We always watch movies that have a fictional storyline and so, sometimes even the struggles are beatified. But in movies like sports movies inspired by real sportspeople, we see the real struggle, real crisis, and a real way of overcoming them, don’t you think kids should know all about these?
These movies are not just meant to entertain them but at the same time are also inspiring and teach the kids different valuable lessons from racial to gender equality and the role of hard work in achieving a dream.
Best Sports Movies For Kids
Here’s a list of some of the best sports movies for kids, all of which are family-friendly and have important life lessons for kids, these are perfect choices.
Movie | Name & Director | Rating |
---|---|---|
![]() | A League Of Their OwnPenny Marshall | IMDb Rating: 7.3 Rotten Tomatoes: 95% |
![]() | Angels In The OutfieldWilliam Dear | IMDb Rating: 6.2 Rotten Tomatoes: 83% |
![]() | Back Of The NetLouise Alston | IMDb Rating: 5.2 Rotten Tomatoes: 83% |
![]() | Brewster’s MillionsWalter Hill | IMDb Rating: 6.5 Rotten Tomatoes: 83% |
![]() | CarsJohn Lasseter and Joe Ranft | IMDb Rating: 7.2 Rotten Tomatoes: 87.5% |
1. A League Of Their Own
Duration | 2 hours 8 minutes |
Directed by | Penny Marshall |
IMDb Rating | 7.3 |
Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 95% |
Release Year | 1992 |
Cast | Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Rosie O’Donnell, Megan Cavanagh, Tracy Reiner, Bitty Schram, Ann Cusack, Anne Ramsay, Freddie Simpson |
Awards | Best Actress, Nominee: Geena Davis Funniest Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Tom Hanks ACCA Award, Nominee: Best Cast Ensemble BMI Film Music Award: Hans Zimmer Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards: Best Picture Golden Globe Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture: Geena Davis Hochi Film Awards: Best Foreign Film |

As America’s stock of athletic young men is depleted during World War II, a professional all-female baseball league springs up in the Midwest, funded by publicity-hungry candy maker Walter Harvey (Garry Marshall). Competitive sisters Dottie Hinson (Geena Davis) and Kit Keller (Lori Petty) spar with each other, scout Ernie Capadino (Jon Lovitz), and grumpy has-been coach Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks) on their way to fame.
2. Angels In The Outfield
Duration | 1 hour 42 minutes |
Directed by | William Dear |
IMDb Rating | 6.2 |
Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 83% |
Release Year | 1994 |
Cast | Danny Glover, Brenda Fricker, Tony Danza, Christopher Lloyd, Ben Johnson, Jay O. Sanders, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Milton Davis Jr., Taylor Negron, Tony Longo |
Awards | Saturn Award, Nominee: Best Performance by a Younger Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt Saturn Award, Nominee: Best Director William Dear Young Artist Awards, Nominee: Best Performance by an Actor Under Ten in a Motion Picture Milton Davis Jr. YoungStar Awards: Best Performance by a Young Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt |

Foster kid Roger (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) loves the Anaheim Angels, even though they’re the worst team in the major leagues. His estranged dad promises to reunite the family if the Angels make it to the World Series, so Roger decides to ask for some divine help and prays that his favorite team will turn things around. Soon, a real angel named Al (Christopher Lloyd) shows up in response to Roger’s prayers, and Anaheim’s hopeless coach (Danny Glover) is shocked to see his team on a winning streak.
3. Back Of The Net
Duration | 1 hour 38 minutes |
Directed by | Louise Alston |
IMDb Rating | 5.2 |
Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 83% |
Release Year | 2019 |
Cast | Sofia Wylie, Christopher Kirby, Melissa Bonne, Trae Robin, Tiarnie Coupland, Kate Box, Raj Labade, Gemma Chua-Tran, Yasmin Honeychurch, Ashleigh Ross |

The story follows a smart and brainy American girl named Cory, who seeks to spend her semester in a science research program before she accidentally gets on the wrong bus and ends up spending her semester at the Harold Soccer Academy.
4. Brewster’s Millions
Duration | 1 hour 42 minutes |
Directed by | Walter Hill |
IMDb Rating | 6.5 |
Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 83% |
Release Year | 1985 |
Cast | Richard Pryor, John Candy, Lonette McKee, Stephen Collins, Jerry Orbach, Pat Hingle, Tovah Feldshuh, Hume Cronyn, Joe Grifasi, Peter Jason |

