The best sports movies for kids*
Let’s face it: Most parents have thrown in the towel on screen-time limitations during this pandemic.
It has been more than a month of social isolation, e-learning and the 300th episode of a bizarre cartoon called “Dawn of the Croods.” This mom decided the TV could be put to better use.
After all, what kind of parent am I if my kid doesn’t come out of this quarantine reciting, “You’re killing me, Smalls!”
Seven-year-old Aiden and his (no-ageneeded) mom hunkered down night after night to watch sports movies and rank them. Point me to the Parent of the Year applications, please.
Despite some Twitter recommendations for “Bull Durham” and “Caddyshack” — seriously? — we watched movies we deemed appropriate for kids Aiden’s age and older.
Our criteria were highbrow: Did adults talk too much? Did slapstick humor elicit fits of giggles? Did Aiden wander off midway through? Did it inspire Aiden to throw a ball in the house? We talked about whether a valuable lesson was involved and considered cast diversity and negative stereotypes.
Here’s how Aiden and his mom ranked 15 sports movies for kids:
1. ‘The Sandlot’ (1993)
Mom’s review: Was there a better time in your life than when you were 10 and playing summer baseball with your friends? With no adults around? “The Sandlot” captures this childhood paradise perfectly. Adults love it for nostalgia. Kids love it for the realistic adventures — or “pickle,” as the main character Scotty Smalls would call it — they can imagine themselves and their buddies getting into.
Aiden’s review: I thought it was great when the sandlot kids beat that team of snobby kids who thought they were so much better. It makes me want to find a sandlot with a bunch of baseball players in my neighborhood once the coronavirus is over. I just don’t want “The Beast” to be behind a fence!
Lessons: Benny is cool, athletic, goodlooking and popular — and he’s not a jerk. He includes awkward Scotty in their sandlot games and influences the other players to give him a chance. We wish the movie had not included “You play like a girl” as the ultimate insult.
Rating: 5 stars.
2. ‘Cool Runnings’ (1993)
Mom’s review: John Candy doesn’t disappoint as a lovable grump playing a disgraced former Olympian who begrudgingly coaches a group of Jamaican runners to bobsled fame. An entertaining storyline easily digested by kids with themes of teamwork, sportsmanship and perseverance. Prepare for a couple of bad words. We spent some time afterward learning about the multitude of black winter sports athletes because the movie portrays the bobsledders somewhat cartoonishly.
Aiden’s review: I laughed so hard I cried when they were trying to learn the bobsled! My favorite character was Sanka Coffie, who kissed his lucky egg before every race.
Lessons: Don’t let where you’re from or what you look like determine your opportunities. The bobsledders race with confidence and learn to infuse their identity into their sport. Success isn’t always defined by winning but by doing your best.
Rating: 5 stars.
3. ‘Like Mike’ (2002)
Mom’s review: The plot is simple but sweet: A boy finds magical sneakers worn by Michael Jordan and joins an NBA team, endearing himself to a veteran player who eventually softens. Dirk Nowitzki asking Lil’ Bow Wow for an autograph made me laugh out loud. “Like Mike” features black main characters who are likable and kind. That’s a rarity in this genre.
Aiden’s review: Kids will want to imagine themselves dunking after watching this movie. Calvin is my favorite character because he’s a loyal friend and doesn’t get intimidated by bullies or NBA players.
Lessons: Calvin learns that even without his magic sneakers, he can be creative on the court to make a winning play. When Tracy Reynolds adopts Calvin, the movie shows families can be created in many ways.
Rating: 5 stars.
4. ‘The Mighty Ducks’ (1992)
Mom’s review: I always thought this movie was overrated. Go ahead and send the hate mail. But I loved watching my kid love this movie. A selfish, rich lawyer is forced to work with ruffians on a peewee hockey team. He molds them into stellar athletes, while they transform him into a caring coach who falls in love with a player’s mom. (Why?)
Aiden’s review: The funniest part is when the goalie learns not to be scared after his coach ties him to the posts and he realizes the pucks don’t hurt that much. I liked the flashback scenes and how they helped the coach remember not to put too much pressure on his players.
Lesson: “The Mighty Ducks” might be more important for parents and coaches to watch than kids. The pressure to excel in youth sports is even greater now than when this movie was released 28 years ago.
Rating: 4 1⁄2 stars.
