When we run, we are the gods. Quotes.net. Coach White took care of the young runners - sometimes getting them shoes or letting people stay with his family, as did the community. Eventually sophomore Danny Diaz crossed in 91st (68th) to close out the scoring. 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. Open Letter to Jose Cardenas, One of "McFarland, USA"'s Real Life If you read some of the stories, some of them are pretty crazy. We are portrayed as the underdogs, but thats not necessarily the way you see yourself as a child.. For now, Cardenas says there is one other way deported veterans like him can eventually get back to the United States. It was the 1987 California high school state cross-country championships. Maria Marisol : [reading Jose Cardenas's paper] We fly like blackbirds through the orange groves, floating on a warm wind. Besides Mr. White, other good-hearted adults looked after the towns needy youth. Jose Cardenas always wanted to serve in the military. Their first night in McFarland is difficult. 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. 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. The McFarland team continued to run races in North America, Europe, and Asia. But by going out so fast, I had endangered our dream. 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. A summer and winter resort with a beach on Bourget Lake (Frances largest lake) and an aerial cableway up fir-covered Mount Revard (5,125 feet [1,562 metres]), it is a fashionable Alpine spa maintaining the sedate luxury of the Victorian era. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. I saw you as one who was so excited to make that difference that pace was unbalanced and it happens. Cardenas is now a staff sergeant with the U.S. Army, stationed at Fort Eustis, Va. A Y member has a sister who works with Cardenas wife, thus the invitation to come to Salisbury. I wish I could say I never fell short of working hard; I often do. Road map of Aix-les-Bains, Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes, France shows where the location is placed. In fact quite the opposite it was an inspiring, a wonderful example of perseverance and what it means to work as a team. The community has been real supportive of his being here, Marsh says. The school is notable for its succession of twenty-four CIF Central Section championships in cross country between 1987 and 2013. 1987 was a tragic year in many ways for McFarland, which made the teams cross-country title even more meaningful for a community struck by grief. 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. 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. 79 were here. You have permission to edit this article. We watched the movie together and they loved it. JamesEdition can help you find the home that match all the preferences for your dream home. In reality, their opponents were more friendly and respectful. We were good Christian kids, and we put our abilities to good use. His alumni now coach the cross-country programs for the elementary, junior high, high school, as well as McFarlands Parks and Rec teams. Mr. Cardenas, chin up! Please note: On the Scene with Mrs. Kathy King receives compensation of one or more of the products and banners that you will see on this post and or site. Your still a god as you run..any race. Jim begs the father to change his mind and even spends a day working in the fields helping them to convince the father to let the brothers stay on the team. First:; I want to say that I loved the poem Jose wrote. You deserve the accolades and life you have been given due to your hard work! Every word was right on. STANDS4 LLC, 2023. 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. . Sports can be a great teacher, in the losses as much as the wins. Meanwhile, the White family builds a bond with the McFarland community. After high school, Cardenas went to a junior college "half-an-hour up Highway 99 and continued running, but on paper. "They have to add up the average.". It is also true that most of the runners had never seen the ocean before. Jim White and his wife Cheryl have three daughters. I used to run in races when I was around the age of twelve, and much like Mr. Cardenas did duringg the state championships, I pushed too hard at the start and didnt last. He was an inspiration and a father figure to the boys, Cardenas says. Facebook gives people the power to. In California, Cardenas notes, the movie is a lot bigger deal. His former team members are making the rounds, speaking at schools and churches. Despite the setback, the boys stick with Jim and continue training. It inspires me & my children. I saw the film as being about your tenacity, determination, loyalty, perseverance, athleticism, and strength. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. 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 album has been published and can. and it was also nice of Mr Cardenas to reply your letter this only shows how honorable man he is. Its amazing how everybody is connected to it. I think its a pretty darn big deal.. Besides the tragic death of the two girls on the cross-country team, there were many other tragedies in the same year: on Valentines Day, a car crash claimed the lives of six teenagers, four of whom were from McFarland. The latitude of Aix-les-Bains, Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes, France is 45.688499 , and the longitude is 5.915300 . He remains an active and well-loved member of the McFarland community, often working with youth. You were and are a team player. 