After losing his position as a minor-league pitcher, Montgomery Brewster (Richard Pryor) learns his great-uncle has left him 300 million dollars. To inherit it, Brewster must spend 30 million dollars in 30 days under a complicated set of rules that forbid him from donating too much to charity or retaining any new assets when the period is up.
Unable to share details about the will’s odd conditions with anyone, Brewster sets out to spend his money under the stern eye of paralegal Angela Drake (Lonette McKee).
5. Cars
Duration | 1 hour 57 minutes |
Directed by | John Lasseter and Joe Ranft |
IMDb Rating | 7.2 |
Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 87.5% |
Release Year | 2006 |
Cast | Animated Movie Owen Wilson, Bonnie Hunt, Paul Newman, Larry the Cable Guy, Cheech Marin, Tony Shalhoub, Guido Quaroni, Jenifer Lewis, Paul Dooley, Michael Wallis |
Awards | Oscar, Nominee: Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song Randy Newman For the song “Our Town”. Oscar, Nominee: Best Animated Feature Film of the Year John Lasseter BAFTA Film Award, Nominee: Best Animated Feature Film John Lasseter Saturn Award: Best Animated Film Annie Awards: Best Animated Feature Annie Awards: Best Music in an Animated Feature Production Randy Newman Annie Awards, Nominee: Best Animated Effects Keith Daniel Klohn Annie Awards, Nominee: Best Animated Effects Erdem Taylan Annie Awards, Nominee: Best Character Animation in a Feature Production Carlos Baena Annie Awards, Nominee: Best Character Animation in a Feature Production Bobby Podesta |

In a world where the towns are peopled with cars, and even the bugs are mini motors, a young ambitious racing car called Lightning McQueen is a star. On his way to an important event, he has to stop in the little town of Radiator Springs after he accidentally damages the road and is forced to repair it. He finds living in a community oddly endearing, making true friends, and beginning to realize there’s more in life than winning.
6. Cool Runnings
Duration | 1 hour 38 minutes |
Directed by | Jon Turteltaub |
IMDb Rating | 7 |
Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 80% |
Release Year | 1993 |
Cast | John Candy, Leon, Doug E. Doug, Rawle D. Lewis, Malik Yoba, Raymond J. Barry, Peter Outerbridge, Paul Coeur, Larry Gilman, Charles Hyatt |
Awards | BMI Film Music Award: Hans ZimmerArtios Award, Nominee: Best Casting for Feature Film, Chemin Sylvia BernardWinner of Golden Screen, GermanyYoung Artist Award, Nominee: Outstanding Family Motion Picture |

Four Jamaican bobsleighs dream of competing in the Winter Olympics, despite never having seen snow. With the help of a disgraced former champion desperate to redeem himself, the Jamaicans set out to become worthy of Olympic selection, and go all out for glory.
7. Field Of Dreams
Duration | 1 hour 47 minutes |
Directed by | Phil Alden Robinson |
IMDb Rating | 7.5 |
Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 87.5% |
Release Year | 1989 |
Cast | Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones, Ray Liotta, Amy Madigan, Gaby Hoffmann, Timothy Busfield, Burt Lancaster, Frank Whaley, Dwier Brown, James Andelin |
Awards | Oscar, Nominee: Best Picture Lawrence Gordon, Charles Gordon Oscar, Nominee: Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium Phil Alden Robinson Oscar, Nominee: Best Music, Original Score James Horner Felix, Nominee: Best Adapted Screenplay Phil Alden Robinson Saturn Award, Nominee: Best Writing Phil Alden Robinson, Eddie Saturn Award, Nominee: Best Edited Feature Film Ian Crafford Award of the Japanese Academy: Best Foreign Film Blue Ribbon Award: Best Foreign Language Film Phil Alden Robinson CFCA Award, Nominee: Best Supporting Actress Amy Madigan DGA Award, Nominee: Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures Phil Alden Robinson |

