13 Best Sports Teams in Hollywood History
Sports bring people together. It's cliché, but it's true: the feeling we get from watching a game unfold is unifying. Cheering as athletes pour their heart and soul into a game is one of the most beautiful feelings on the planet — their drive, determination, and resilience offer inspiring lessons that can be used on the playing field, as well as in everyday life. But it's easy to get hung up on team favoritism and the drama of players being drafted or retiring IRL, and that’s why it’s so easy to become obsessed with fictional sports teams. The players will never let you down, the rules don’t change, and you can come back to watch their highlight reels again and again. We’ll always consider these 13 teams to be at the top of their game, and we’ll wait with bated breath until they announce that they’re looking for new teammates.
1/14Rockford Peaches (A League of Their Own)
Dottie, Kit, Mae, Doris, and Marla made baseball cool back in the day. Although A League of Their Own was based on the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL), the story at the center of the film was completely fictional. Real or not, the team at the heart of the movie brought home some genuine messages that are applicable to sports, and life — “Of course it’s hard. It’s supposed to be hard. If it were easy, everybody would do it. Hard is what makes it great.”
2/14Gryffindor Quidditch team (Harry Potter)
Being coached by Oliver Wood sounds like the greatest thing in the world. Flying through the air, dodging bludgers, and beating Slytherin’s team are all just perks that come along with playing for Gryffindor. Rumor has it, their house team is so good, that some alumni went on to play in the pros — shout out to the great Ginny Weasley.
3/14East Compton Clovers (Bring It On)
Their moves were unbelievable and they made up their own routines — which is more than the Rancho Carne Toros can say. (Shame on you, Big Red.) Bring It On may have come out in 2000, but its message rings true to this day: hard work and individuality can go a long way. Besides, who wouldn’t want to cheer alongside Gabrielle Union?
4/14Mighty Ducks (The Mighty Ducks)
Quack! Quack! Quack! The Mighty Ducks were the ultimate underdogs. They skated their way into our hearts and have been flapping and quacking around in there ever since. Anyone who’s seen the franchise longed to don the Ducks jersey and skate around with Gordon Bombay — in fact, so many people felt that way that the film was followed up with two sequels.
5/14Sandlot team (Sandlot)
Encountering the Beast IRL still seems like the most terrifying thing in the world, but playing ball alongside Squints, Benny, and Smalls would also be life changing (in a good way). One change would be needed for the team to attract new recruits, though — no more using the phrase “You play ball like a girl” as an insult, because we all know girls kick ass.
6/14Tune Squad (Space Jam)
Sure, they’re animated, but that doesn’t stop the Tune Squad from bringing their A-game on the court. They have crazy good basketball moves, lots of tricks up their sleeves, tenacious attitudes, and — of course — the help of the unconquerable Michael Jordan. We’ll see if the Looney Tunes still have what it takes if they end up reuniting for Space Jam 2 with Lebron James
7/14Hurl Scouts (Whip It)
Whip It proves that the punny names in roller derby are enough incentive to want to join, but the bonds you make along the way are what cause you to stay on the track. Teaming up with the likes of Ellen Page, Drew Barrymore, Kristen Wiig, and Juliette Lewis would just be icing on the cake.
8/14The Average Joes (Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story)
Dodgeball requires a surprising amount of athleticism. Competitors need to be light on their feet, have killer reflexes, and keep an eye out for their teammates at all times. The Average Joes prove that you can have all these qualities, but the most important is heart. Extra points for this team because they have a real life pirate as a player. Yarr!
9/14Marshall Middle School Dance Team (Gotta Kick It Up!)
Alright, so the dance team at the center of Gotta Kick It Up! isn’t entirely fictional — the heartwarming story was based on real-life events. But that doesn’t make their enthusiasm any less awesome. And nine out of 10 coaches agree that chanting “Si, se puede” at the top of your lungs is a surefire way to win any competition.
10/14The Titans (Remember the Titans)
The messages at the heart of Remember the Titans were heavy. The film was based on a true story of a football team in Virginia in 1971 that experienced tons of athletic success, even though their community was in an uproar about black and white players playing together. With Denzel Washington's Coach Boone and Will Patton's Coach Yoast at the helm, the Titans navigated their new diversity with more than a few stops and starts. Not everyone was eager at first, but the team eventually proved that a united front is better for the world at large. Now that’s a team worth playing for.
11/14Hounslow Harriers (Bend It Like Beckham)
The phrase “Bend it like Beckham” was the telltale sign of coolness before “Moves like Jagger” was a thing. Soccer is one of the most popular sports across the globe! Although every country aside from America knows it as football, playing alongside a bunch of powerful women — and learning about yourself along the way — would be amazing. And who knows, the end result could be a soccer scholarship. Wink wink.
12/14The Little Giants (Little Giants)
It would seem that the true sign of an epic sports movie is to focus on the underdogs. Who ever had fun watching a bunch of really talented, well-off people find success? No one! The 1994 flick, Little Giants, follows a ragtag group of pee-wee football players as they attempt to defy the odds.
13/14Vickerman Gymnastics Academy team (Stick It)
Anyone who doesn’t think gymnastics is a sport is seriously trippin’. Sure, there’s cheesy music and sparkly leotards, but the athletes who flip, tuck, and tumble their way onto the mat are legendary. The team at the heart of Stick It made millions of people wish they could double backhand springs like nobody’s business — and who wouldn’t want to be coached by Jeff Bridges?
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