The 8 Best Sports Movies for Kids That the Whole Family Will Love

Ever feel like kids’ lives are a little too insular today? Too much social media, not enough peer interaction? Well, team sports might be the solution…so why not take their favorite vice (i.e., screen time) and use it as an opportunity to inspire them to get out there, run around, make friends and achieve goals. Yep, sports-themed movies for kids can be a valuable motivational tool, thanks to their inspiring storylines and the positive messages they portray about healthy peer interaction, teamwork, sportsmanship and personal growth. Without further ado, here are eight sports movies for kids that the whole family will love, approved by experts and editors alike.

• Dr. Ali Shehata is a board-certified Family and Emergency physician with 25 years of clinical experience. He is also the founder of FamCinema, an inclusive family-friendly OTT streaming platform. As a father and a first-generation American, Dr. Ali was inspired to create FamCinema to promote positive portrayals of Muslims and other marginalized communities, while also providing a way for viewers to limit screen time and encourage life experiences.  He currently resides in the Las Vegas area with his family. 
• Dr. Sanam Hafeez, Psy.D, is an NYC-based neuropsychologist.  She is also the founder and director of Comprehensive Consultation Psychological Services. Hafeez received her doctorate from Hofstra University and went on to train as a neuropsychologist. Hafeez provides neuropsychological educational and developmental evaluations in her practice and also works with children and adults who suffer from PTSD, learning disabilities, autism, attention and memory problems, trauma and brain injury, abuse, childhood development and psychopathology.

Both experts note that sports-themed movies can be very helpful for kids because they often teach important life lessons and have inspiring themes. “Sports-themed movies typically portray a realistic and healthy pathway to the heroism that children dream of so often, highlighting the enjoyment that comes from physical interaction with other kids, witnessing the pride that comes from accomplishment and maybe most importantly, encouragement to drop the device and go outside,” says Dr. Ali.

Dr. Hafeez also notes that these films “show how hard work and practice can lead to success, while also emphasizing the importance of teamwork and trusting others. Many sports movies show characters facing tough challenges but not giving up, which can inspire kids to stay strong in real life. They also teach kids how to handle winning and losing with respect.” In other words, your kid doesn’t have to be a star athlete to gain a lot from watching sports-themed movies for kids.

According to Dr. Hafeez, not all sports-themed movies send the right message. “Some sports movies include a lot of violence, swearing, or adult themes that aren’t appropriate for kids, while other movies like Any Given Sunday or The Wrestler show the darker side of sports and might send confusing messages about success and pressure,” she says. As such, Dr. Hafeez recommends that parents avoid movies that focus too much on winning at any cost, as this might encourage kids to value trophies over teamwork, honesty and fun. It’s also wise to always watch the trailers and read reviews to suss out a sports-themed movie for kids before you press play.

With that in mind, here are some top picks that send the right messages, courtesy of the experts and editors who have watched them.

• Director: Stephen Herek
• Cast: Emilio Estevez, Joss Ackland, Lane Smith, Heidi Kling, Joshua Jackson
• Rating: PG
• Run Time: 1 hour 44 minutes
• Educational Value: positive messages about teamwork, personal growth and valuing fun over winning

Both Dr. Ali and Dr. Hafeez recommended The Mighty Ducks, a sport-themed movie that’s all about teamwork and second chances. The storyline focuses on an underdog hockey team and the selfish lawyer who agrees to coach them. The storyline emphasizes personal growth through teamwork, and valuable lessons are learned by all about the importance of simply having fun while playing a competitive sport. And if the experts’ endorsements weren’t enough, Editor-in-Chief Jillian Quint agrees that The Mighty Ducks is well worth a watch, saying that “this 90's hockey movie about a rag-tag team learning to improve their skills and attitude holds up—mostly because Emilio Estevez is such a charming reluctant leader.” (I second that opinion, although that may or may not be because I had a major crush on Emilio Estevez when I was a tween.)

• Director: John G. Avildsen
• Cast: Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue
• Rating: PG
• Run Time: 2 hours 1 minutes
• Educational Value: positive messages about reaching goals, practicing discipline and avoiding violence

I just rewatched the original Karate Kid with my 8 and 10-year-old children, and I have to say that it really is just such a great movie. (Dr. Ali agrees, just saying.) For starters, it’s refreshing to watch a sports-themed movie that doesn’t focus on team sports but still imparts many of the same positive messages with regard to discipline, self-improvement and, above all, engaging in a sport for the right reasons. In the movie, Mr. Miyagi—an elderly, Japanese badass played by the late Pat Morita—teaches a bullied teen the art of karate. Needless to say, the bullies don’t get the last laugh, but the most important aspect of the movie is that the true spirit of Mr. Miyagi’s martial arts philosophy prevails…and it has nothing to do with wanton violence.