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 weren't training, had to help their parents pick crops in the fields. Jim sees this and knows that Jose has put too much into the start of the race and will likely fall back at the end. Try to see differently. 30,291. 1 May 2023. Disgraced cop of 'McFarland USA' fame gets five years in prison And that hurts me because I cant do that.". Perhaps that is why stories like Mr. Cardenas and his teammates resonates so strongly, as reminders that what may seem impossible isnt. The event is set for 5:30 p.m. and tickets are $8. We were a poor community, but we were not underdogs in the athletic sense.. Jim White retired from coaching and still lives in . Running 8-12 miles a day, and going to school, AND working in the fields as much as time allowed. (LogOut/ McFarland was a more balanced community of Latino and white residents then. Goes Out newsletter, with the week's best events, to help you explore and experience our city. Ester Marsh, the Ys fitness director and active with the Ys Warriors track team, is thrilled about Cardenas appearance. The school is located in a poor Latino community. The town and running are synonymous. The shoe bounces off the locker, hits the player in the face, and cuts his cheek. The success of the team is documented in the 2015 Walt Disney Pictures film McFarland, USA starring Kevin Costner as James White, a . 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. Finally, it eventually became something the whole town was involved in. Pace yourself. In response to his essay, Laura Nicole Diamond wrote an open letter to Jose to encourage him and let him know how an inspiring example he was to people. He also did find Thomas Valles on a freeway overpass and help him deal with his family problems. 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. 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' 55.0800'' E. Coordinates of Aix-les-Bains, Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes, France is given above in both decimal degrees and Football coach White, after being too tough on his team at a previous high school in a far more prosperous place than McFarland, accepts a teaching position and assistant coaching job at McFarland High School. The home theyve bought is old and run-down, and the family experiences culture shock. It moves me everytime I watch the movie and I WATCH IT OFTEN WHEN I NEED TO FEEL GOOD. He had been in a bad way since his oldest son was killed in a gang shooting. 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. 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. McFarland, USA - The 1987 McFarland Cross Country Team He transferred to Humboldt State University, in Arcata, Calif., and earned a journalism degree. Jose Cardenas. 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. 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 running scenes in the orchards were filmed on-location in McFarland, in the same place where the real team trained. 5, was not in the picture. When we run, our spirits fly. All season we had dreamed of winning Californias first high school cross-country state championship. Danny Diaz. So Ill stop there, but I will say this, because of my parents always pushing me I have an AMAZING life!! Johnny helps to recruit other students: Victor, the three Diaz brothers, Jose Cardenas (Johnny Ortiz), and Thomas Valles (Carlos Pratts). He'll talk. To this day, I dont know why I went out uncharacteristically fast. He served four years in the Coast Guard and did maritime law enforcement. It gives me great pleasure to hear from you, and that you found something you needed in my letter to Jose Cardenas. "Actually, lettuce didn't grow there, but that's a minor thing. The film only depicts two. 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. He sees McFarland students running all over the community, including the produce fields. Like his new students in McFarland, hes beaten down, carries a chip on his shoulder, is pessimistic about the future. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Pop. I enjoyed your essay as well. Jose has done speaking engagements as well since the movies release. White wonders if he made a mistake. The runners begin their training with doubt about their white coach, whom they nickname Blanco. Some of the runners who were on the 1987 team were not depicted in the movie. DMS (degrees, minutes and seconds) format. Gang problems, as depicted in the film, were a real issue in McFarland. 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. In 1999, police caught him driving a meth dealer around, and he was convicted of drug conspiracy. The students that Jim coached have grown up to become coaches themselves. Even that teaches everyone who sees your story to see these truths: 1. We push too hard and flame out. Los personajes de McFarland sin limites Flashcards | Quizlet I was proud to get to play him.. Jose wrote an essay for the Los Angeles Times in March 2015 describing his experience with the McFarland team. I began to lose track of my teammates and my town. Population stats are from the United States Census Bureau. Disney Pictures can thank me, I guess, for creating some true drama. Contribute to this page Suggest an edit or add missing content Top Gap He still follows local cross-country avidly and despite the artistic license of the film, he enjoyed the movie greatly. View the profiles of people named Jose Cardenas. In the rest of the movie, he takes a back seat to the actors portraying the runners who performed better at the race. Their oldest daughter, Tami, is not depicted in the film. Not immigrant no more. But Cardenas isn't just sitting around and hoping. 