5. ‘Little Giants’ (1994)
Mom’s review: Too much focus on the revenge and sibling rivalry of the coaches — brothers Kevin O’Shea (Ed O’Neill) and Danny O’Shea (Rick Moranis). “Little Giants” is at its best when it’s about the kids, especially Ice Box. The script would have been even better if the plot hadn’t had her temporarily abandon football for cheerleading in hopes of winning over a boy, but it provides an important lesson at the end.
Aiden’s review: Ice Box is the coolest character in the movie. It’s awesome that she’s a girl who is talented and tough at football. That isn’t shown in many movies.
Lesson: Too often these underdog movies are about conquering opponents without much empathy for the slain Goliaths. Younger brother Danny exemplifies forgiveness after his win by inviting his big brother Kevin to join the teams.
Rating: 4 stars.
6. ‘Angels in the Outfield’ (1994)
Mom’s review: Roger Bomman prays the crummy Angels will win the pennant so he can be reunited with his dad, who made a long-shot promise about reuniting depending on the fate of the team. (Wow, what a horrible parent.) Roger sees heavenly angels, who inexplicably decide this is a worthwhile intervention. OK, we’ll buy it.
Aiden’s review: The angels are the best part of the movie. They make the ball bounce all over the outfield so opponents can’t pick it up, and they flap their wings to help the pitcher throw fastballs. Hilarious!
Lesson: The movie is as much about adults believing in kids as angels.
Rating: 4 stars.
7. ‘Rookie of the Year’ (1993)
Mom’s review: Henry stinks in Little League. The Cubs stink in the major leagues. But when Henry’s broken arm miraculously heals, he has a fastball good enough to earn a contract with the Cubs. Just like “Like Mike,” a little magic goes a long way in a kids sports movie. Some strong language might give families pause. Nice touch to have Henry realize at the end it was his mom who was a terrific ballplayer, not his absent dad. (This is the sixth movie on our list with a kid who has at least one dead or missing parent. What’s up with this?)
Aiden’s review: Even when Henry loses his pitching magic, he uses his brain to help the team win. He was really smart to come up with a trick play to tag out the runner. Sports isn’t 100% physical.
Lesson: Henry values his friendships over stardom, and he retires from the majors to play Little League again.
Rating: 4 stars.
8. ‘A League of Their Own’ (1992)
Mom’s review: This would have been my No. 1 or No. 2 pick. But I have a kid, so when do I ever get what I want? Based loosely on a true story, “A League of Their Own” is inspiring, funny, heartfelt and believable. I was thrilled that out of all of the “true story” movies, this was one of my son’s favorites. It starts a bit slow for a child, but Jon Lovitz’s small role as a scout brings early laughs. Some of the points about exploitation and sexism can be easily lost — or misinterpreted — by younger kids.
Aiden’s review: Why could girls play professional baseball in the 1940s but they can’t now? They all looked as good as the guys to me. Dottie can do the splits and catch a ball.
Lesson: Women love sports — watching, playing, practicing — as much as men. Dottie also displays unselfishness by allowing her self-conscious sister Kit to shine.
Rating: 4 stars.
9. ‘Little Big League’ (1994)
Mom’s review: Twelve-year-old Billy Heywood is yet another child sports prodigy. There’s little plot deviation between many of these movies. What sets this one apart? Billy’s smart about baseball as an owner and manager. No luck or magic needed. Also, OMG, another single mom becomes the love interest of an athlete or coach, pretty much her only purpose in the movie. Insert all the eye rolls on these one-dimensional female characters. “Little Big League” is the only movie I had to fast-forward through because of sexual content. Billy finds an adult pay-per-view in his hotel room.
Aiden’s review: I think the movie would have been better if there were more kids playing baseball. But it’s fun to think about what sports would be like if kids were in charge of everything.
Lesson: Billy realizes he’s too young for managing responsibility. The movie has a feel-good ending without a championship.
Rating: 3 1⁄2 stars.
10. ‘Space Jam’ (1996)
Mom’s review: Crazy to think this was the first time my son saw Michael Jordan play. He also didn’t know Bugs Bunny. Translation: I feel old. The 7-foot-6 Shawn Bradley and 5-3 Muggsy Bogues in the same shot is a good gag. Jordan is a decent actor, and casting Bill Murray — and his ill-fitting uniform — brings comedic flavor.
