Sport Psychology Movies List Group Project
I’m sure you’ve all noticed that the link to the sport psychology movies in the “Watching a Sport Psychology Movie” assignment in the Apply section for this class doesn’t work. Prof. Sather says he is aware of it and has yet to find a useful list elsewhere on the web. I thought it’d be a worthwhile activity for us to work on a group project creating a sport psychology movie list. If we all contribute a couple of movies then we should have something useful for our class to use for the “Watching a Sport Psychology Movie” assignment and for future classes if Prof. Sather decides to use it.
For this project, there will be two sections. The first one is a movie list. I recommend listing the title, the sport, a short description of the movie (or a link to a description, i.e. IMDB.com), the psychology part to the movie, and who contributed this item to the list. For the psych part to the movie we should keep it brief. That way we don’t do other peoples’ work for them for the “Watching a Sport Psychology Movie” assignment, but by having this short description it defends its right to be on the list. The second section is a list of other website links that have lists of sport psychology movies if we can find any.
I’ll get it started:
Sport Psychology Movies:
1. Title: Tin Cup
Sport: Golf
Description: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117918/
Psychology Aspect: The main character, Roy, uses a psychiatrist to get help, though he really wants to date her. The real sport psychology comes from his caddy in my opinion.
Contributor: Brady Hazen, *I am using this movie for the sport psych assignment, so please don’t use it*
2. Title: The Replacements
Sport: American football
Description: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0191397/
Psychology Aspect: Coach working with failed quarterback. Main psych scene occurs when the coach holds a discussion with the team about their fears, and the quarterback shares an experience of freezing up on the field.
Contributor: Brady Hazen
3. Title: Caddy Shack
Sport: Golf
Description: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080487/
Psychology Aspect: Ty tries to help Danny with his golf game at one scene in the movie. Though it has to do with the mental part of the game, Ty is definitely unorthodox.
Contributor: Brady Hazen
4. Title: The Blind Side
Sport: Football
Description: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0878804/
Psychology Aspect: At one point in the movie the coach is trying to get Michael to protect his teammates on the field. Michael is hesitant and a bit standoffish when defending his teammates. Leigh Anne is watching his practice and steps in and talks to Michael about what the coach has been trying to tell him, but knowing more about him and his protective instincts than his coach, she is able to help him to understand and be successful at the task.
Contributor: Kristyn Lee
5. Title: Remember the Titans (2000)
Sport: Football
Description: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0210945/
Psychology Aspect: A newly hired coach motivates and develops team cohesion on a racially integrated team.
Contributor: Spenser Sundin
6. Title: Miracle
Sport: Hockey
Description: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0349825/
Psychology Aspect: An underestimated coach brings together a US Olympic hockey team from all parts of the country. The team included privous teammates, rivals and enemies. What is clearly demonstrated is the chnge in the teams cohesion: both task and social cohesion.
Contributor: Grace Freiheit
7. Title: We Are Marshall (2006)
Sport: Football
Description: In November, 1970, virtually the entire football team and coaches of Marshall University (Huntington, W.V.) die in a plane crash. That spring, led by Nate Ruffin, a player who was ill and missed the fatal flight, students rally to convince the board of governors to play the 1971 season. The college president, Don Dedman, must find a coach, who then must find players. They petition the NCAA to allow freshmen to play, and coach Jack Lengyel motivates and leads young players at the same time that he reexamines the Lombardi creed that winning is the only thing.
Psychology Aspect: The entire movie has a psychological aspect...rebuilding the morale of the entire football program, resurrecting a team that would later go on to win national championships, inspiration and hope against the odds, and maintaining morale for the entire school after a devastating tragedy.
Contributor: Amanda Camargo (I am planning on using this movie :D)
8. Title: Bad News Bears
Sport: Baseball
Description: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0408524/plotsummary
Psychology Aspect: A delinquent filled little league team and a disgruntled washed up coach have to help eachother. The kids find motivation, acceptance, and belonging while the coach ends up feeling good about something he did not want to be part of.
Contributor: Chris Presley
9. Title: The Flying Scotsman
Sport: Bicycle racing
Description: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472268/
Psychology Aspect: A true story of a bicycle racer that struggles with depression and self-doubt.
