Top 11 Best Sports Movies for Kids

Yes, we couldn’t decide on 10 so we made a Top 11 Best Sports Movies for Kids. This is our top 11 best sports movies for kids from your friends at iSport360. We started from a list of 40 movies that from the organization, I Love to Watch You Play and narrowed down the list based on movies we would want to show our own youth sports kids to get them excited for their next game or tournament. 

What do we love about these movies:

• Send a great message of working hard and staying positive.
• Pull on our heart strings, especially the movies about the underdog.
• Include kids or send a great message about kids.

Need some inspiring sports movies, click here.

THE SANDLOT (1993) PG:

Considered by many as the greatest kids movie ever. A classic film the whole family will like about a young boy’s challenge and adventures who moves into a new neighborhood and is trying to fit in by playing baseball with the other kids. Lots of laughs and life lessons about determination, drive, and friendship. *Note, here are some curse words.

HOOSIERS (1986) PG:

Many call this the best sports movie ever made.  Must watch film about an underdog coach and a team that defies the odds and go to the Indiana State finals. Starring Gene Hackman, Barbara Hershey, and Dennis Hopper.

RUDY (1993) PG:

Legendary movie. Undersized, Rudy overcomes the odds to play football for Notre Dame. This movie is timeless, a family favorite, and a fun way to see Notre Dame Stadium.

MIRACLE (2004) PG:

This movie is a good history lesson on one the greatest moments in sports history, “the miracle on ice.” The true story of the 1980 Winter Olympics when the United States beat the Soviet Union in Hockey. Stars Kurt Russell.

A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN (1992) PG:

Geena Davis, Tom Hanks, and Rosie O’Donnell star in this Dramedy about an all-female baseball league formed during World War II.

REMEMBER THE TITANS (2000) PG:

This Disney classic stars Denzel Washington, a football coach of a football team during the forced desegregation of a Virginia high school in the early 1970s.

ROCKY (1976) PG:

Sylvester Stallone stars in one of the best-known sports films of all time about a small-time boxer from working-class Philadelphia. Rocky Balboa is chosen to take on the reigning world heavyweight champion.

BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM (2002) PG-13:

A coming of life story about an Indian Girl playing soccer in England even though her family disapproves.

42 (2013) PG-13:

The story of sports icon Jackie Robinson who broke baseball’s color barriers as the first African American to play professional baseball. An inspirational story that all American’s should know.  One note, the N-word is used throughout the film to authentically represent how Robinson was spoken to. It was an opportunity to discuss the history of the word and what it represents today with my children.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (2004) PG-13:

The story of a football-obsessed small town in Texas.  Struggles, challenges, and life lessons unfold through a story about football.  The film handles subjects like alcoholism, accepting your parents, dealing with failure, and taking charge of your own destiny.

THE BLIND SIDE (2009) PG-13:

Semi-biographical film about NFL Player Michael Oher and his impoverished upbringing and adoption. Sandra Bullock won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of the woman who took Oher in and helped him become a first-round draft pick in the NFL. A feel-good movie. 

Special thanks to I Love to Watch You Play and their list of the 40 best sports movies for kids. They had a great start and we loved getting our list of 11 from them. For more information about I Love to Watch You Play, check them out at https://ilovetowatchyouplay.com/. For more information about iSport360 and how we help kids, check us out here.