by Antnio Pinto. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Sometimes we are overcome by adrenaline and ambition. Like many such projects, the movie was in the works for years. The 2015 film McFarland, USA tells the true story of California high school cross-country coach Jim White (Kevin Costner) and his underdog team of Latino runners who had never competed in the sport before and who, when they werent training, had to help their parents pick crops in the fields. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? The students that Jim coached have grown up to become coaches themselves. Jose Cardenas became a writer for The Los Angeles Times and is currently serving his country in the U.S. army. You inspired me Jose Cardenas!!! Jims wife Cheryl makes friends with Javis girlfriend (Martha Higareda). 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.' Whites road to reinvention comes to him almost as a vision. A few notches down from what the Whites are accustomed to, but the troublemaking Coach White, or at least hes perceived to be a troublemaker, has no other options left. They knew he truly cared about them, and the guys would work extremely hard because of the respect they had for him. Jose Cardenas has made peace with seeing his life splashed across the silver screen. Jose wrote an essay for the Los Angeles Times in March 2015 describing his experience with the McFarland team. 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. . Road map of Aix-les-Bains, Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes, France shows where the location is placed. But lets talk about that race. I think its really inspirational for people, and we did come from humble beginnings, he says. Two of us were absent when Disney spent two weeks on location and filmed the rest of my teammates going for a jog in the fields where we used to train. He hadn't lived in Mexico since he left when he was seven years old, and he spoke little Spanish. Theres make-it or break-it drama in his recruiting efforts, drama of the kind that reveals the characters of the young men and White. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our, Speak to recruitment advertising specialist, More than $15M in residential damage caused by EF-3 tornado in Virginia Beach, city officials say, Paradise Ocean Club unlikely to reopen this summer, owner says, citing slow progress on lease discussion, Former Virginia Beach sailor sentenced to 15 years for killing estranged wifes lover, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information.

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