Contributor: Brian Sather
10. Title: Pedal
Sport: Bicycle messengers
Description: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0380622/
Psychology Aspect: A documentary on the morays of bicycle messengers of New York City and their mentality dealing with the hardships of the profession.
Contributor: Brian Sather
11. Title: Friday Night Lights
Sport:Football
Description: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0390022/
Psychology Aspect: "Perfection is being able to look your friends in the eye and know you did everything you could not to let them down". Texas is known for its tradition in football, and after an athlete suffers a career ending injury, his team lost the hope for a good season. Coach Gary Gaines is able to help the team to shine and be successful, helping them to overcome their psychologic state of sadness and hopeless after watching their teammate suffering such disaster.
Contributor: Tiago Valente
12. Title: Coach Carter
Sport:Basketball
Description: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0393162
Psychology Aspect: Coach Carter accepts the job as a basketball coach for his old high school, and soon faces athletes performing poorly, plus their uncontrolled behavior andattitude. The story is about how Carter developed strickt rules in order to create an elite team. Great movie.
Contributor:Tiago Valente
13. Title:The Gridiron Gang
Sport:Football
Description: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0421206/
Psychology Aspect:Cohesion, Self Confidence, Leadership, Goal Setting
In this movie gang members are forced to play on the same team and learn to forget about their differences and work together. This movie also observes a new coach who is learning how to be a learder and shows young men gaining confidence in themselves so they do not have to turn to crime and it demonstrates goal setting as a way to help motivate.
Contributor:Brian Bragg
14. Title: Rudy
Sport: Football
Description: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108002/
Psychology Aspect: A Young man has a dream of playing football at Notre Dame and there are many obstacles that stand his way such as, an unsupportive father, grades, and his best friend dying. He also loses his girl friend to his brother, however works extra hard to get into Notre Dame, and becomes part of the football team and proves every one wrong.
Contributor: Megan Monaghan
15. Title: Hoosiers
Sport: Basketball
Description: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091217/
Psychology Aspect: The new coach is battling alcolholism, and has a chance to turn a high school basketball team around. The team is undisciplined and the new coach has no support from the administrative staff or the parents in the community.
Contributor: Megan Monaghan
16. Title: Vision Quest
Sport: Wrestling
Description: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090270/
Psychology Aspect: This movie is about a young highschooler whose dream is to beat the best wrestler is Washington state. In order to do so he has to drop down two weight classes, and improve his wrestling skills. While making this his number one goal, he is not receiving any support from his father, coach or teammates. He then meets a girl and she helps him see the bigger picture and helps him think positive and lose the weight that is needed in order to beat his opponent.
Contributor: Megan Monaghan
17. Title: Peaceful Warrior
Sport: Gymnastics
Description: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0438315/synopsis
Psychology Aspect: This movie profiles a gymnast who is struggling to figure out his life and sport. He finds a wise mentor who helps him to understand his purpose and gain focus in his training and life outside of training. He suffers a major setback when a major injury occurs, but is able to find peace with help from his mentor and hard work to regain his ability in sport.
Contributor: Andy Munsey
18. Title: A league of their own
Sport: Baseball
Description: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104694/
Psychology Aspect: The psychology aspect in this movie is very obvious, this movie is about a female baseball league arising while men are off at war. Female baseball becomes very popular, and the times are getting harder on the women. The peaches, which is the main baseball team, which is coached by a drunk, played by Tom Hanks. He doesn't take it serious because they are females, however his view turns around when he finds out they have talent, and womens baseball becomes popular.
Contributor: Megan Monaghan
19. Title: Hard Ball
Sport: Baseball
Description: Coach struggles on teaching inner-city kids how to play baseball and stay out of trouble, while he is trying to stay clean of gambling.
Psychology Aspect: The players have to go through a cohesion stage, for they start out fighting amongst each other. Also, th coach goes through the stages of leadership himself.
Contributor: Nick Magrone
20. Title: White Man Cant Jump.
Sport: Basketball
Description: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105812/
Psychology Aspect: Its a 2 on 2 team, and the players are exact opposites, so they have to learn how to play together, so they go through cohesion.
Contributor: Nick Magrone
21. Title: Taladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
Sport: Nascar
Description: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0415306/
Psychology Aspect: Overcoming anxiety, redirection of motivation.
