Kids sports movies were a popular niche genre in the 1990s. Some were so popular that they spawned a franchise, spawned an actual squad, and were remade on Disney+. The athleticism of Disney Channel Original Movies and the power teen of hottie Devon Sawa are also not to be overlooked. All of these contributed to putting ’90s kids sports movies in a class of their own, but only one can be the champion; here are some of the top 90s sports movies.
1. Little Giants (1994)
Director- Duwayne Dunham
Danny O’Shea, a nerd, has always felt inferior to his brother Kevin, a former collegiate football standout, since boyhood. Kevin coaches the local youth football team, while Danny owns a petrol station. When Danny’s daughter, Becky, is rejected by Kevin’s team because she is a girl, Becky persuades her father to form a competing team, despite the fact that the city can only sustain one. Danny starts coaching his misfits for a playoff game to show himself to his brother.
2. The Sandlot (1993)
Director- David Mickey Evans
Scotty Smalls is the new boy in town, and all he wants to do before summer is make friends. Benny “The Jet” Rodriquez, the best baseball player in town, takes him under his wing. Scotty Smalls gets The Sandlot lads into a big jam during the summer when he hits a Babe Ruth-signed baseball into the Beast’s backyard, where no one has ever gone over the fence for fear of being devoured. Benny overcomes his concerns and defeats the Beast after having a dream about Babe Ruth asking him to go over the fence to get the ball. Benny became a local legend, and The Sandlot boys all lived happily ever after.
3. Angels In The Outfield (1994)
Director- William Dear
Roger Bomman and his best buddy J.P. reside in a foster home, but when Roger’s father visits him, a glimmer of hope returns in Roger’s heart about going to live with his father. His dreams are dashed, however, when his father declares that they can be a family again if Roger’s favourite baseball club, the California Angels, wins the pennant, despite the fact that the team is bottom in their division. So Roger prays to the angels in heaven, asking if they might help the Angels, the baseball team, win the pennant so he can have the family he’s always wanted, and he just might, thanks to his prayer.
4. D2: The Mighty Ducks (1994)
Director- Sam Weisman
With a knee injury, Gordon Bombay is forced to retire from minor hockey. He is awarded the post of coach of Team USA Hockey at the Junior Goodwill Games in California, which comes as a complete surprise to him. He departs for LA with the majority of the Ducks as well as a few fresh faces. For a time, everything looks to be going well, but the Hollywood excitement begins to wear on Gordon, and he becomes distracted when Iceland, the clear favourites to win the tournament, arrives on the scene.
5. The Big Green (1995)
Director- Holly Goldberg Sloan
Miss Anna, a teacher on a foreign exchange programme from England, comes in a little Texas town where the local pupils aren’t overjoyed. Anna establishes a soccer team to lift their spirits, hoping that the sport will help them get out of their funk. However, she has her job cut out for her because they have never played before. She thinks that she can help them turn their lives around with the help of her assistant coach, Sheriff Tom.
6. The Mighty Ducks (1992)
Director- Stephen Herek
Gordon Bombay, a hotshot lawyer, is haunted by boyhood memories of losing the game and his coach’s praise after scoring the game-winning goal in a shootout as the top player for his champion hockey team. Gordon is first hesitant to coach a peewee hockey team, the poorest in the league, after being charged with drunk driving. However, he soon gets the youngsters’ respect and teaches them how to win, acquiring a sponsor along the way and naming the team The Ducks. They play Gordon’s old squad in the finals, led by Gordon’s previous coach, allowing Gordon the opportunity to face old ghosts.
7. Rookie Of The Year (1993)
Director- Daniel Stern
Henry Rowengartner is a talented young baseball player. He even plays on a small league team, but his abilities are limited. When Henry trips over a baseball and fractures his arm, this is evident. Henry goes to a Chicago Cubs game once his arm heals. The opposition team hits a home run, which must be returned in accordance with custom. Henry eventually returns the ball, but he does so on a dead line all the way to home plate. Henry is promptly signed by the Cubs and is regarded as MLB’s biggest phenom.