When Iowa farmer Ray (Kevin Costner) hears a mysterious voice one night in his cornfield saying “If you build it, he will come,” he feels the need to act. Despite taunts of lunacy, Ray builds a baseball diamond on his land, supported by his wife, Annie (Amy Madigan). Afterward, the ghosts of great players start emerging from the crops to play ball, led by “Shoeless” Joe Jackson. But, as Ray learns, this field of dreams is about much more than bringing former baseball greats out to play.
8. Happy Gilmore
Duration | 1 hour 32 minutes |
Directed by | Dennis Dugan |
IMDb Rating | 7 |
Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 85% |
Release Year | 1996 |
Cast | Adam Sandler, Christopher McDonald, Julie Bowen, Frances Bay, Carl Weathers, Allen Covert, Robert Smigel, Bob Barker, Richard Kiel, Dennis Dugan |
Awards | MTV Movie + TV Awards (1996) MTV Movie Award: Best Fight Adam Sandler, Bob BarkerMTV Movie Award, Nominee Best Comedic Performance: Adam Sandler |

All Happy Gilmore (Adam Sandler) has ever wanted is to be a professional hockey player. But he soon discovers he may actually have a talent for playing an entirely different sport: golf. When his grandmother (Frances Bay) learns she is about to lose her home, Happy joins a golf tournament to try and win enough money to buy it for her. With his powerful driving skills and foulmouthed attitude, Happy becomes an unlikely golf hero — much to the chagrin of the well-mannered golf professionals.
9. Ice Princess
Duration | 1 hour 38 minutes |
Directed by | Tim Fywell |
IMDb Rating | 6 |
Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 80% |
Release Year | 2005 |
Cast | Michelle Trachtenberg, Kim Cattrall, Trevor Blumas, Joan Cusack, Amy Stewart, Steve Ross, Hayden Panettiere, Kirsten Olson, Jocelyn Lai, Connie Ray |

Casey Carlyle (Michelle Trachtenberg) is supposed to go to Harvard, just like her mother (Joan Cusack). While Casey has the grades to get into her mom’s alma mater, what she really wants to do is pursue her passion: figure skating. Both Casey’s mom and Gen (Hayden Panettiere), the captain of the local team, scoff at the idea of Casey on the ice. But Casey soon finds an unlikely ally, and coach, in Gen’s mom, Tina (Kim Cattrall), a former skater trying to live down mistakes from her past.
10. Invincible
Duration | 1 hour 45 minutes |
Directed by | Ericson Core |
IMDb Rating | 7 |
Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 72% |
Release Year | 2006 |
Cast | Mark Wahlberg, Greg Kinnear, Elizabeth Banks, Kevin Conway, Michael Rispoli, Kirk Acevedo, Dov Davidoff, Michael Kelly, Sal Darigo, Nicoye Banks |

Lifelong football fan Vince Papale (Mark Wahlberg) sees his wildest dreams come true when he becomes a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. While teaching at his high-school alma mater in Pennsylvania, the 30-year-old gets a chance to try out for his favorite team and, except for kickers, becomes the oldest rookie in NFL history who never played football in college.
11. Karate Kid
Duration | 2 hours 20 minutes |
Directed by | Harald Zwart |
IMDb Rating | 7.3 |
Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 80% |
Release Year | 2010 |
Cast | Jaden Smith, Jackie Chan, Taraji P. Henson, Wenwen Han, Rongguang Yu, Zhensu Wu, Zhiheng Wang, Zhenwei Wang, Jared Minns, Shijia Lu |
Awards | Oscar, Nominee: Best Actor in a Supporting Role Pat Morita Golden Globe, Nominee: Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture Pat Morita Young Artist Awards: Best Young Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Musical, Comedy, Adventure or Drama Elisabeth Shue Young Artist Award Best Family Motion Picture – DramaYoung Artist Award, Nominee: Best Young Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Musical, Comedy, Adventure or Drama William Zabka |

Daniel (Ralph Macchio) moves to Southern California with his mother, Lucille (Randee Heller), but quickly finds himself the target of a group of bullies who study karate at the Cobra Kai dojo.
Fortunately, Daniel befriends Mr. Miyagi (Noriyuki “Pat” Morita), an unassuming repairman who just happens to be a martial arts master himself. Miyagi takes Daniel under his wing, training him in a more compassionate form of karate and preparing him to compete against the brutal Cobra Kai.
12. Little Giants
Duration | 1 hour 47 minutes |
Directed by | Duwayne Dunham |
IMDb Rating | 6.4 |
Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 80% |
Release Year | 1994 |
Cast | Rick Moranis, Ed O’Neill, Shawna Waldron, Devon Sawa, Todd Bosley, Michael Zwiener, Danny Pritchett, Troy Simmons, Sam Horrigan, Joey Simmrin |

