Kid Reporters Pick Their Favorite Sports Movies

On Sunday night, Hollywood will celebrate the best movies of 2014 at the annual Academy Awards. And while there aren't any sports movies nominated for Best Picture, that doesn't mean we can't celebrate great films set in the sports world. So we asked our 15 Kid Reporters to weigh in and share their all-time favorite sports movies. They pulled together a nice selection, even if there's a noticeable absence of The Mighty Ducks……

Check out their picks below, and watch a clip or a trailer from each film!




Field of Dreams

Without a doubt, the greatest sports film I have ever seen is Field of Dreams. The movie, nominated for Best Picture in 1989, revolves around Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) and how he is inspired by visions and voices to build a baseball field in his cornfield. When he does, the Chicago Black Sox, including Shoeless Joe Jackson, emerge from the field and play baseball. Field of Dreams is less about baseball than it is about a father and son and their shared love of the sport — something most fathers and son can relate to. The movie combines baseball history and fantasy to create a sentimental story of how one man followed his dreams no matter what people thought of him. It is my favorite, and perhaps the greatest, sports movie of all time. — Patrick Andres






The Jackie Robinson Story and 42

My favorite sports movies are The Jackie Robinson Story and 42. I love them since I love history, and these movies are both related to history and sports. The Jackie Robinson Story is interesting because between seasons with the Dodgers, Jackie Robinson played himself! He did an amazing job! I like 42 because it tells more of Robinson’s story. Chadwick Boseman played Jackie Robinson, and he really brought the character to life. I would definitely recommend these movies to people who like history, sports, and especially Jackie Robinson. — Riley Neubauer




Little Big League

My favorite sports movie has to be Little Big League. My dream is to become the general manager of a professional baseball team, and in Little Big League, 12-year-old Billy Haywood takes over as owner (and then coach) of the Minnesota Twins after his grandfather passes away. I love how it shows the life of a kid in pro baseball. Little Big League is a very fun movie, but it also shows the real-life situations you must deal with in baseball, like managing free time or, in Billy's case, releasing your favorite player. Maybe, one day, I’ll be like Billy Haywood. — Brian Yancelson




A League of Their Own

My favorite sports movie of all time is A League of Their Own, starring Geena Davis, Rosie O’Donnell, Madonna, and Tom Hanks. There are so many reasons why I love this movie. Based on a true story, the movie is set in the 1940s during World War II, and while the men are off fighting the war many women are recruited to play in the All American Girls Baseball League. As a girl who loves to play sports, I could identify with the ladies who were portrayed. The movie is also humorous and educational, and it symbolizes the journey toward women’s rights and its importance to history. — Aaliyah Kellogg




Moneyball

I am a big fan of the movie Moneyball starring Brad Pitt. A true story and based on the book by Michael Lewis, Moneyball follows Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane during the 2002 season and his efforts to stay competitive after losing numerous star players the year before. One of my dream jobs is to be an MLB general manager, and seeing Beane’s process of evaluating and acquiring players was very interesting. I especially enjoyed imagining I was in Beane’s shoes, making my own decisions on which players to sign and which to pass on. I also found the movie fairly informative on the processes of the front office of a baseball team. Overall, an intriguing, dare I say a “home run,” of a movie. — Evan Bergen-Epstein




The Sandlot

The Sandlot is a baseball movie, but it is not about winning and losing. Scotty Smalls is new in town, and he’s trying to fit in. Lucky for him, the leader of the pack, Benny Rodriguez, shows kindness and invites him to play baseball with the other neighborhood kids. They play in the dirt using the one and only ball they have. Over the summer, Smalls picks up more than how to throw a baseball. He learns about-facing his fears, overcoming obstacles, going the distance to accomplish something, and the joy and meaning of friendship. When Smalls finds himself in a jam, his buddies rally to help him. The Sandlot makes me think of my own friends and playing outside all day, going on adventures, making mistakes, and helping out each other. The movie is fun and funny, and nothing beats Squints’ telling of the legend of “The Beast!”  — Maxwell Surprenant

My favorite sports movie is The Sandlot. This movie is about a bunch of kids that, in a nutshell, play baseball on a sandlot. They face a major problem when Smalls,  the new kid on the block, borrows a ball from his dad. This wasn’t a problem until they hit over a fence guarded by a giant dog. Even that wasn’t a big deal until the kids realize that the ball is signed by Babe Ruth, one of the best baseball players of all time. This movie is a lesson in determination wrapped up in pure comedy. In my opinion, this is the best baseball movie of all time. — JJ Post




