The Rookie

The Rookie is about Jim Morris, who pitched in the minors, but after injuring his arm and having multiple surgeries, he became a science teacher and baseball coach in a Texas high school. After a bet with his team he found himself at a MLB tryout and at 35 years old he attempts a childhood dream.

Release Year: 2002
Rating: G
Length: 127m

For more information, view its pages at the Internet Movie Database and Rotten Tomatoes or purchase it from Amazon.

• Coaching: Jim Morris is a high school coach, so there are several examples of him coaching throughout the movie.
• Confidence: Jim pitches batting practice to the team, and once they start hitting off him, they have the confidence to hit any pitcher they face.
• Going for your Dream: His childhood dream was to pitch in the MLB, which is the dream he is now chasing again.
• Injury: He was drafted young, but after injuring his arm, he had to give up his pitching career and his chance at making it in the big leagues.
• Motivation: The bet between Jim and his team give the team extra motivation to win the championship, while Jim also turns to his family for motivation.

True Blue

True Blue (also known as Miracle at Oxford) is about the Oxford rowing team's rivalry with Cambridge.  After a tough loss, the team argues over how to band together to come back and win again.

Release Year: 1996
Rating: R
Length: 115m

For more information, view its pages at the Internet Movie Database and Rotten Tomatoes or purchase it from Amazon.

Invictus

Invictus is the real story about the South African rugby team who became champions in 1995, when the Rugby World Cup was held in their own country. Good history about coaching, leadership, and how sports united the whole country, which was suffering from racial and political tensions.

Release Year: 2009
Rating: PG-13
Length: 134m

For more information, view its pages at the Internet Movie Database and Rotten Tomatoes or purchase it from Amazon.

• Teamwork: In the final game, against New Zealand. The rivalry and how the South African team won by uniting together.
• Leadership: The position that the captain assumes in field and how he becomes the main worker within the team.
• Going for your Dream: The influence of Nelson Mandela in the training and conversations with the captain / players.

Wildcats

Wildcats is about a white middle-class woman who becomes the head coach of a black inner-city football team.

Release Year: 1986
Rating: R
Length: 106m

For more information, view its pages at the Internet Movie Database and Rotten Tomatoes or purchase it from Amazon.

Slap Shot

Slap Shot is about a failing hockey team that uses violence to create fan interest.

Release Year: 1977
Rating: R
Length: 123m

For more information, view its pages at the Internet Movie Database and Rotten Tomatoes or purchase it from Amazon.

Searching for Bobby Fischer

Searching for Bobby Fischer is about a young chess protégé who struggles with the pressures of competition.

Release Year: 1993
Rating: PG
Length: 109m

For more information, view its pages at the Internet Movie Database and Rotten Tomatoes or purchase it from Amazon.

Remember the Titans

Remember the Titans is the story of a coach who unites a racially diverse football team and takes them to championships.

Release Year: 2000
Length: 113m

For more information, view its pages at the Internet Movie Database and Rotten Tomatoes or purchase it from Amazon.

The Mighty Ducks

The Mighty Ducks is about a lawyer who unwillingly coaches an inner city hockey team.

Release Year: 1992
Rating: PG
Length: 100m

For more information, view its pages at the Internet Movie Database and Rotten Tomatoes or purchase it from Amazon.

You may view the trailer here.

Major League

Major League is a goofy comedy about a team of misfits who turn around their fortunes.

Release Year: 1989
Rating: R
Length: 107m

For more information, view its pages at the Internet Movie Database and Rotten Tomatoes or purchase it from Amazon.

The Longest Yard

The Longest Yard is about former popular professional quarterback Paul Crewe who is sent to prison.  He decides to create a makeshift team of inmates to face off against a team of prison guards in a game of football.

Release Years: 1974, 2005

Rating: R (1974), PG-13 (2005)

Length: 121m (1974), 113m (2005)

For more information, view its pages at the Internet Movie Database (1974 and 2005) and Rotten Tomatoes (1974 and 2005) or purchase it from Amazon.