Ever since childhood, nerdy Danny O’Shea (Rick Moranis) has felt inferior to his brother, Kevin (Ed O’Neill), a former college football star. Danny runs a gas station, while Kevin coaches the local youth football team. When Kevin’s team rejects Danny’s daughter, Becky (Shawna Waldron), because she’s a girl, Becky convinces her dad to start a rival team, though the city can support only one. To prove himself against his brother, Danny begins coaching his team of misfits for a playoff game.
13. Major League
Duration | 1 hour 47 minutes |
Directed by | David S. Ward |
IMDb Rating | 7.2 |
Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 62.5% |
Release Year | 1989 |
Cast | Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, Corbin Bernsen, Margaret Whitton, James Gammon, Rene Russo, Wesley Snipes, Charles Cyphers, Chelcie Ross, Dennis Haysbert |

The new owner of the Cleveland Indians, former showgirl Rachel Phelps (Margaret Whitton), has a sweetheart deal to move the team to Miami. But to break the lease with the city of Cleveland, ticket sales have to plummet. So Phelps hires the most incompetent players available, including near-blind pitcher Rick Vaughn (Charlie Sheen) and injury-prone catcher Jake Taylor (Tom Berenger). But her villainous tactics accidentally foster a can-do team spirit, turning the Indians into potential winners.
14. Million Dollar Arm
Duration | 2 hour 4 minutes |
Directed by | Craig Gillespie |
IMDb Rating | 7 |
Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 70% |
Release Year | 2014 |
Cast | Jon Hamm, Aasif Mandvi, Alan Arkin, Suraj Sharma, Pitobash, Madhur Mittal, Darshan Jariwala, Lake Bell, Bill Paxton, Gregory Alan Williams |
Awards | Truly Moving Picture Award: Craig Gillespie, Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Teen Choice Award, Nominee: Choice Movie Teen Choice Award, Nominee: Choice Movie Actor Jon Hamm |

In a last-ditch effort to save his career, sports agent J.B. Bernstein (Jon Hamm) plans to find baseball’s next star pitcher. He heads to India to find a cricket player whom he can nurture into a major league star. With the help of a scout (Alan Arkin), J.B. finds teens Dinesh (Madhur Mittal) and Rinku (Suraj Sharma), who haven’t a clue about baseball but throw powerful pitches. As the boys adjust to American life, J.B. learns valuable lessons about teamwork and family.
15. Miracle
Duration | 2 hours 15 minutes |
Directed by | Gavin O’Connor |
IMDb Rating | 7.4 |
Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 81% |
Release Year | 2004 |
Cast | Kurt Russell, Patricia Clarkson, Nathan West, Noah Emmerich, Sean McCann, Kenneth Welsh, Eddie Cahill, Patrick O’Brien Demsey, Michael Mantenuto, Kenneth Mitchell |
Awards | AARP Movies for Grownups Awards: Movies for Grownups Award AARP Movies for Grownups Awards: Best Intergenerational Film AARP Movies for Grownups Awards, Nominee: Best Actor Kurt Russell Critics Choice Awards, Nominee: Best Family Film (Live Action) ESPY Awards: Best Sports Movie Golden Trailer Awards, Nominee: Best Animation/Family For “Hopes”. |

When college coach Herb Brooks (Kurt Russell) is hired to helm the 1980 U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team, he brings a unique and brash style to the ice. After assembling a team of hot-headed college all-stars, who are humiliated in an early match, Brooks unites his squad against a common foe, the heavily-favored Soviet team. As the U.S. squad tries to overcome insurmountable odds and win the gold medal, the team becomes a microcosm of American patriotism during the Cold War.
16. Real Steel
Duration | 2 hours 7 minutes |
Directed by | Shawn Levy |
IMDb Rating | 7 |
Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 75% |
Release Year | 2011 |
Cast | Hugh Jackman, Evangeline Lilly, Dakota Goyo, Anthony Mackie, Kevin Durand, Hope Davis, James Rebhorn, Karl Yune, Olga Fonda, John Gatins |
Awards | Oscar, Nominee: Best Achievement in Visual Effects Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Danny Gordon Taylor, Swen Gillberg Saturn Award, Nominee: Best Performance by a Younger Actor Dakota Goyo BMI Film & TV Awards BMI Film Music Award: Film Music Danny Elfman Golden Trailer Awards, Nominee: Most Original TV Spot Golden Trailer Awards, Nominee: DreamWorks Golden Trailer Awards, Nominee: The Ant Farm International Film Music Critics Award (IFMCA), Nominee: Best Original Score for an Action/Adventure/Thriller Film Danny ElfmanI FMCA Award, Nominee: Film Music Composition of the Year Danny Elfman, Young Artist Award: Best Performance in a Feature Film – Leading Young Actor Dakota Goyo |

