A sports movie is basically a fictional film genre which makes use of sports as the main theme of the movie. It’s a fictional production where in a particular sport, a team, player, or supporter of that sport are heavily involved, and that rely heavily on sport for their main plot resolution. A typical movie will have multiple protagonists and multiple genres involving them, often with a complex set of sub-plots, all developed around a central theme. The theme of the movie will often be one which the film-maker finds relevant to his experience of sports and its people. Sports movies are also increasingly successful as film genres, being particularly popular among teens.
It has been noted in some circles that sports are more popular with men than women, but this trend seems to be changing. Many high schools have sports clubs, and some sports are even taught to children from an early age in order to keep them healthy and active through school. Physical dexterity and athletic ability are important pre-requisites for many careers, in both the public and private sectors, but these skills are not innate, and are learned rather than cultivated. This is evident in the increasing numbers of younger people playing sport and taking part in physical activities, such as ice-skating, bowling, soccer, running, tennis, football and rugby.
The first section of any sports film has to do with the athletes. These are the players who take part in the competitions, usually with a specific team. They are the stars of the show, and their personal lives and achievements are the primary thrust of the story. The characters become important because their achievement, though unachievable by normal human standards, provide fuel for the audience’s expectations. This section also includes the physiques and skills of the competition’s athletes, and the tactics they employ to ensure victory. Finally, the strategies employed by coaches and support staff to encourage participation and maintain motivation are also described.
The second section involves the spectators. The sport and competition are exciting, and the crowd becomes excited while watching. However, some sports are better supported by the support from the community, especially from health professionals and schools. An example of this type of sport is physical activity, such as soccer and baseball.
A major problem faced by sports coverage in the UK is that it does not accurately depict the experience of the athletes or the spectators. In an olympic sport, the events can be compared with those taking part in similar sports in other countries. However, in the UK, certain events take place outside of the Olympic context. Sometimes this is down to budget, and there are times when certain events can be shown at a lower quality due to time constraints. This can be seen in the level of support and access to information that is offered by the BBC and other mainstream media.
Finally, a fourth difference refers to popular sports which are covered more in terms of entertainment than in reporting. A popular sport will have more coverage on television and in magazines than any other related sport. It may be that the level of participation is so high that the commercial benefits are worthwhile, but this form of popular sports has been widely undermined by excessive commercialisation. It would be fair to say that many British people enjoy the commercial benefit of taking part in popular sports, without necessarily taking part in any extra sporting activity.