Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/602151
then you go to school, and then you practice running. Nobody can do what you do. We can win this." Some parents objected to their children being on the team, fearing it would reduce time working to support the family. White visited their homes, asked them to recon- sider, and discussed the importance of education and how sports can lead to scholarships. Eventually parents became huge supporters of the team. Diaz's mother sold 200 dozen tamales to raise money for competitions, and White personally delivered the orders. "I ate a few of them along the way," he smiles. White arranged team practices around students' work schedules, sometimes holding two practices a day. ere were times when White picked crops in the fields along- side students, so he could better understand them and they could finish in time for practice. In one poignant scene in the film, White asks stu- dents how much they are paid an hour. When he is informed they are paid not by the hour but per field, his jaw drops in surprise, as he looks out at the seemingly endless rows of crops fading into the horizon. White recalls now what a revelation that was. Because McFarland is f lat, students ran uphill on giant mounds of almond husks to get in top condition. ey ran in intense heat while White rode alongside on his daughter's bicy- cle, urging them on. There were personal challenges, too. One night, runner omas Valles' parents got into a huge fight, and he ran out of the house and found himself on the overpass looking down on Highway 99. "I didn't want to go home," he told the Los Angeles Times in a 1997 story. "I can't say I was going to jump, but I was thinking about my life and why some people would jump. All of a sudden I saw these headlights, and it was Mr. White in his '59 Chevy. "I don't know how he found out I was there. … I remember he said, 'Come here, Thomas, let's talk.' I got in and I realized at that point that the Whites were the ones who were going to get me through this." It wasn't easy, but eventually the McFar- land students pulled together as a team, demonstrating emotional and physical endurance that the "rich kids" from competing schools just couldn't match. Much to the surprise of coaches from around the state and even Sports Illus- trated, the cross-country team became state champs in 1987, and went on to win eight more state championships over the next 14 years. e team moved into adulthood and faded from the public eye. But when the Disney movie was released, team members and Coach White were surprised to find themselves modern-day heroes once again. Going the extra mile It's all about attitude, White told his runners repeatedly. He explained that someone might not be able to control the circum- stances in their life, but they can always control their attitude and how they deal with things. The water tank at the entrance to McFarland depicts the runners and lists the champs' names. From le: Thomas Valles, Victor Puentes, Damacio Diaz, Johnny Samaniego, Jose Cardenas, Danny Diaz, Coach Jim White; not pictured: Luis Partida. 30 cta.org F E A T U R E