"Sometimes he wakes up and he goes crazy," Cardenas says of his son. Jose, one of their key runners, starts out too fast. June 7, 2016. As the race begins, something goes wrong right away. God Bless. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Pop. You were born in a community where that was not true, but with the blessings of a great coach and other adults topoint the way to other paths, you made that your reality. In reality, White had been coaching the cross country team for seven years (since 1980). Then computers.". Jose Cardenas became a writer for The Los Angeles Times and is currently serving his country in the U.S. army. Its a beautiful story of perseverance, teamwork and community! Pace yourself. (Erika Aguilar/KQED News) The California Report The lake also has the largest and the most beautiful natural lagoons of the country. The film opens with Jim White coaching a high school football game in Boise, Idaho. The McFarland team continued to run races in North America, Europe, and Asia. Again, thanks for your article, and thanks to Mr. Cardenas for your inspiration. 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. He returned home to take care of his mother and during that time, he began to experiment with drugs. "McFarland, USA" tells a heartwarming story about . He also coaches the McFarland Youth Track Club as an assistant to Thomas Valles, who is the head coach. The opening sequences of the film are fictional. 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. He'll talk. I thank you and your fellow team mates for a real life example for ALL the young folks. The country code given is in the ISO2 format. Besides Mr. White, other good-hearted adults looked after the towns needy youth.. McFarland didnt have low riders in 1987, as depicted in the film. You didnt like your race performance. 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. : I love that his story continues to inspire so many people. We speak the birds' language. 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. On the Scene with Mrs. Kathy King a fully discloses by the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255 Guide Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. You inspired me Jose Cardenas!!! 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. "It was over two decades ago, and there it is - on film. Omissions? We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly. Jose Cardenas always wanted to serve in the military. The actor playing me takes off too fast and begins to fade halfway through the three-mile course. Currently, he is a correctional officer at Kern Valley State Prison in Delano, California. "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. 5 Captivating Reason to See McFarland USA #McFarland, Ceo of Solartiara & Editor of Mrs. Kathy King.com. Joe Vaughn is best known for leading the Buena High, California girl's basketball team to 500 plus victories. David Diaz also went to college and is now the North Kern State Prison Supervisor of Academic Instruction. Not immigrant no more. I will look for more pieces by you, as well. No one is perfect. The scenes of the state race are the most prominent for Johnny Ortiz, the actor playing me. Jim White recalls an incident where his cross-country runners were shot breaking up a fight, and one of the boys was killed. Besides Mr. White, other good-hearted adults looked after the towns needy youth. Aix-les-Bains, Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes, France Lat Long Coordinates Info. Just across that border are great grandkids he's never met, his two daughters and a son who also served in the U.S. military in Kosovo and Iraq, he says. Cardenas says he was deported to somewhere near the U.S.-Texas border, far from his birthplace in southern Mexico town of Tecomn in the state of Colima. He remains an active and well-loved member of the McFarland community, often working with youth. However, Centennial High School was not formed until 1993. The cornerstone facts are true, but the story itself is not necessarily very accurate. They find themselves in a mostly Hispanic community, and when they go to a local Mexican restaurant, a group of young Hispanic men who sport an intimidating gangbanger look makes suggestive comments toward Jims daughter Julie. At the end of the celebration, Lupe and Javi take Julie in a traditional parade of cars down the boulevard. McFarland, USA runs an inspirational race. In real life, I consoled myself by reasoning that even though my place had not counted in the state championship, I had been the fourth man on a team that had won a dozen or so invitational races that year, some harder than the state meet. Es uno de los 3 hermanos que corre para Jim White. Aix-les-Bains, city and Alpine spa, Savoie dpartement, Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes rgion, southeastern France, southwest of Geneva. McFarland, though unique with its amazing story, wasnt the only underdog small town cross-country team in that area to do well. Also the challenges they all face in life, not to mention cross-country races against better-supported and -trained teams throughout California. He was an inspiration and a father figure to the boys, Cardenas says. 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. Also, around 500 McFarland residents (4%) are the average age for high school seniors (18-19). Its amazing how everybody is connected to it. In fact I was getting ready to post about the article Mr. Cardenas wrote during the movie about running through the groves. But like any movie based or inspired by a true story, not everything in McFarland, USA is literally true. 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. "We had no idea, with him not performing that day, if . The movie is also going global. He had always wanted to be in law enforcement eventually pursued that career, starting in the 1990s. Cardenas was a member of the California state championship cross-country team whose story is portrayed in the new movie "McFarland, USA," which was released by Disney in February. Jim doesnt want their spirits to sink too low and takes responsibility for the loss, saying it was on him. 