Charlie Kenton (Hugh Jackman) used to be a prizefighter but lost his chance to win a title when heavy, towering robots took over the boxing ring. Now working as a small-time promoter, Charlie pieces together scrap metal into low-end fighters, barely earning enough to make it from one underground venue to the next. After hitting rock bottom, Charlie reluctantly teams up with his estranged son, Max (Dakota Goyo), to build and train a championship robot for a last shot at redemption.
17. Remember The Titans
Duration | 1 hour 53 minutes |
Directed by | Boaz Yakin |
IMDb Rating | 7.8 |
Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 70% |
Release Year | 2000 |
Cast | Denzel Washington, Will Patton, Wood Harris, Ryan Hurst, Donald Faison, Craig Kirkwood, Ethan Suplee, Kip Pardue, Hayden Panettiere, Nicole Ari Parker |
Awards | Silver Angel Award, Nominee: Feature Film BET Award: Best Actor Denzel WashingtonBlack Reel: Theatrical – Best Actor Denzel Washington Black Reel, Nominee: Best Film Blockbuster Entertainment Award, Nominee: Favorite Actor – Drama Denzel Washington Blockbuster Entertainment Award, Nominee: Favorite Supporting Actor – Drama Wood Harris BMI Film & TV Awards: Trevor Rabin Casting Society of America, Nominee: Best Casting for Feature Film, Drama Ronna Kress Christopher Awards: Feature Films Boaz Yakin Golden Moon Award, Nominee: Best Film Boaz Yakin Image Awards (NAACP): Outstanding Motion Picture Image Awards (NAACP): Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture Denzel Washington Image Award, Nominee: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Wood Harris Image Award, Nominee: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Nicole Ari Parker Image Award, Nominee: Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress Krysten Leigh Jones Sierra Award, Nominee: Best Male Newcomer, Kip Pardue Sierra Award, Nominee: Youth in Film Hayden Panettiere For Dinosaur Golden Reel Award, Nominee |

In Virginia, high school football is a way of life, an institution revered, each game celebrated more lavishly than Christmas, each playoff distinguished more grandly than any national holiday. And with such recognition, comes powerful emotions. In 1971 high school football was everything to the people of Alexandria. But when the local school board was forced to integrate an all-black school with an all-white school, the very foundation of football’s great tradition was put to the test.
18. Rookie Of The Year
Duration | 1 hour 43 minutes |
Directed by | Daniel Stern |
IMDb Rating | 6.1 |
Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 80% |
Release Year | 1993 |
Cast | Thomas Ian Nicholas, Gary Busey, Albert Hall, Amy Morton, Dan Hedaya, Bruce Altman, Eddie Bracken, Robert Hy Gorman, Patrick LaBrecque, Daniel Stern |

A freak accident causes 12-year-old Little League player Henry (Thomas Ian Nicholas) to become such a powerful and accurate pitcher that the Chicago Cubs sign the junior high student to a contract. Unprepared for such a high-pressure environment, Henry falters until aging fastballer Chet Steadman (Gary Busey) takes him under his wing and teaches him how to play in the big leagues. Meanwhile, his mother’s venal boyfriend (Bruce Altman) tries to sell Henry’s contract to a hated opposing team.
19. Rudy
Duration | 1 hour 54 minutes |
Directed by | David Anspaugh |
IMDb Rating | 7.5 |
Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 78% |
Release Year | 1993 |
Cast | Sean Astin, Jon Favreau, Ned Beatty, Greta Lind, Scott Benjaminson, Mary Ann Thebus, Charles S. Dutton, Lili Taylor, Christopher Reed, Deborah Wittenberg |
Awards | Christopher Awards: Robert N. Fried Studio Crystal Heart Award: David Anspaugh, Angelo Pizzo Young Artist Award, Nominee: Outstanding Family Motion Picture – Action/Adventure |

