We love a good sports movie. Here’s a list of some of our favorites. Remember, all our lists only include movies that are rated G or PG.
Many of these movies talk about race issues in our country and world. Make sure you take time to discuss these issues with your family after you watch these movies. It’s a good springboard to promote understanding, kindness, and cooperation in a world that sorely needs these lessons.
Remember the Titans is one of the best sports movies of all time. We get to be a part of one of the first integrated football teams in Virginia. It is powerfully written and an excellent starting place for a discussion of race issues in our country.
The Perfect Game is the incredible true story of a Mexican little league baseball team who overcomes hardships and prejudice to compete in the 1957 Little League World Series. This really is a perfect family movie… great story, full of humor, and very inspiring.
Cool Runnings is just plain fun. It’s a Jamaican bobsled team! We love the humor, the determination, and the community support from the fans back home. It’s a great underdog story that will make you smile.
The Sandlot is about a new kid in town who makes friends with a group of rag-tag kids who play baseball at the sandlot. Together they go on lots of adventures, including solving the mystery of the monster behind the fence.
Miracle is an amazing story of an underdog US Olympic hockey team. It’s a little too rough for younger kids, but our teenagers really like it. Mom thinks the coach is too hard on the players, but our older kids overruled her opinion. They think it’s one of the greatest sports movies ever.
A League of Their Own is about the All-American Girls Baseball League in the 1940’s when the male players were fighting in WWII. It’s a story of amazing women who blazed the trail for female athletes for generations to come. You’ll fall in love with these amazing, spunky athletes.
Macfarlane USA is another great underdog story. It’s about an impoverished Latino high school cross-country team who overcomes the odds to become state champions with the help of a coach, amazing family support, and determination. It’s a fabulous story!
Basketball is a big part of our family. Glory Road is an important movie because it allows us to see the awful attitudes and behaviors in our nation toward athletes of color. It’s uncomfortable to watch, but still full of hope and celebration. This one may be scary for little kids. We’d recommend it for kids 10+, followed by a good discussion of race issues in America.
Safety is a true story about what it means to be a family. You can find it on Disney+. It’s about a college football player who has to take care of his 12-year-old brother while his mother is in drug rehabilitation. The whole college community steps up to help.
Angels in the Outfield is an old classic baseball movie with silly comedy and big heart. It’s a fun one for every age.
Is chess a sport? Probably not, but it’s definitely filled with intense competition. We’ve spent hundreds of hours at chess tournaments, so trust us on this. Searching for Bobby Fisher is a great story of a young chess prodigy and his family. Check it out!
If chess makes the sports movie list then spelling bees should count too. Akeelah and the Bee is a wonderful tale of perseverance and competition. It’s the story of a little girl who works her tail off to make it to the National Spelling Bee (which is aired on ESPN, so it must be a sport.) It’s one of our very favorites!
And, we have to include Hoosiers because it’s one of the greatest basketball movies of all time. The story of a tiny school basketball team making it to the big time has never been better than this!