Contributor: Vlad Kostin
22. Title: Almost Heros (1998)
Sport: Mountaneering/High Adventure
Description: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119053/
Psychology Aspect: Group Cohesion and Motivation
Contributor: Vlad Kostin
23. Title: Little Giants
Sport: Football
Description: http://www.imdb.com/find?s=all&q=little+giants
Psychology Aspect: This movie encorporates motivation, group (team) cohesion and self- confidence.
Contributor: Kristen Guibord
24. Title: The Hurricane
Sport: Boxing
Description: http://www.imdb.com/find?s=all&q=The+hurricane
Psychology Aspect: This movie describes the life of a legendary boxer who is wrongfully arrested for a murder and placed into prison. While in jail he writes a book about his life and the struggles that he has overcame. Through adversity he touches a young man's heart with his words. He encourages this young man to become a boxer himself. There is also a motivational factor along wth an overcoming of the odds. There is also a sense of self-efficacy of the young man following in the Hurricane's footsteps. Finally, there is a strong sense of self-discipline and dedication from both men.
Contributor: Jessika McClune
25. Title:For Love of the Game
Sport:Baseball
Description:This is a movie about a major league pitcher who is a living legend on the Detroit Tigers. The main character named Billy Chapel is at the end of his career and must chose between his love of baseball or the girl. With all of that aside he uses many psychological techniques to overcome barriers during the movie like returning to the game with a serious hand injury.
Link:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0126916/
Psychology Aspect:Psychology aspects would be goal setting, intrinsic motivation, Imagery, leadership, and self confidence. The one that i liked the most and what i talked about in class when Billy Chapel would be on the mound and there would be all sorts of noise he would just say to himself "Clear the Mechanism" and the stadium would become quiet. He had total control of his arousal, concentration, and it touches with the Social Facilitation Theory. It is a good baseball story and it touches base with a lot of psychological factors.
Contributor:Derek Kygar
26. Title: Chariots of Fire
Sport: Track and Field
Description: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082158/
Psychology Aspect: Runner Eric Liddell's motivation is God and his Christian faith. He believes God put him on the Earth to run and he does so in his name. On the contrary Harold is Jewish and runs to prove anti-Semetic people wrong. Both are motivated by different things, one intrinsic and one extrinsic.
Contributor: Tyler June
27. Title: Death Race
Sport: Racecar driving
Description: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0452608/
In a futuristic world dominated by corrupt government systems, inmates from a high security prison are selected to race on a course made by the warden of the prison. These courses are designed for one reason: to kill the drivers. Drivers are given specific cars to race with, fully equipped with guns and armor, even a pit crew to handle the dangerous races. If a driver can reach 5 victories, he is granted his freedom from the jail. The races are watched via internet streamline paid for by the public, fueling the warden's cause for putting on such a deadly show.
Psychology Aspect: Goal setting: The racers put their lives on the line to reach 5 victories so they get their freedom from the prison. This is their main motivation as well since without this incentive of freedom, the inmates would not put their lives on the line to participate in the races. One of the characters, who is known in the racing world and Frankenstein, dies behind the wheel needing only one more victory to get his freedom. In an attempt to keep ratings up, the warden sets up a man named Jensen Ames, an ex-race car driver to take his place wearing the real Frank's mask so the public thinks its still the original. The warden offers him his freedom if he wins just one race, so this would be Ames' motivation to do the task. The drivers also use group cohesion techniques becuase each driver is issued a co-pilot to help navigate the track and deploy the various defense gadgets and weapons. They also must be cohesive with the pit crew. They must work together or die. Jensen also uses imagery. He desperately wants to get back to his baby daughter and he often finds himself imagining her back in his posession.
Contributer: Austin Foteff
28. Title: The Longest Yard (2005)
Sport: Football
Description:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0398165/
An ex-professional quarterback commits a crime sentencing him to the state penitentiary where he leads a team of convicts in a football game against the guards.
Psychology Aspect: Group cohesion is a major aspect since Paul Crew, the quarterback, is supposed to put a group of convicts who do not get along very well in the game of football where team cohesion is of the utmost importance. They go through forming, storming, norming, and performing as the movie progresses. Motivation is also a big factor since the convicts hate the guards who constantly heckle and hassle them, getting the opportunity to hit them legally in the game of football is a big motivating factor in getting them to join the team. Leadership is emphasized by Crew since he is basically the coach and quarterback, two centerpieces in the leadership of any football team.