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. As his addiction became worse in the 90s, he got in trouble with the law and served time in a penitentiary. 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. His work will appear occasionally in The Pilot and on HamptonRoads.com. It happens to all runners at least once, she says. This may be in the form of affiliate post, sponsored giveaways, sponsored post and other forms of advertising. The company also supplied soft drinks for a gift basket for the speaker, which also includes goodies from Catawba College and the Y. To learn more about how we use your information, please read our privacy policy. Fortunately, the sympathetic Principal Camillo (Valente Rodriguez) lets him keep his teaching job. Road map of Aix-les-Bains, Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes, France shows where the location is placed. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing it? Second, there was a lot of good old-fashioned hard work. Jos Cardenas is a true inspiration. When we run, we own the earth. Im a german journalist, living in Paraguay with my adopted son and two other paraguayan foster children. I took it for granted that I would go. Cardenas and his wife, Melody who has family in Rowan County attended the movies premiere, and got to meet the actor who portrayed him, as well as Costner. Your still a god as you run..any race. Where did Thomas Valles go to college? Julie and Jamie are also depicted younger than they were in 1987. In the end, he says, its a Hollywood movie. Nonetheless, the real challenges White and his team face pull the viewer along for the ride. Cardenas, a staff sergeant in the Army stationed at Fort Eustis, was part of that team from a poverty-ridden California town that "comes from behind" to win its first state title. 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 film follows their rise from obscurity in the tiny agricultural town of McFarland, California to become a legend in the sport of cross-country. After graduating high school in 1990, Johnny went to College of the Sequoias and competed as a runner from 1990-1992. The McFarland team continued to run races in North America, Europe, and Asia. While he was in the military, Cardenas applied for U.S. citizenship, but he says his application was never processed. We had the right principles and the right attitude. Victor Puentes. Es uno de los tres hermanos Diaz. You saw your mistake of setting out filled with fire and speed as failure; we thought you may have inspired your teammates to run faster, push harder than they otherwise might have. 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. John Ortiz as Jose Cardenas in "McFarland, USA." McFarland, USA John Ortiz as Jose Cardenas, Ramiro Rodriguez as Danny Diaz, Carlos Pratts as Thomas Valles, Sergio Avelar as Victor Puentes, Michael Aguero as Damacio Diaz, Kevin Costner as Jim White, Hector Duran as Johnny Sameniego and Rafael Martinez as David Diaz in "McFarland, USA." Population stats are from the United States Census Bureau. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Danny Diaz. I wish you great strength, grit and joyful moments. One of these leaders was. Many other shots of the town and high school were also filmed on-location. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Jose Cardenas became a writer for The Los Angeles Times and is currently serving his country in the U.S. army. At the qualifier, a coach slips an offer to Jim to leave McFarland for a full-time job at a large, wealthy school. It inspires me & my children. I can understand your disappointment at your personal performance and I cannot take away those feelings but I what I can share is how I felt and that was a profound sense of pride and admiration toward fellow Mexican-American. If you listen to how the runners speak about him (including current runners), you can tell he made a lasting impact on their lives. Victor Puentes, one of the brightest students on the team, went to college but then had to leave school when his mom got sick. Thanks Laura for this wonderful and insightful letter to MR JOSE CARDENAS. I havent ran another race since middle school because of it. 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). 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 . Short Poem but very powerful to all the people that have suffered coming to this great nation to give there love ones a better life. The reality is much less dramatic: he started teaching in the McFarland school district in 1964 and only middle school after graduating from Pepperdine University. "People worked together in the town," Cardenas said. Other questions:subscriberservices@theadvocate.com. . We would have crushed the team that finished second. Later, Jim shows that he genuinely cares about the students when he prevents the ambitious football teams head coach from putting an injured player, Johnny Sameniego (Hector Duran), back into the game despite Johnnys importance to the team. McFarland, USA 2015 Stars: Kevin Costner, Ramiro Rodriguez, Carlos Pratts, Johnny Ortiz Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport Rating: PG Runtime: 129 minutes Track coach Jim White (Kevin Costner) is a newcomer to a predominantly Latino high-school in California's Central Valley. "He thinks hes out there still, so someone needs to be there to kind of calm him down and stuff. Jim White retired from coaching and still lives in McFarland. Jose Cardenas Person By Stan Silverman - Guest Columnist, Philadelphia Business Journal Oct 12, 2015 Many leaders have a significant impact on the lives of others. After work each day, he routinely goes straight to cross-country practice to work with the kids on the McFarland Youth Track club. The event is set for 5:30 p.m. and tickets are $8. 