Sometimes all you want to do is curl up with a warm blanket, a tasty snack, and a hot beverage while watching a good movie on TV. There are few comforts as relaxing as cuddling up and getting immersed in a well-made film. For those of us who love sports, an inspirational team sports movie is the pinnacle of this near universal experience. There’s just something about an underdog story and a team pulling together that can be really motivating. Instead of fueling a weekslong Netflix binge, you’ll find yourself wanting to take charge and put in the work to achieve whatever goals you have in life.
Still, not every movie is a winner; there’s a lot of real bummers out there (especially at the rate streaming services pump them out). The last thing you want from a team sports film is to leave you feeling deflated – or worse, falling asleep. We’ve have the last couple of Superbowl games for that. Unfortunately, we’ve all experienced scrolling for half an hour only to end up picking a dud. That’s what we’re here for. Here are the top 5 best team sports movies to make you feel inspired when you need a motivational flick to help pick up your mood.
5) Friday Night Lights (2004)
Friday Night Lights is one of the most critically acclaimed sports films of all time. The story, directed by Peter Berg, follows the true tale of the Permian High School Panthers football team as they made a historic run at the Texas state football championship. Under the leadership of American football coach Gary Gaines, the team overcame a number of struggles in order capture the hearts of anyone who loves football or high school sports.
Based on the book Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream by H.G. Bissinger, the film won an ESPY award and served as the inspiration for the 2006 television series of the same name. It gives you everything you could every want from a team sports movie. Insane blowouts, incredible comebacks, and athletes that overcome difficult personal issues to become superstars. It has set the standard for teen high school sports films. Definitely worth watching, especially if you are or have a high school athlete!
4) Glory Road (2006)
The segregation of sports is one of the darkest eras of sports history in the U.S. With the NBA currently dominated by players
of African decent, it’s hard to imagine a time when black players were not even allowed on the same court as white ones. Still, it really wasn’t all that long ago. In fact, racial sports segregation still existed in modern memory. Glory Road follows the story of the 1966 Texas Western College basketball team as they became the first NCAA team to compete with an all-black starting lineup.
The film explores themes of racism, discrimination, and the struggles of student athletes. Despite these dilemmas, the team was able to go on to win the 1966 NCAA Basketball Championship under the leadership of legendary college basketball coach Don Haskins. It’s truly a tale of overcoming adversity despite the odds. If you feel like your struggles are insurmountable and need some inspiration, this might be the best team sports movie for you.
3) Rudy (1993)
If there is one team sports movie that probably served as the launching pad for the entire genre, it would have to be Rudy. Not 
only is it one of the most inspiring sports films of all time, it is one of the most inspiring films of all time period, ranked at #54 by the American Film Institute. It follows the true-life account of Notre Dame college football player Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger. Rudy had always dreamed of playing football at Notre Dame but lacked the stature, grades, or financial ability to attend the university. Despite these shortcomings, Rudy had a dream.
Through sheer grit and undeniable charm, Rudy was able to get into Notre Dame despite a significant learning disability. From there, he eventually made his way onto the football field as a walk-on athlete. Watching Rudy hurdle over obstacle after obstacle and win over everyone in his path truly warms the heart and makes you want to root for him. A true hallmark any of the best team sports movies. The final scene of the whole football team carrying Rudy off the field on their shoulders is not only one of the most memorable shots in movie history, but true to life. To this day no other Notre Dame player has been carried off in that fashion. A true sports icon.
2) Miracle (2004)
The early 2000’s really served up a string of some of the best sports movies of all time that helped cement some of these
incredible stories into the minds of generations. Few of them are as inspiring as the underdog story that made up the ‘Miracle on Ice’ by the US men’s Olympic Hockey team in 1980. Facing an absolutely dominate Soviet national hockey team, all the odds were stacked against the plucky Americans. Under the leadership of former player and coach Herb Brooks, the young team was able to overcome a deficit early in the game and take the gold in one of the most spectacular hockey games in Winter Olympic history. It is truly one of the greatest Olympic matches ever.
In the words of Herb Brooks himself: “great moments are born from great opportunity”. Inspirational quotes like these are what make Miracle one of the best team sports movies of all time. You can read the full text of the miracle hockey speech by Herb Brooks here and be sure to check out these other incredible winter sports films as well.
1) Remember the Titans (2000)
In my opinion, Remember the Titans might the absolute best team sports movie of all time. A bold claim, but not necessarily a surprising one – there’s a reason many now consider it to be the greatest football film ever. The film grossed $136.8 million dollars on just a $30 million dollar budget due to its intriguing storyline, eye-popping cinematography, and riveting performances from actors like Denzel Washington playing head coach Herman Boone. It also featured one of the best soundtracks ever in a sports film with performances from recording artists like Marvin Gaye, Cat Stevens, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Bob
Dylan.
The movie follows a fictionalized account of the true story of coach Herman Boone’s attempt to integrate the football team at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia. Coach Boone not only helped integrate the team, but helped heal the divide caused by racial divisions. He made a white and black player (Gerry Bertier and Julius Campbell) co-captains, and was able to help convince white hall-of-fame coach Bill Yoast to serve as his assistant head coach. Both moves helped bridge the gaps between the two communities. Boone and the team faced significant pushback both from within the team as well as from the broader community including a death threat made against Boone and his family.
Despite this and other tragedies throughout the season, the team persevered. Eventually, they went on to win the state championship after an undefeated season. The movie was also extremely progressive for its time beyond its rebuking of racism by portraying a kiss between two football players of the same sex, defensive captain Gerry Bertier and quarterback Ronnie “Sunshine” Bass. Remember the Titans will has not only gone down in history as one of the best team sports films of all time but also the top football film and probably of the greatest sports movies in general.
Check out these other articles you may enjoy here on Wild Child Sports:
- Eddie “the Eagle” Edwards: The Most Unlikely Winter Olympic Legend
- 21 of the Best Motivational Quotes Ever
- Which US Presidents Were the Most Athletic?
- Some of Olympic Snowboarder Eileen Gu’s Best Quotes