Contributor: Austin Foteff
29. Title: Glory Road
Sport: Basketball
Description: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0385726/
Psychology Aspect: Group cohesion--Don Haskins comes in as a new coach for Texas Western, he does not have money to persuade high level talented white players to his school. He then recruits 7 black players to add to his team which consists of 5 white players. He first has to motivate them to work together and then to overcome the trials they face for their color of skin.
Contributor: Ashli Hughes
30. Title: BEERFEST
Sport: Um, drinking beer for sport
Description: A group of old college buddies get back together to stand up for their country when they are dishonored at a international beer drinking competition.
Psychology Aspect: Forming Norming Storming and Performing: after the team get together and starts training they are faced with problems that they must overcom as a group, and when a team member dies they are faced with a challenge that may dismantle the team altogether.
Strategy, conditioning and planning: the team learns and developes mothods for them to perform better in their competition.
Contributor: Tristan Patton
31. Title: The Basketball Diaries (1995)
Sport: Basketball
Description: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112461/plotsummary
Psychology Aspect: Substance Abuse in sports, motivation: in the movie he lacks motivation to meet his goals. But, by the end of the movie he gains his motivation back to start his life over, arousal, stress, and anxiety: Jim goes through all of things throughout the movie in trying to overcome his substance abuse.
Contributor: Alyssa Garro
32. Title: Kung Fu Panda
Sport: Chinese Martial Arts (Kung Fu)
Description: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0441773/
Psychology Aspect: An overweight panda perserves in the face of failure to accomplish his dreams of being a Kung Fu Master. Many aspects of sports psychology are modeled such as believing in yourself/confidence, leadership, cooperation and cohesion, competition, concentration, motivation, and imagery.
Contributor: Angela Bragato
33. Title: Facing the Giants
Sport: Football
Description: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0805526/plotsummary
Psychology Aspect: A loosing coach has to face the possibility of not having children and being fired. He calls out to God for help and He responds with a new wave of hope for both on and off the field. The team feels defeated, overwelmed with stress, loss, anger, defeat, and depression. Facing incredible odds, this football team comes together as a team and learns the real meaning of a "team".
Contributor: Vanessa Janssen
34. Title: The Sandlot
Sport: Baseball
Description: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108037/
Psychology Aspect: Facing the fear of rejection, Smalls tries to join a group of boys playing baseball. He gets made fun of my most, but one boy shows him compasion. After joining the group they face countless hurdles throughout their summer. They have to work together to make it through.
Contributor: Vanessa Janssen
35. Title: Rudy
Sport: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108002/synopsis
Description: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108002/synopsis
Psychology Aspect: Despite many hurdles a young boy reaches for his dream of playing college football. He faces many challenges: fear, depression, loss of a friends life, and fear of rejection. But he overcomes them and finds himself and a new level of confidence.
Contributor: Vanessa Janssen
36. Title: Mystery Alaska
Sport: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0134618/
Description:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0134618/plotsummary
Psychology Aspect: The communtiy of Mystery Alaska come together to host the New York Rangers who have challenged the local amateur hockey team. This amateur hockey team consists of local members of the Mystery Alaska community, both young and old alike. As a team they must prepare physically and mentally to face this tough professional team. The New York Rangers face their own challenges as they come to Mystery over confident and ill prepared for the weather.
Contributor: Dana Brown
Sport Psychology Movies Links:
Description: this is a list that is supposed to be part of the link originally intended for the sport psych movie assignment. Unfortunately, all that this list has are titles not the other info that is supposed to accompany it. If you click on a movie the link leads no where.
Contributor: Brady Hazen
2. Link: http://web.archive.org/web/20050513235800/www.geocities.com/sportsmovies/SPMD_Theme_Index.htm
Description: This is another part to the list that is supposed to be part of the link originally intended for the sport psych movie assignment. This list provides psychological issues (ex: anxiety) and then lists sport movies that deal with that issue.
Contributor: Brady Hazen
Description: Another reproduction of the database. The author has been contacted requesting an update on the status of the list.
Contributor: Brian Sather
4. Link:
Description:
Contributor:
5. Link:
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