Rudy Ruettiger (Sean Astin) wants to play football at the University of Notre Dame but has neither the money for tuition nor the grades to qualify for a scholarship. Rudy redoubles his efforts to get out of the steel mill where his father works when his best friend (Christopher Reed) dies in an accident there. Overcoming his dyslexia thanks to his friend and tutor, D-Bob (Jon Favreau), Rudy gains admission to Notre Dame and begins to fight his way onto the school’s fabled football team.
20. Searching For Bobby Fischer
Duration | 1 hour 49 minutes |
Directed by | Steven Zaillian |
IMDb Rating | 7.4 |
Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 80% |
Release Year | 1993 |
Cast | Joe Mantegna, Ben Kingsley, Max Pomeranc, Joan Allen, Laurence Fishburne, Michael Nirenberg, Robert Stephens, David Paymer, Hal Scardino, Vasek Simek |
Awards | Oscar, Nominee: Best Cinematography Conrad L. Hall Felix, Nominee: Best Cinematography Conrad L. Hall Camerimage Bronze Frog: Conrad L. Hall Camerimage Golden Frog, Nominee: Conrad L. Hall Artios Award, Nominee: Best Casting for Feature Film, Drama Avy Kaufman CFCA Award, Nominee: Best Screenplay Steven Zaillian Humanitas Prize: Best New Filmmaker Steven Zaillian Tokyo International Film Festival: Special Jury Prize Steven Zaillian Tokyo International Film Festival: Special Mention Steven Zaillian Tokyo International Film Festival: Tokyo Grand Prix, Nominee Steven Zaillian USC Scripter Award, Nominee: Fred Waitzkin (author), Steven Zaillian (screenwriter) Young Artist Award, Nominee: Outstanding Family Motion Picture – Drama Young Artist Award, Nominee: Best Actor Under Ten in a Motion Picture Max Pomeranc |

After he beats his dad (Joe Mantegna) in a chess match, Josh Waitzkin (Max Pomeranc), a 7-year-old, gets noticed for his talent. He becomes interested in speed chess at the park and learns the game from a hustler named Vinnie (Laurence Fishburne). However, Josh’s parents invest in the services of Bruce (Ben Kingsley), a famous coach who has very different practices. Between Bruce’s methods and the stress of the competitions, Josh learns that even a chess prodigy cannot make all the right moves.
21. Secretariat
Duration | 2 hours 3 minutes |
Directed by | Randall Wallace |
IMDb Rating | 7.2 |
Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 60% |
Release Year | 2010 |
Cast | Diane Lane, John Malkovich, Margo Martindale, Nelsan Ellis, Dylan Walsh, Otto Thorwarth, Fred Thompson, James Cromwell, Scott Glenn, Michael Harding |
Awards | Movies for Grownups Award: Best Supporting Actor John Malkovich Christopher Award: Feature Film, Randall Wallace, Mark Ciardi, Gordon Gray, Bill Johnson, Mike Rich, Mayhem Pictures, Walt Disney Productions ESPY Awards, Nominee: Best Sports Movie Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards, Nominee: Best Live Action Family Film Women’s Image Network Awards: Actress Feature Film Diane Lane |

Despite her lack of experience, housewife, and mother Penny Chenery (Diane Lane) agrees to take over management of the family Thoroughbred farm after her father (Scott Glenn) becomes ill. Successfully navigating her way through the male-dominated world of horse racing, Chenery, together with veteran trainer Lucien Laurin (John Malkovich), fosters a gifted colt that ultimately crosses the finish line into history as the Triple Crown winner in 1973.
22. Space Jam
Duration | 1 hour 28 minutes |
Directed by | Joe Pytka |
IMDb Rating | 6.5 |
Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 80% |
Release Year | 1996 |
Cast | Michael Jordan, Wayne Knight, Theresa Randle, Manner Washington, Eric Gordon, Penny Bae Bridges, Brandon Hammond, Larry Bird, Bill Murray, Thom Barry |
Awards | Annie Awards: Best Individual Achievement: Technical Achievement, Uli Meyer Features (animation), Charles Gammage Animation (animation), Rees/Leiva Productions (animation), Spaff Animation (animation) Annie Awards, Nominee: Best Animated Feature Uli Meyer Features (animation), Charles Gammage Animation (animation), Rees/Leiva Productions (animation), Spaff Animation (animation), Courtside Seats Productions, Northern Lights Entertainment Annie Awards, Nominee: Best Individual Achievement: Directing in a Feature Production Bruce W. Smith, Tony Cervone Best Individual Achievement: Producing in a Feature Production Ron Tippe ASCAP Award: Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures Diane Warren Golden Reel Award, Nominee: Best Sound Editing – Feature Film Mark A. Mangini, Warner Brothers Entertainment Young Artist Award, Nominee: Best Family Feature – Animation or Special Effects |

