Yes, a lot of the times they can be formulaic — underdog or ragtag team is thrown together under the guidance of a gruff but caring coach who leads them to victory. But that’s one reason we love sports movies. They can inspire us to be better, to play harder, strive for more or just go play catch with our family.

Whatever the reason, these movies will always hold a special place in the hearts of those who watch them, whether they are fans of the sport or not.

Here is a shortlist of just some that are worth checking out.

“Bend it Like Beckham” (2002) — A British-Indian teen wants nothing more than to play football (soccer) but her traditional parents don’t think it appropriate as she nears finishing her A-Levels and going off to university. When she finds out about an all-girls team she can’t help but join and sneak off to play. It is a wonderful story about staying true to yourself as well as a heartfelt and honest look at the lives of Indian immigrants and their families in Britain. Stream it on Hulu or rent it from Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.

“Cool Runnings” (1993) — Based on true events then pretty heavily Disney-fied (the main characters have been fabricated and events created for drama), but I couldn’t care less about any of it because “Cool Runnings” is a gem from my childhood I love revisiting. Following the general story of the first Jamaican bobsleigh team, this was Disney’s biggest hit that wasn’t animated. I think it has to be in part thanks to the song that’s now probably stuck in your head and a true underdog story that captured the attention of the world. Stream it on Disney Plus or rent it from Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.

“Field of Dreams” (1989) — Kevin Costner is a farmer who begins to hear mysterious voices from his field telling him to build something (you all know the line). Realizing you should never refuse requests from disembodied voices in the corn, he builds a baseball field, bringing back the spirits of long dead players led by “Shoeless” Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta) to play ball one last time. It’s a heartfelt and sweet letter to the sport and the people who love it. Stream it on Starz or rent it from Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.

“The Last Dance” (2020) — Currently airing on ESPN (which can be accessed on demand through your cable subscription), the documentary follows one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Michael Jordan and his tenure with the Chicago Bulls. So far the series has been impressively shot and edited, bouncing back and forth from the final year of the team’s primo lineup with Jordan, Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen and the start of Jordan’s career and lead up to the championship years. Watch it on ESPN.

“A League of Their Own” (1992) — Geena Davis is such a force of nature as Dottie Henson, the best player in the All American League that came from cities near and far… What a great slice of American history, and of pride in our national pastime. Plus it has one of the greatest lines ever spoken on film. Apparently Amazon Prime is currently in pre-production of a series based off the movie. Rent it on Amazon Prime, Google Play, Vudu or YouTube.

“McFarland, USA” (2015) — A formulaic but heartfelt true-ish story of a high school in McFarland, California, it’s a cross country coach and the runners he mentored towards state competitions. Kevin Costner stars as coach Jim White who takes a job at the largely Latino high school then inspires (and is eventually inspired by) a group of seven students as he teaches them about running and being a team. On paper, it could easily be a White Savior-complex and almost condescending look at rural California field workers, but it manages to just teeter on the line with only a couple almost missteps. Luckily, it’s the runners and their family lives that are the most interesting. Stream it on Starz or rent it from Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.

“Moneyball” (2011) — Who knew that a biographical story about baseball analytics would be so captivating? Brad Pitt takes on Oakland A’s manager Billy Beane who is given a shoestring budget to make assemble a team. With the help of analyst Peter Brand, played by Jonah Hill, and computer driven data on each player’s specific abilities, they compile a home run of a team. Stream it on Starz or rent it from Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.

“Miracle” (2004) — As far as sports movies based on true stories, this one is surprisingly accurate according to the players of the 1980 Olympic hockey team. Kurt Russell plays Herb Brooks, coach of the aforementioned team who guides them to victory against the U.S.S.R at the Lake Placid games. The film really focuses on him and his work to deliver the win, rather than honing in on one player’s story over. We all know the outcome of the “Miracle on Ice” but the movie still does a great job of ramping up the tension and why the win was so important and inspirational to the country. Stream it on Netflix or rent it from Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.

“The Natural” (1984) — Based on a Bernard Malamud book of the same name, Arthurian legend and the real shooting and comeback of a Philadelphia Phillies player in 1949, “The Natural” is one of the quintessential baseball movies. While the script is full of blatant exposition and corny situations (pretty typical of films in the ‘80s), it does have great performances from Robert Redford and Glenn Close, who was nominated for an Oscar for her performance, plus an epic score from Randy Newman. Stream it on Netflix or rent it from Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.

“Pat and Mike” (1952) — All-around sports phenomenon Pat Pemberton (Katharine Hepburn) is taken on by sports promoter Mike Conovan (Spencer Tracy). When he realizes that she loses her nerve every time her fiance comes around, he sets about keeping them separated as much as possible and in the meantime, Mike falls for Pat. The seventh of nine films that Hepburn and Tracy would make together and apparently it was Hepburn’s favorite. Rent it on Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu and YouTube.

“Raging Bull” (1980)

• — Robert de Niro stars as real-life middleweight boxer Jake LaMotta as he rises to fame and fortune, then his ultimate fall. Like most Scorsese movies, it’s full of very angry, toxic men doing bad things, and while it may not be the cherry on top of Scorsese’s overview, it’s a great topping nonetheless. De Niro won an Oscar for his performance as did longtime Scorsese editor Thelma Schoonmaker for her work. Stream it on Netflix, Vudu or Hoopla and rent it from Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes or YouTube.

“Rocky” (1976) — Probably one of the greatest sports movies of all time and it’s not really about the sport at all. Yes, it has some not so savory moments that don’t really hold up today but, overall though the film and subsequent series (for the most part) are testaments to sports films and the love Rocky and Adrian share for one another. Rent it on Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.

“Rudy” (1993) — Sean Astin plays the eponymous Rudy Ruettiger, a teen who desperately wants to play for Notre Dame football, but doesn’t have the money or grades to even get in. Through hard work and perseverance, he fights his way onto the field. It certainly brings a tear to your eye, especially when the whole stadium starts chanting “Rudy! Rudy! Rudy!” That’s a spoiler, but it’s a 27-year-old movie. Rent it on Amazon Prime, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu or YouTube.