• Aggression: Both the inmate and guard teams are extremely aggressive towards each other when playing.
• Coaching: Paul (played by Adam Sandler) coaches the inmates despite many of them not knowing much about football.
• Motivation: Paul uses a variety of tactics to motivate his team, but none is more motivating then the mean prison warden.
• Substance Abuse: A major alcohol problem at the beginning of the movie was the reason the quarterback was imprisoned.
• Teamwork: The inmates helped each other in many ways to pull off the win against the prison guards.
• Underdogs: The inmates' football team is clearly the underdog in the movie; at first they don't even believe they have a chance at winning.

Little Giants

Little Giants is about a nerdy coach who assembles a football team to play the city champions.

Release Year: 1994
Rating: PG
Length: 107m

For more information, view its pages at the Internet Movie Database and Rotten Tomatoes or purchase it from Amazon.

A League of Their Own

A League of Their Own is the story of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League from the 1940s.

Release Year: 1992
Rating: PG
Length: 128m

For more information, view its pages at the Internet Movie Database and Rotten Tomatoes or purchase it from Amazon.

Hoosiers

Hoosiers is about a basketball coach in a small town in Indiana where basketball is top priority and where the community feels they are part of the coaching staff.

Release Year: 1986
Rating: PG
Length: 114m

For more information, view its pages at the Internet Movie Database and Rotten Tomatoes or purchase it from Amazon.

• Coaching: His style of coaching was evident in the first practice when he did not use a ball. And when the players kept bothering him about using a ball he did not give in and let them know that this is his team and how he coaches. Later in the movie he played a game with only four players to make his point.
• Fans: They tried to play a part in how he coached, what he should do, who he should play and even if he should be fired. They held a town meeting to try to fire him.
• Underdogs: They were always outnumbered, too short, not quick enough, and did not seem to have some of the facilities other teams they played had. But they did have heart and dedication.
• Teamwork: The coach frequently talked about what they could accomplish if they played together and believed in each other. This was evident in the last game in the movie where he measured the court and showed that it was the same size as their home court; the size of a court never changes and if they played together as a team, anything is possible.

Eddie

Eddie is about a New York Knicks fan who thinks she can coach the team better than the current coach, and winds up with a chance to prove it.

Release Year: 1996
Rating: PG-13
Length: 100m

For more information, view its pages at the Internet Movie Database and Rotten Tomatoes or purchase it from Amazon.

Blue Chips

Blue Chips is about a basketball coach's ethical struggles to win.  Blue Chips is also Shaq's first movie.

Release Year: 1994
Rating: PG-13
Length: 108m

For more information, view its pages at the Internet Movie Database and Rotten Tomatoes or purchase it from Amazon.

The Basketball Diaries

The Basketball Diaries is the story of an athlete's downward spiral into drugs and crime.

Release Year: 1995
Rating: R
Length: 102m

For more information, view its pages at the Internet Movie Database and Rotten Tomatoes or purchase it from Amazon.

The Bad News Bears

The Bad News Bears is about a little league team of misfits and their cranky coach.

Release Years: 1976, 2005
Rating: PG (1976), PG-13 (2005)
Length: 102m (1976), 113m (2005)

For more information, view its pages at the Internet Movie Database (1976 and 2005) and Rotten Tomatoes (1976 and 2005) or purchase it from Amazon.



View the original trailer from 1976 here.

Any Given Sunday

Any Given Sunday depicts the pressures and violence of modern day American football.

Release Year: 1999
Rating: R
Length: 150m

For more information, view its pages at the Internet Movie Database and Rotten Tomatoes or purchase it from Amazon.

All the Right Moves

All the Right Moves is about a small town boy who sees a football scholarship as his ticket out of town to college.

Release Year: 1983
Rating: R
Length: 91m

For more information, view its pages on the Internet Movie Database and Rotten Tomatoes or purchase it from Amazon.