Swackhammer (Danny DeVito), an evil alien theme park owner, needs a new attraction at Moron Mountain. When his gang, the Nerdlucks, heads to Earth to kidnap Bugs Bunny (Billy West) and the Looney Tunes, Bugs challenges them to a basketball game to determine their fate. The aliens agree, but they steal the powers of NBA basketball players, including Larry Bird (Larry Bird) and Charles Barkley (Charles Barkley) — so Bugs gets some help from superstar Michael Jordan (Michael Jordan).
23. Surf’s Up
Duration | 1 hour 25 minutes |
Directed by | Ash Brannon and Chris Buck |
IMDb Rating | 6.7 |
Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 79% |
Release Year | 2007 |
Cast | Shia LaBeouf, Zooey Deschanel, Jon Heder, Jeff Bridges, James Woods, Diedrich Bader, Mario Cantone, Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, Selema Masekela |

Surfing means everything to teenage penguin Cody Maverick (Benoît Brière). Followed by a documentary film crew, he leaves his home in Antarctica for Pen Gu Island, the site of the Big Z Memorial Surf Off. Cody wants to be respected and admired, and he believes that winning the competition will bring him what he craves. However, an encounter with washed-up surfer Geek (Mariloup Wolfe) teaches Cody about what is truly important.
24. The Big Green
Duration | 1 hour 40 minutes |
Directed by | Holly Goldberg Sloan |
IMDb Rating | 5.5 |
Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 55% |
Release Year | 1995 |
Cast | Steve Guttenberg, Olivia d’Abo, Jay O. Sanders, John Terry, Chauncey Leopardi, Patrick Renna, Billy L. Sullivan, Yareli Arizmendi, Bug Hall, Jessica Robertson |

Fresh from England on a foreign exchange program, teacher Miss Anna (Olivia d’Abo) arrives in a small Texas town where the local students don’t have much to be happy about. Determined to boost their spirits, Anna forms a soccer team, hoping the sport will help them out of their funk. But, since they’ve never played before, she has her work cut out for her. She hopes that, with her assistant coach, Sheriff Tom (Steve Guttenberg), she might have a chance to turn their lives around.
25. The Blind Side
Duration | 2 hours 9 minutes |
Directed by | John Lee Hancock |
IMDb Rating | 7.6 |
Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 66% |
Release Year | 2009 |
Cast | Quinton Aaron, Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Jae Head, Lily Collins, Ray McKinnon, Kim Dickens, Adriane Lenox, Kathy Bates, Catherine Dyer |

Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron), a homeless black teen, has drifted in and out of the school system for years. Then Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock) and her husband, Sean (Tim McGraw), take him in. The Tuohys eventually become Michael’s legal guardians, transforming both his life and theirs. Michael’s tremendous size and protective instincts make him a formidable force on the gridiron, and with help from his new family and devoted tutor, he realizes his potential as a student and football player.
26. The Express
Duration | 2 hour 10 minutes |
Directed by | Gary Fleder |
IMDb Rating | 7.2 |
Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 62% |
Release Year | 2008 |
Cast | Rob Brown, Dennis Quaid, Clancy Brown, Darrin Dewitt Henson, Omar Benson Miller, Nelsan Ellis, Charles S. Dutton, Justin Martin, Justin Jones, Nicole Beharie |

