22 great sports movies to watch with your kids

Looking for a good family movie to watch together? Some of our favourite sports movies for kids are the ones we used to watch when we were young ourselves. This list has both nostalgic family picks, plus some new, great films that will entertain and inspire you and your kids.

Some are all-out comedies, while others are dramas that teach deeper lessons about friendship, loyalty, courage, and commitment. All speak to the transformational power of sport.

1. Air Bud

Comedy-drama, 1997
Rating: PG
Sport: Basketball
Suggested age: 5+

Golden retrievers are loveable—even more so when they’re very good at playing basketball. This sweet movie is the story of a boy and his athletic, hoop-shooting dog. It’s the first of 14 movies in the Air Bud franchise. Read Common Sense Media’s guide for parents about the film.

2. McFarland, USA

Drama, 2015
Rating: PG
Sport: Cross-country running
Suggested age: 10+

Based on a true story, McFarland, USA is about a high-school team of Latino cross-country runners in California. A new-to-town dad starts coaching the team—and finds he has a lot to learn from the kids. Check out Common Sense Media’s parents’ guide.

3. Alex & Me

Comedy, 2018
Rating: G
Sport: Soccer
Suggested age: 8+

A young soccer player with big dreams get the surprise of a lifetime: Alex Morgan steps out of the poster on her wall and agrees to help her be the best she can be. Read the parents’ guide on Common Sense Media.

4. Billy Elliot

Comedy-drama, 2000
Rating: R (mostly due to language)
Sport: Dance
Suggested age: 10+

An awkward boy fails to find his place in “normal” boys’ sports (like boxing and soccer), and instead discovers a love for ballet. He has to face the dismay of his father and others to pursue his dream. Check out the parents’ guide on Common Sense Media.

5. Cool Runnings

Comedy, 1993
Rating: PG
Sport: Olympic bobsled
Suggested age: 8+

This inspirational comedy is the true story of the first-ever Jamaican bobsled team training for the winter Olympics. It’s an underdog story full of laughter. Check out the parents’ guide on Common Sense Media.

6. A League of Their Own

Comedy, 1992
Rating: PG
Sport: Baseball
Suggested age: 10+

Set during World War II, this movie tells a fictionalized version of the origins of the first professional women’s baseball league. Check out Common Sense Media’s parents’ guide.

7. The Mighty Ducks

Comedy-drama, 1992
Rating: PG
Sport: Hockey
Suggested ages: 10+

A childhood classic. As part of his community service, an uppity lawyer gets tasked with coaching an underdog hockey team. If your kids like this movie, there are two subsequent films in the franchise to enjoy. Check out the parents’ guide on Common Sense Media.

8. Rez Ball

Drama, 2024
Rating: PG-13
Sport: Basketball
Suggested age: 13+

The Chuska Warriors are a Navajo Nation basketball team, trying to make it to the state championship while dealing with grief in the wake of their star player’s death. (Fun fact: The film’s director, Sydney Freeland, grew up on the Navajo Nation in New Mexico.) Check out Common Sense Media’s review here.

9. Rocky

Drama, 1976
Rating: PG
Sport: Boxing
Suggested age: 11+

A poor, struggling boxer gets a chance to fight for the world heavyweight title. The movie features this iconic running scene, plus a great soundtrack. Check out Common Sense Media’s parents’ guide.

10. Soul Surfer

Drama, 2011
Rating: PG
Sport: Surfing
Suggested age: 10+

Based on the true story of Bethany Hamilton, Soul Surfer follows a talented young surfer who loses her arm in a shark attack. Despite her despair, she decides to learn to surf with one arm. Read the parents’ guide on Common Sense Media.

11. Hoosiers

Drama, 1986
Rating: PG
Sport: Basketball
Suggested age: 10+

An unemployed college basketball coach becomes the coach of a small-town high-school team in 1950s Indiana. Despite conflict with parents and townspeople, he leads them to the state championship. Read Common Sense Media’s parents guide here.

12. Remember the Titans

Drama, 2000
Rating: PG
Sport: Football
Suggested age: 10+

An African-American high-school football coach tries to build a championship team while facing racism within and without the school. Based on actual events in Virginia in 1971, the film shows how sport can help combat serious social issues. Check out the parents’ guide at Common Sense Media.

13. Space Jam

Action-comedy, 1996
Rating: PG
Sport: Basketball
Suggested age: 7+

Michael Jordan teams up with Looney Tunes characters to try to win a basketball game—and save the world. Read Common Sense Media’s parents’ guide here.

14. She’s The Man

Romance-comedy, 2006
Rating: PG-13
Sport: Soccer
Suggested age: 12+

Inspired by Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, this movie follows a teenage girl who disguises herself as her brother so she can play on the boys’ soccer team. Hijinks ensue! Check out the parents’ guide on Common Sense Media.

15. GOAT

Comedy, 2026
Rating: PG
Sport: Basketball (okay, technically roarball)
Suggested age: 7+

Produced by NBA legend Steph Curry, GOAT is about a goat named Will who wants to become the greatest roarball player of all time. (Curry also co-stars.) Read Common Sense Media’s parents’ guide here.

16. The Simone Biles Story: Courage to Soar

Drama, 2018
Rating: Unrated
Sport: Gymnastics
Suggested age: 9+

This biopic tells the story of Simone Biles, widely regarded as one of the best—if not the best—gymnasts of all time. Based on Biles’ book, the movie is inspirational and kid-friendly. Here’s what Common Sense Media has to say about it.

17. The Rookie

Drama, 2002
Rating: G
Sport: Baseball
Suggested age: 7+

The inspirational true story of a small-town Texas high-school teacher (and talented baseball player) who coaches his school’s team. He makes a deal with his players that, if they make the play-offs, he’ll try out for a Major League Baseball team. Read Common Sense Media’s parents’ guide.

18. The Saddle Club

Drama-comedy, 2002
Rating: Unrated
Sport: Horseback riding
Suggested age: 8+

Based on the children’s book series published between 1988 and 2001, this film follows Carole, Lisa, and Stevie and their adventures at their riding stable, Pine Hollow. The full movie is available on YouTube.

19. The Grizzlies

Drama, 2018
Rating: R (for language and alcohol & drug use)
Sport: Lacrosse
Suggested age: 15+

A teacher from southern Canada flies into a Nunavut community, and it’s immediately apparent how much he has to learn about the North. He starts up a lacrosse team in an attempt to help students with their mental health. We reviewed the film when it first came out; you can also read Common Sense Media’s parents’ guide here.

20. Rudy

Drama, 1993
Rating: PG
Sport: Football
Suggested age: 11+

Based on a true story, a high-school graduate with limited financial means tries to realize his dream of playing football for Notre Dame. He also has to overcome the fact that he’s especially small to be playing university-level football. Check out the parents’ guide on Common Sense Media here.

21. The Sandlot

Comedy, 1993
Rating: PG
Sport: Baseball
Suggested age: 9+

A shy, awkward boy finds friendship and adventure in a small California town in the 1960s by playing scrub baseball with the neighbourhood kids. Read Common Sense Media’s parents’ guide.

22. Ice Princess

Drama-comedy, 2005
Rating: G
Sport: Figure skating
Suggested age: 7+

A super-smart high-school student realizes that her childhood sport—figure skating—would make a great physics project. She laces up her skates and her love for the sport reignites. Read Common Sense Media’s review here.

What sports movies do your kids love? Let us know in the comments!

Editor’s note: This article was first published on Aug. 4, 2012.