HOME GOALS: SPORTS DOCUMENTARIES THAT’LL HAVE YOU COMPLETELY HOOKED
▶ Evelyn Lau rounds up some winning films to fill the ‘Last Dance’shaped hole in your week
Now that you’ve finished watching Michael Jordan’s 10-part Netflix documentary The Last Dance, there might be a sports-viewing void left in your life. Thankfully, there are plenty of other sports-related documentaries for you to catch up on.
Whether you are interested in the workings of Premier League football or want to learn more about competitive cheerleading in America, there is something for everyone. The
National rounds up some of the best sports documentaries available to stream in the UAE.
Icarus 2017 Netflix
This award-winning documentary follows director and cyclist Bryan Fogel and Russian scientist Grigory Rodchenkov as they hatch a plan to show how to evade detection for taking performance-enhancing drugs. That is just the start of the story, however, as it features a major twist. We won’t spoil it for you. Suffice to say, it is well worth watching, as it also won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature in 2018.
All or Nothing: Manchester City 2018 Amazon Prime
This eight-part documentary will be a treat for Manchester City fans. It takes viewers on a journey through the football club’s double-winning 2017-18 season. It features exclusive and unhindered access to the club’s training facilities at the City Football
Academy, interviews with the manager, insight into boardroom meetings and other surprise moments through the season. The film has behindthe-scenes snippets with the team’s coach Pep Guardiola, and highlights the week-onweek stories that unfold in the players’ lives.
Sunderland ‘Til I Die 2018 Netflix
Another football themed docu-series, this one focuses on the English football club Sunderland AFC. There are two seasons on Netflix, with the first featuring eight episodes and the second consisting of six. The first season focuses on the events around the English football club during their 2017-18 season, which saw them relegated from the EFL Championship. The second season, which came out on April 1, follows the 20182019 season under new owner Stewart Donald.
Last Chance U 2016 Netflix
This docu-series has four parts. It chronicles the stories of aspiring American collegiate junior football players with troubled pasts, who try to fulfil their goal of making it on to a Division 1 college football team. The first season explores the football programme at East Mississippi Community College, and features several collegiate athletes who struggle with finding structure as they fall under the stewardship of coach Buddy Stephens.
Cheer 2020 Netflix
This Netflix Original follows the nationally ranked Navarro College Bulldogs Cheer Team as they prepare for the National Cheerleading Championships. While it might not be viewed as a traditional sport (and some argue whether it is or not), Cheer proves why it deserves to be. The series also delves deeper into the overall sport of cheerleading and follows the lives of some of the squad members who are able to find happiness and belonging while on a quest to be the best. The first season has six episodes.
Losers 2019 Netflix
While sport is usually all about winning, what about those who do not come out on top? Docu-series Losers tells the story of those who did not finish first and how they were able to turn those experiences into something positive. The first season consists of eight episodes, each featuring a different athlete from the worlds of golf, figure skating, boxing and more.
UCLA Gymnastics: The New Era 2019 YouTube
The UCLA Gymnastics team was thrust into the national spotlight after floor routines by gymnast Katelyn Ohashi went viral. However, this docu-series focuses on the team after Ohashi’s departure and the start of the 2019-2020 collegiate gymnastics season. Other storylines include former Olympian Kyla Ross’s senior year, after she retires to focus on university, and the team’s first year under new coach Chris Waller, after longtime head coach Valorie Field retired in the previous season.
Fire in Babylon 2010 YouTube
Fire in Babylon is a British documentary that charts the rise of the West Indies cricket team, from its early beginnings to its dominance of the sport from the mid-1970s to early 1990s. It introduces the team and explores the history of the sport and its development in the region. The film also includes interviews with several former players such as Colin Croft, Deryck Murray and Joel Garner.
Ice Guardians 2016 Netflix
This looks at the history of onice enforcers – an unofficial role in ice hockey. It highlights how such players (who might be less skilled but better at fighting) struggle to rise through the professional ranks in the National Hockey League, as the role slowly disappears from the game. The Netflix film includes interviews with players featured in the Hockey Hall of Fame, such as Chris Chelios and Brett Hull, as well as other past players, including Wendel Clark and Dave Schultz.
The Redeemed and the Dominant 2018 Netflix
This documentary looks into the world of fitness and takes place over four days at the Reebok CrossFit Games competition in 2017. Questions about endurance and overall toughness surround a group of elite athletes as they struggle to be the best. The athletes offer fascinating insight into what goes through their minds as they compete.
The Game Changers 2018 Netflix
Executive produced by James Cameron, this series explores how beneficial a plant-based diet is for athletes. UFC fighter James Wilks travels the world after an injury, looking for more information about the consumption of meat and protein, and how that all plays into strength. It showcases elite athletes, such as Lewis Hamilton, and other celebrities, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, all of whom champion a vegan diet for improving athleticism.