Born into poverty, Ernie Davis (Rob Brown) overcomes many obstacles to get into Syracuse University’s football program. Under the guidance of Coach Ben Schwartzwalder (Dennis Quaid), Davis becomes one of the school’s best players, even surpassing Jim Brown’s achievements. In 1961 Davis becomes the first black player to win the Heisman Trophy, but there is one more obstacle in his life that he must overcome.
27. The Mighty Ducks
Duration | 1 hour 44 minutes |
Directed by | Stephen Herek |
IMDb Rating | 6.5 |
Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 87% |
Release Year | 1992 |
Cast | Emilio Estevez, Joss Ackland, Lane Smith, Heidi Kling, Josef Sommer, Joshua Jackson, Elden Henson, Shaun Weiss, M.C. Gainey, Matt Doherty |

After reckless young lawyer Gordon Bombay (Emilio Estevez) gets arrested for drunk driving, he must coach a kids hockey team for his community service. Gordon has experience on the ice but isn’t eager to return to hockey, a point hit home by his tense dealings with his own former coach, Jack Reilly (Lane Smith). The reluctant Gordon eventually grows to appreciate his team, which includes promising young Charlie Conway (Joshua Jackson), and leads them to take on Reilly’s tough players.
28. The Natural
Duration | 2 hours 18 minutes |
Directed by | Barry Levinson |
IMDb Rating | 7.4 |
Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 83% |
Release Year | 1984 |
Cast | Robert Redford, Robert Duvall, Glenn Close, Kim Basinger, Wilford Brimley, Barbara Hershey, Robert Prosky, Richard Farnsworth, Joe Don Baker, John Finnegan |

On the way to a tryout with the Chicago Cubs, young baseball phenom Roy Hobbs (Robert Redford) is shot by the unstable Harriet Bird (Barbara Hershey). After 16 years, Hobbs returns to pro baseball as a rookie for the last-place New York Knights. Despite early arguments with his manager, Pop Fisher (Wilford Brimley), Hobbs becomes one of the best players in the league, and the Knights start winning. But this upsets the Judge (Robert Prosky), their owner, who wants Hobbs to lose games, not win.
29. The Rookie
Duration | 2 hours 7 minutes |
Directed by | John Lee Hancock |
IMDb Rating | 6.9 |
Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 84% |
Release Year | 2002 |
Cast | Dennis Quaid, JD Evermore, Rachel Griffiths, Jay Hernandez, Beth Grant, Angus T. Jones, Brian Cox, Rick Gonzalez, Chad Lindberg, Angelo Spizzirri |

A true story about a coach who discovers that it’s never too late for dreams to come true. Jim Morris (Dennis Quaid) never made it out of the minor leagues before a shoulder injury ended his pitching career twelve years ago. Now a married-with-children high-school chemistry teacher and baseball coach in Texas, Jim’s team makes a deal with him: if they win the district championship, Jim will try out with a major-league organization.
30. The Waterboy
Duration | 1 hour 30 minutes |
Directed by | Frank Coraci |
IMDb Rating | 6.1 |
Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 62.5% |
Release Year | 1998 |
Cast | Adam Sandler, Kathy Bates, Henry Winkler, Fairuza Balk, Jerry Reed, Lawrence Gilliard Jr., Blake Clark, Peter Dante, Jonathan Loughran, Al Whiting |

Raised by his overprotective mother, Helen (Kathy Bates), Bobby Boucher Jr. (Adam Sandler) is the water boy for a successful college football team coached by Red Beaulieu (Jerry Reed). When Beaulieu fires Bobby, he takes up the same position for a losing rival team, led by despairing Coach Klein (Henry Winkler). After witnessing Bobby beat up a player who teased him too much, Klein adds him to the roster as a linebacker. Soon, Klein’s players are championship contenders.
FAQs
Which is the most popular sports movie for kids?
Some of the most popular sports movies for kids are Angels In The Outfield, Back Of The Net, Field Of Dreams, Ice Princess, Karate Kid, Little Giants, and Million Dollar Arm.
What are kid-friendly movies called?
A children’s film, or family film, is a film genre that contains children or relates to them in the context of home and family. The new rating system began with four categories: G (general audiences), M (mature audiences, changed in 1969 to PG, parental guidance suggested), R (restricted, no children under 17 allowed without parents or adult guardians), and X (no one under 17 admitted).
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed our article about the best sports movies for kids! These sports movies are inspiring, wonderful, and family-oriented which shows the process behind the word “success”. We hope this guide was able to help you narrow down your choices.