A sports movie is a sub-genre that makes use of sports as the central theme of the movie. It’s a fictional creation in which an athlete, sporting contest, game, or viewer of sport are heavily involved, and that depend greatly on sport for their main plot’s resolution or inspiration. Most of them are fantasy sports movies, but there have been quite a few which take place in the real world. Some of them have even won major awards, and have made the rounds of television viewing.
The main concern with these kinds of movies is the subject matter. The main objective is to show or illustrate how sports affect people, what their involvement in sports is like, how the competitions are conducted, etc. In most cases, the sports or the player are the focus of all action in the story, whereas sometimes (mainly with movies about athletes) the sport itself can be the focus of main story, while other times it can be the story of people who either support or are somehow affected by the sport. Usually, the audience is made to feel or think like the sports star or participant himself.
For this sub-genre of sports writing, sports are used as the central theme or subject matter for the story. This is not entirely a bad thing, because it means that the writer gets to provide some sort of emotional reaction or insight into the characters and situations, and does so whilst keeping the story largely a sports story. It can be hard sometimes, though, to tell whether the subject matter is primarily based on sportsmanship or whether it’s more driven by the need to demonstrate some sort of physical activity or competition. This is especially true when the protagonist isn’t actually an athlete, in order to ascertain whether or not the actions the protagonist takes are motivated by sport or some other external source.
A good example of this is found in a book about two teenagers, Gabriel and David. Gabriel is very popular with his friends, who tease him and call him everything but beautiful. David, on the other hand, finds his sport (football) and the physical contact required for it far more appealing. Because of this, he neglects to show the people around him that he is as capable as Gabriel, which means that Gabriel becomes a figure who has achieved everything through his own exertion and physical dexterity. In this way, the audience can fill in the blanks regarding how David is as well.
Sports also have a great way of connecting the author to their audience. This is not only to show that the author is connected to them personally, but it also gives the sense that they care about their characters, the sports themselves and what they do. One of the most famous examples of this is Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is famous not only for his acting ability but also for his association with the German national football team (soccer in Germany). He became a devoted fan and later offered to coach the national team, an initiative that was accepted by his employers.
Finally, being a fan of a spectator sport makes you a real person. It is therefore not just an admiration or something passive that passes through one’s mind. Instead, it is much more than this. It is actually the root of a person’s personal identity and a means of expressing himself through his association with the things he loves. So, if you really want to make the best of your spare time and improve your social and intellectual skills, start by reading this main article on sports and culture.