• Director: John Turteltaub
• Cast: John Candy, Leon Robinson, Rawle D. Lewis, Doug E. Doug, Malik Yoba
• Rating: PG
• Run Time: 1 hour 38 minutes
• Educational Value: diverse representations and racial themes; positive messages about following dreams, teamwork and sportsmanship

Cool Runnings is a truly unique Disney movie from the early ‘90s that tells the true story of the first ever Olympic Jamaican bobsledding team and the obstacles they had to overcome just to have the opportunity to compete on the world stage. John Candy is excellent as the reluctant, disgraced coach and the Jamaican teammates are wildly entertaining as they interact with each other and acclimate (literally) to a whole new environment in order to pursue their dream. Truth be told, I am completely obsessed with this movie and my whole family is, too; we have watched it multiple times and it never gets old. It’s full of humor and the gripping storyline has the best, most inspiring ending. Also, Disney’s treatment of racial issues was so surprisingly well-done, especially for the times. Bottom line: if you want a feel-good sports movie with diverse representations and a powerful message about teamwork and triumph, then this one is for you.

• Director: Gurinder Chadha
• Cast: Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightly, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Anupam Kher
• Rating: PG-13
• Run Time: 1 hour 52 minutes
• Educational Value: diverse representations and racial themes; positive messages about having the courage to follow your heart.

Bend It Like Beckham made quite a splash when it came out in 2002 and having recently watched it with my family, I can say that it feels as fresh as ever. The movie is about a British Indian teen girl, Jess, and her determination to pursue her soccer goals, despite cultural barriers and considerable resistance from her immigrant Sikh parents—and it handles complex issues involving family, gender and racial identity with considerable skill. (Unsurprisingly, it was later nominated for Best Screenplay by The Writers Guild of America.) I also really loved that although Jess’s dream is to play soccer—a team sport, of course—her identity and her character arc remain the focal point throughout. All in all, it’s a feel-good movie that will inspire girls everywhere to get in on the sports action, too.

• Director: David Mickey Evans
• Cast: Art La Fleur, Tom Guiry, Mike Vitar, Patrick Renna
• Rating: PG
• Run Time: 1 hour 41 minutes
• Educational Value: coming-of-age themes; positive messages about friendship and teamwork

The Sandlot is about a new kid in town and the gang of tween friends he makes by joining a pick-up baseball team. There are sports themes (obviously), as well as coming-of-age themes—both of which focus on teamwork, integrity, friendship and facing fears. There’s also plenty of slapstick humor, and it’s really a light-hearted movie from start to finish. It’s also worth noting that The Sandlot was recommended by both of the experts, and Jillian Quint is a fan, too, saying, “it’s an icon for a reason—my kids absolutely love this summertime favorite about a group of boys learning about baseball and themselves. There's a little bit of ogling of girls (and one non-consensual kiss) that might require a conversation, but it's all pretty benign.” (For what it’s worth, the ogling of girls and something about the camerawork involved in that was enough to make me turn it off a couple years ago, but I’ve since considered revisiting it.)

• Director: Penny Marshall
• Cast: Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Madonna, Lori Petty, Jon Lovitz
• Rating: PG
• Run Time: 2 hours 6 minutes
• Educational Value: strong female role models, historical context, positive messages about compassion and teamwork

“There's no crying baseball! Although your kids may get weepy at the end of this pitch-perfect (sorry!) movie about the World War II era women's baseball league. Come for Madonna, stay for Tom Hanks throwing a hissy fit,” says Jillian Quint. Indeed, this movie is a timeless classic with relatable female characters, plenty of girl power vibes (duh) and a whole lot of heart. And, as Jillian noted, the all-star cast is pretty impressive and the performances are memorable. Watch it with your brood and let the conversations about dated gender stereotypes begin.

• Director: William Dear
• Cast: Danny Glover, Tony Danza, Brenda Fricker, Ben Johnson
• Rating: PG
• Run Time: 1 hour 42 minutes
• Educational Value: positive messages about family and friendship; spiritual themes

One of Dr. Ali’s picks—Angels in the Outfield is a heartwarming, little kid-friendly (Common Sense Media says ages 6 and up) movie about an 11-year-old foster kid named Roger and his total devotion to the Angels, a Major League Baseball team that’s seen better days. Determined to help the Angels come back with a win, and motivated by the hope that this outcome will reunite him with his derelict dad, Roger forms an unlikely friendship with the team’s coach and enlists the help of angels that only he can see. Overall, this is a moving story about family, friendship, spirituality and, well, sports; viewers of all ages can enjoy this tender tale, but Kleenex is encouraged.