Remember the Titans

My favorite sports film is Remember the Titans, an uplifting story based on real events about a racially integrated high school football team who overcame prejudice to become league champions. Its messages about race, prejudice, and inequality deeply resonated with me when I watched the movie, and they still do today. This is a great movie for both football fans and those interested in the history of the civil rights movement. Positive messages abound in the inspirational film: The team’s coach overcomes adversity and is able to get his team to forget their differences, and white players on the team who were initially racist learn to accept their black team members. — Will Foster




When The Game Stands Tall

My favorite sports movie is When The Game Stands Tall, which chronicles De La Salle, one of the most successful high school football teams in history. One reason I like the movie so much is because it shows triumph — when one of their players dies, they regroup to win the championship game. Another reason I love it is because the star running back puts the team first and personal goals second. I admire that he stood up for the coach when his dad was mad at the coach for not giving his son the ball. This was a very inspiring movie, and it makes me feel like I can do anything I put my mind to. — Ryan Woon




Draft Day

My favorite movie is Draft Day, with Kevin Costner, because it showed me how stressful this day is for GMs and owners of NFL teams. One of my favorite parts is when the GM of the Cleveland Browns (Costner) makes a big trade with Seattle at the end of the movie. I also thought that it was really interesting that the GM did not pick the guy everyone thought would be the number-one draft pick, because of the player's character. When I was watching this movie, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. — Isabel Gomez




Crooked Arrows

My favorite sports movie is Crooked Arrows, the first major motion picture about the sport of lacrosse. The story revolves around a coach who lives in the Native American village but played high school lacrosse for their rivals at the rich private school. And now he has to help a poor and undisciplined Native American team pull together to win the prep high school championship. One of the reasons I like this movie is because it has the key element of team work. It shows that any team can win a championship with great effort and dedication. I also enjoyed Crooked Arrows because it teaches about the Native American culture, lacrosse as a sport, and the benefits of becoming disciplined. It's a great introduction to the history of lacrosse, as well as a celebration of Native American culture. — Tres Starkoski




Rocky

You’re asking a girl from Philadelphia what her favorite sports movie is? Rocky all the way. This movie is about a small-time boxer from Philadelphia named Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) who has a chance to fight for the world heavyweight championship. One of the most famous scenes in the movie is when Rocky runs up the Philadelphia Art Museum steps as part of his training. As someone who has sat on those steps and posed next to the Rocky statue located next to the Art Museum, it’s hard for me to not love this movie. It won three Academy Awards and a Golden Globe and features theme music that even people who haven’t seen Rocky will recognize — what more could you ask for in a sports movie? — Olivia D'Angelo




Miracle

Miracle is my favorite sports movie. It's the inspirational true story of the 1980 Men’s US Olympic Hockey Team and its Miracle on Ice victory over the Soviet Union. Heading into the Olympics, coach Herb Brooks (Kurt Russell) and his team of young players struggle to gel and realize their full potential. To whip the team into shape, Brooks is often rude and demanding. But the players realize that he really cares for them and wants them to succeed. After many grueling practices and games, the US team meets the heavily-favored USSR in the semi-final round in the Olympics and defeats them in one of the greatest upsets in sports history. Miracle is an excellent example that hard work and perseverance pay off, and it taught me that even if your teammates are not the best of friends good things can still happen when you are reaching for the same goal. — Matt Collins




Thunderstruck

My favorite sports movie is Thunderstruck. High schooler Brian Newall (Taylor Gray) is really bad at basketball, but when he meets Kevin Durant they magically switch basketball abilities. Everyone is so confused why Durant can't make a layup and why Brian is now the star of the varsity basketball team.  Finally, KD's agent figures out what happened and they switch back. Thunderstruck is my favorite sports movie because I really believe in the message of the film, which comes in a line spoken by Durant: "Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard."  That message has always been a favorite of mine and encourages me to work hard everyday. — Kate Gilliam




Million Dollar Arm

Based on a true story, Million Dollar Arm is an exciting movie about baseball and shows how two novice boys from India achieve their dream of becoming MLB pitchers. JB Bernstein (Jon Hamm) is a sports agent whose company is going belly-up because he can’t find talent. While watching India play cricket one night, he decides to travel there. He runs a reality TV show called Million Dollar Arm to find fast pitchers. He chooses two 18-year-old finalists, Rinku Singh (Suraj Sharma of Life of Pi) and Dinesh Patel (MadhurMittal of Slumdog Millionaire), hand helps them learn the game of baseball. The movie shows their hard work with various funny incidents of culture shock. Ultimately, they get selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates. I found the movie very funny yet full of a lot of realistic events. It taught me the importance of never giving up and having fun. — Manat Kaur