Go Team!

In the spirit of the London Summer Olympics, I thought it might be nice to compile a list of movies about sports, coaches, athletes and the like.  Just in case the games have left you wanting more.

Sugar / Azúcar
Miguel 'Sugar' Santos is a talented Dominican baseball pitcher who longs to break into the American big league and earn the money needed to support his impoverished family. He has to prove his worth in the minor leagues, struggling with language and cultural barriers despite the kindness of strangers. He is forced to reevaluate his life's ambition after his once-trusty arm becomes unreliable.  In Spanish with English subtitles.

The Rookie
When a shoulder injury ended his minor league pitching career twelve years ago, Jim Morris resorted to the next best thing: coaching. But Jim's team wants him to try out for the major-leagues. While there prove to be a lot of pitches to be thrown before he makes it off the mound, big-league dreams are revived, and there's no telling where he could go.

The Fighter
Micky Ward is a struggling boxer long overshadowed by his older brother and trainer, Dicky, a local legend battling his own demons. Their explosive relationship threatens to take them both down. However, the bond of blood may be their only chance to redeem their pasts, and, at last, give their hard-luck town what it's been waiting for: pride.

Invictus
Newly elected President Mandela knows his nation remains racially and economically divided in the wake of apartheid. Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa's underdog rugby team as they make an unlikely run to the 1995 World Cup Championship match.

Any Given Sunday
Tony D'Amato, the embattled Sharks coach, faces a full-on blitz of team strife plus a new, marketing-savvy Sharks owner who's sure Tony is way behind times.

The Natural
Nothing was going to stop Roy Hobbs from fulfilling his boyhood dream of baseball stardom. As a 14-year old he fashions a baseball bat from an oak tree. He soon impresses major league scouts with his ability.  The appearance of a mysterious woman, however, shatters his dream. Years later Hobbs reappears as a rookie for the New York Knights and has an opportunity to share in their race for the pennant.