sports movies

It probably has a lot to do with the fact that I grew up surrounded by sports, but I absolutely love sports movies! I love watching teams pull together and learn important life lessons. I love watching coaches do whatever it takes to pull greatness from their players. And I love watching the underdog win it all. Here's a rundown of some of my top five . . .

Rudy - What Notre Dame fan doesn't love the movie Rudy? I still remember watching this movie for the first time. My grandparents had taken my brother and I on a fun outing to Ft. Wayne when we were younger. We went to the theatre to watch it. There weren't a lot of people in the theatre, but during the scene where the crowd starts chanting Ru-dy we all joined in too. The impossible nature of this scrawny kid actually getting that opportunity always inspires me. I cry every time when he runs out on the field with so elation on his face and then actually sacks the other quarterback . . . what a great feeling!

Hoosiers - Being an Indiana native this one is especially dear to my heart. Although it wasn't as small as Hickory (actually Milan high school in the real story), but I know what it's like to go to a small school and always be the underdog. The big schools never respect you even though you probably have twice as much heart as they do. That's exactly what happens in this movie. I love seeing the looks on their faces when they walk into Hinkle Fieldhouse (which I've been in - amazing!) and they measure the court to make sure it's the same. Doesn't matter where you come from - heart & talent is an unstoppable combination.

Facing the Giants - a friend of mine recommended this movie to me last year and I instantly fell in love. It focuses a little more on the coaching side of sports, which I of course loved. It totally puts into perspective why coaches do what they do. It definitely helped me get my priorities straight. I cried so much the first time I watched it, I have hesitated to watch it again!

Remember the Titans - this movie carries a lot of emotions for me because of how close to home it hits. To be honest I have avoided watching it since Emily's accident because I can't bear to watch the accident scene in the movie. It still remains as one of my favorites, though, because I love how real the players are with one another. Players put a lot of emotions into their sport and you just can glaze over them and get along if you want to have real success. They work through their differences and actually become friends, which doesn't always happen in the athletic arena. I will never get tired of watching Coach Boone carry his daughter around on his shoulders screaming, we're going to win state!

The Rookie (I happen to be watching this movie at the present time.) - I just love how inspiring this movie is. Sometimes when coaches make the transition from the field to the sidelines they totally step away from their playing dreams. Others are not able to let go quite that easy. It takes a lot of guts to sacrifice everything for your dream, a dream that may seem unrealistic to everyone else. I can't imagine what emotional turmoil Jimmy would've been in if he would've walked away knowing he had a real shot at the majors. I'm really looking forward to the scene where he calls home and tells everyone he's going to pitch in the bigs . . . knowing that was what he had waited for all that time (ahhh, the tears are already starting).

Honorable Mentions:

- Miracle

- We are Marshall

- Field of Dreams

- Coach Carter

- Mighty Ducks