'McFarland USA' runner to speak in Salisbury on Saturday It happens to all runners at least once, she says. Have a team. Its been an emotional roller coaster, but they put together a very good movie for a general audience, Cardenas says. The students spend long hours with their parents picking cotton, sugar beets, almonds, citrus and grapes in the areas vast produce fields. Hes looking forward to answering questions about the movie tomorrow evening, and to talk about whats accurate and whats not. Johnny Ortiz, an actor who held roles in the Kevin Costner-led film "McFarland USA," and "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie," has been charged with attempted murder, Fox News has confirmed. We are real close. Costner gives Whites lessons learned late genuine weight. He took my place, and McFarland miraculously still won. The state championship aside, McFarland, USA suggests my teammates became winners in life. 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. 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. The mother of the three Diaz boys really did forbid them to run cross-country at one point. I google searched Jose Cardenas after watching McFarland, USA out of curiosity, because as you may see, my last name is also Cardenas. 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. Danny Diaz (Ramiro Rodriguez), Coach Jim White (Kevin Costner), Jose Cardenas (Johnny Ortiz), Thomas Valles (Carlos Pratts) and David Diaz . Jims wife Cheryl makes friends with Javis girlfriend (Martha Higareda). 3. They call us pochos sometimes.". He now works as a physical education teacher at McFarland Middle School. Here are our top 10 picks, Super Mario Bros. Movie hits $1 billion, is No. 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. You didnt like your race performance. Their coach, Jim White, a non-Latino newcomer to the McFarland community, is, in the eyes of many, a loser, too. The state championships arrive, and the entire town of McFarland comes to support the team. One of these leaders was. "People worked together in the town," Cardenas said. "We were competitive, but the world of cross-country running is such an insular, quiet community that the runners were more friendly.". The family quickly goes home. Aix-les-Bains, Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes, France Lat Long Coordinates Info. During his first PE class that day, Jim meets the Diaz brothers: Danny, Damacio, and David (Ramiro Rodriguez, Michael Aguero, and Rafael Martinez). I hope you continue writing even as you pursue your career in the Army. Veteran actor Costner, much like his performance in the recent Black or White, plays another character who must adjust to changing circumstances, reinvent himself to survive. "It worries me because you never know whats going to happen, and you cant do nothing here," he says. View JOSSUE CARRILLO CARDENAS' professional profile on LinkedIn. And Cardenas still runs, but not competitively. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. "The life out there and the life in here is totally different," he says of living in Mexico. For years, McFarland had a strong running tradition, he says. Photographs taken from the album of Sylvia Diaz (one of the girls who died in 1986) are some of the last pictures that those two girls took with their teammates. Es uno de los 3 hermanos que corre para Jim White. 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. Since his retirement, he has also traveled the country as a motivational speaker and to help promote the movie. Johnny Ortiz, 'McFarland USA' actor, charged with attempted murder His journey from McFarland was pushed by his love for writing. 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. By this point, the team and the sport have become the great pride and joy of the community. 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. (9%) are the normal age for attending high school (15-19). Its a beautiful story of perseverance, teamwork and community! They got that right. Lupe has Javi fix Cheryls car after it breaks down and gives Cheryl a free manicure in her salon while she waits. He also coaches the McFarland Youth Track Club as an assistant to Thomas Valles, who is the head coach. Learn how your comment data is processed. When we run, we own the earth. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. And Rita Peebles, a cook in the cafeteria, slipped five bucks into my pocket before every away meet so I wouldnt go hungry when the bus stopped at McDonalds. Jose Cardenas - Fixed Asset Accountant & Receiving - LinkedIn 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. 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. Jim works overtime to train them harder, but he begins to experience more challenges: his home life is strained when he forgets his daughters birthday cake and misses her celebration, and later he finds the depressed Thomas on a bridge about to jump off. Thomas Valles attended and ran for the College of the Sequoias after he graduated from high school. Again, thanks for your article, and thanks to Mr. Cardenas for your inspiration. Like yours. Today, in his 40s, Cardenas lives in Chesapeake with his wife, Melody. Joe Vaughn is best known for leading the Buena High, California girl's basketball team to 500 plus victories. Im sure there is some embellishing going on in the movie, but it truly is an amazing story.. 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. 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. I lived in a dilapidated one-bedroom house across the street from my church with a couple older brothers who worked in the fields.
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