The momentum you start a game with is incredibly important to any sport. Coming back to win after a poor start can make for a great game, but showing up and perfectly executing the first few innings of a game can set a tone that keeps your team playing aggressively and intelligently for nine innings. Achieving some sort of momentum before the first inning is something I’ve always struggled with as a Captain. Sometimes my team needs more than our traditional pre-game victory lap and a lukewarm PBR to get motivated and play a competitive adult kickball game. I don’t have the numbers to prove it, but I guarantee the majority of our games have started off with a substantial first inning deficit. Traditionally, before The Late Fees first regular season game I play Al Pacino’s game changing speech from Oliver Stone’s epically over-the-top Any Given Sunday. This sort-of worked once, but the novelty has worn off, or was never there—kickball probably isn’t “a game of inches” anyways. Below I’ve compiled a list of my top five inspirational sports movie speeches. Maybe on a Sunday afternoon, when you’re playing at the treeless Broken Arrow Park, and the sun is relentlessly pounding you and your team, just maybe a hastily regurgitated Kurt Russell speech from Miracle can pull your team together, focus them, and help them kick the shit out of some balls.
What’s your favorite sports movie moment? How do you get your team’s head in the game and keep them motivated (there has to be a better way)? What’s on your mind as we approach opening day!? DISCUSS!
In no particular order…
ANY GIVEN SUNDAY
(A portion of this is the ringer on my phone. This is my no. 1 sports movie guilty pleasure.)
“We can stay here and get the shit kicked out of us or we can fight our way back into the light. We can climb out of hell. One inch, at a time.”
MIRACLE
(I once gave this as a speech at a wedding. Most the guests thought I was an idiot, but about five dudes thought I was awesome.)
“I’m sick and tired of hearin’ about what a great hockey team the Soviets have!”
HOOSIERS
“…I don’t care what the scoreboard says at the end of the game, in my book we’re gonna be winners!”
RUDY
(Ugh, choosing between Rudy/Janitor speech and Rudy/Locker room speech is the Sophie’s Choice of inspirational sports movie speeches!)
” In this life, you don’t have to prove nothin’ to nobody but yourself. ”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27D4k3dCXPg
MIGHTY DUCKS
(quack, quack, Quack, Quack, QUACK, QUACK, QUACK! QUACK! QUACK!)
“DUCKS FLY TOGETHER!”
FIVE MORE DAYS! GET EXCITED PEOPLE!
Your friend,
Coach Billy Gay Cyrus