1 for 4 weeks, Jack Nicholson returns courtside to cheer beloved Lakers to playoff win. Damacio Diaz. "We were competitive, but the world of cross-country running is such an insular, quiet community that the runners were more friendly.". An hour of discussions and plans and ideas followed and they all said: you gave it a try, you had so much heart and wanted to give victory to your team mates. It was a dismal day for me at Woodward Park, Nov. 28, 1987. We are real close. No stupid Mexicans. Jose Cardenas: Rafael Martinez . Movies. "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 If you read some of the stories, some of them are pretty crazy. But by going out so fast, I had endangered our dream. Jose Cardenas, left, and actor Johnny Ortiz attend the premiere of Disneys McFarland, USA at the El Capitan Theatre on Feb. 9, 2015, in Hollywood, California. You are a father. However, his come-from-behind clutch running performance in the 1987 championship that secured the title for McFarland really did happen. Give others a chance to shine. In a dramatic instance of culture shock, White, his wife, Cheryl (Maria Bello in a one-dimensional role as supportive spouse and mother), their disapproving teen daughter, Julie (Morgan Saylor), and the familys youngest child, little sister Jamie (Elsie Fisher), move from a predominantly white, middle-class neighborhood to a poor Mexican-American community. They got that right. In June 2016 he plead guilty and his sentencing will occur in September 2016. But Cardenas isn't just sitting around and hoping. 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. The McFarland team continued to run races in North America, Europe, and Asia. Your contribution is so appreciated. We are all human, which is to say we are all flawed, and to expect perfection is to expect the impossible. Jose Cardenas has made peace with seeing his life splashed across the silver screen. After Jim meets Principal Camillo (Valente Rodriguez) on his first day of work, he begins his new job as a life science/PE teacher and assistant football coach. The emotional trip-to-the-ocean scene in the film really did happen, though not in 1987. He was drafted and served in the Army's 82nd Airborne division between 1970 and 1972. McFarland was a more balanced community of Latino and white residents then. He took my place, and McFarland miraculously still won. Sponsored . Short captions for each of them at the end of the movie say they became college graduates, teachers, cops and mentors to kids in town. Jim is so distraught by this incident that he begins to seriously consider leaving McFarland and accept the job offer at the wealthy school. Join Facebook to connect with Jose Cardenas and others you may know. In truth, David Diaz had graduated the year before the team won the state championship. The all-Latino cross-country Cougar teammates at McFarland High School, residents of Californias farm-heavy Central Valley, arent the storys only underdogs. In a piece written for the LA Times, runner Jose Cardenas said this about the final race: In the movie and reality McFarland did barely win state when our usual sixth man, Danny Diaz, whose place in races had not counted all season, moved up to fifth, the last runner whose place counts. Whites road to reinvention comes to him almost as a vision. . I agree, Griselda, he is an inspiration to people all over the world. That final championship race. Sports can be a great teacher, in the losses as much as the wins. That was my normal, and that was good.". The father agrees. 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. Sports. Marsh says she also appreciated the scene where Cardenas took off too fast in a race and hit the wall. The Perezchica brothers Henry and Jose led McFarland, finishing 22nd and 37th overall . It was not predominately Hispanic as depicted in the film. 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.' So happy they all turned out to be heroes. The team and his family learn about this new job possibility and become upset. The actual trip, which included stops at Morro Bay and Cayucos after an Atascadero race, was even more moving than what we see in the film because it included the girls team. Jim White and his wife Cheryl have three daughters. He had been in a bad way since his oldest son was killed in a gang shooting. Thomas Valles . As everyone is celebrating and hugging, Jim goes to the Palo Alto coaches who had offered him the job and turns it down with one word: McFarland., Clearly Coach White is a big reason why they had so much success. We speak the birds' language. Appreciate your different philosophical way to look at things. David Diaz: Hector Duran . Team God bless you , I really enjoyed your article Mrs. Laura Diamond, and I am watching McFarland as I write. The mantra at our house has all ways been that good luck and opportunity comes through HARD WORK. Its a chance to pause, slow down, get our bearings before we get up and go again at a kinder pace. Jose, you are a success & a hero. 2. STANDS4 LLC, 2023. 4. You saw the film as being about your disappointment. As far as Cardenas is concerned, it is a day that will live in infamy, even though the team won, and it's a great finish for a movie. 6. 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. They call us pochos sometimes.". Every word was right on. He transferred to Humboldt State University, in Arcata, Calif., and earned a journalism degree. And by that measure, maybe I can let go for good the sour memory of the state race. His battles with the church arent over, 17 SoCal hiking trails that are blooming with wildflowers (but probably not for long! Jose Cardenas, 67, stands at U.S.-Mexico border fence in Tijuana that has been painted with the names of deported U.S. veterans. They were a family. I loved the boys and their families. Jose Cardenas. -BakersfieldCalifornian.com Did Coach White really help the kids work in the fields? Since his retirement, he has also traveled the country as a motivational speaker and to help promote the movie. By the way, these are me and my kids two sonsfrom the burbs and a foster daughter from Guatemala the ones you are helping me to teach that anything is possible if they work hard enough.
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