Aiden’s review: The animation was too old-school, but I liked the silly cartoon players. I can’t wait for the LeBron version!
Lesson: Hard to find any deep meaning in this one.
Rating: 3 1⁄2 stars.
11. ‘The Karate Kid’ (2010)
Mom’s review: No offense, Ralph Macchio. We decided to go with the modern version. The same themes (an underdog overcoming obstacles and winning over a girl) are prevalent. But Jaden Smith and Taraji P. Henson bring fresh life to a well-known script, and Jackie Chan’s stunts are eye-popping for kids. We appreciated finding a movie with a cast of people of color in main roles. This usually happens only in movies explicitly about race. Some parts are a little too heavy for young kids: Dre finds Mr. Han drunk, and we learn Mr. Han’s wife and child died in a car accident.
Aiden’s review: Mr. Han has awesome kung fu skills. He made Dre stick with his sport and taught him to never give up. The part about the bullies ganging up on Dre was scary.
Lesson: Discipline and learning the fundamentals of a skill are emphasized when Mr. Han repeatedly has Dre pick up a jacket.
Rating: 3 1⁄2 stars.
12. ‘Hoosiers’ (1986)
Mom’s review: Fifteen feet from the foul line to the backboard. Ten feet from the rim to the court. Coach Norman Dale explains why his small-town players need not be intimidated by the championship atmosphere in this classic scene. It never gets old to me, and I loved sharing it with Aiden. I’ve watched “Hoosiers” dozens of times. Viewing it with my son provided some different perspectives. I fumbled to explain why the team that continually gets into fistfights on the court — even punching an opposing coach — and a coach whose history includes player abuse are the protagonists. Would we have given the same benefit if the players from the integrated South Bend Central team behaved this way? This led to interesting conversations about bias and how people can change.
Aiden’s review: I’m glad Jimmy decided to stick up for his coach and joined the team again. I really only liked watching the games, though. I hope I’m on a team that runs the “picket fence” play someday. Why did players wear shorts that looked like underwear in the 1950s?
Lesson: Hickory fans hoped to run Coach Dale out of town because he was a newcomer who operated a little differently. “Hoosiers” emphasizes we should give people a chance before judging them.
Rating: 3 1⁄2 stars.
13. ‘Rudy’ (1993)
Mom’s review: We chanted, “Ru-dy! Ru-dy!” along with the crowd. The movie is cheesy, but it’s always a sentimental ride. We fast-forwarded through the sad and scary part about Rudy’s friend dying in the factory. Jon Favreau’s lovable D-Bob provides some necessary levity, but (again) my kid really only wants to watch football scenes.
Aiden’s review: I watch almost every Notre Dame football game with my grandma, so I was definitely rooting for Rudy. He was small and almost nobody believed in him, but he tried his best and didn’t give up. Some of the movie was too boring for me, but I liked watching him train and get in the game.
Lesson: Rudy didn’t have to win a national championship or become a star athlete to become a hero. Simply dressing for the game was an accomplishment. Making one tackle was a heroic feat. Set your own goals and don’t let critics sway you from chasing your dreams.
Rating: 3 1⁄2 stars.
14. ‘Remember the Titans’ (2000)
Mom’s review: “Remember the Titans” is a classic loosely based on a true story. It can serve as an opener to conversations about race for many families. Herman Boone, a black coach played by Denzel Washington, and Bill Yoast, a white coach played by Will Patton, are complex characters, each with noble traits and flaws. The ability to overcome racial tension in a divided town through football is otherwise overly simplified. I wish Boone’s daughter Nicky had been given a role as sweet as Yoast’s daughter Sheryl.
Aiden’s review: The movie showed the racism black people have had to deal with. That is important for everyone to learn. The teammates got to know each other and called each other “brothers” at the end.
Lesson: “Remember the Titans” emphasizes the importance of working together and finding similarities.
Rating: 3 stars.
15. ‘Miracle’ (2004)
Mom’s review: I had never watched this movie so many sports fans rave about. It certainly pales compared with the true story of the U.S. team’s semifinal victory against the Soviet Union in the 1980 Olympics. The buildup to the game seemed rushed. I didn’t feel connected to any players, who were all flat and underdeveloped. It failed to stir many emotions for us.
Aiden’s review: I would have liked to see more hockey action and less of the coach talking to his wife. Boring.
Lesson: Work hard and persevere.
Rating: 2 1⁄2 stars.