Inspiration: Watch an inspiring movie – 50 for 50 Idea #45

posted on: December 15, 2018
author: Brian Lomax, Ed.D.

When I was 11 years old, I started listening to music to get myself pumped-up for tennis tournaments. At the time, my preferred pump-up selections were from the soundtracks to Rocky and Rocky II. I owned each of them on vinyl and my routine was to play them on the turntable in my room before leaving the house to go compete. The music brought me back to the dramatic moments of each movie in which Rocky would overcome the odds to perform better than anyone expected. Such an inspiration! The music got me energized to compete just like Rocky Balboa.

Whether it’s in preparation for a competition or just in the daily work we do to be successful at our sport, we want to be fueling our motivation and inspiration. It’s not easy to “love the grind” and I’m not sure that’s even realistic. However, if we design routines that can keep us motivated and inspired along the way, we have a better chance of bringing the required intensity and energy necessary to be successful consistently.

Idea #45 – Watch an inspiring sports movie or documentary once a month

I love movies. Watching movies and talking about them is one of my favorite hobbies. And I’ve seen a lot of them. When I want to learn something or be inspired, I will often watch a sports movie or documentary. Sometimes I learn more about what I should do, and other times I learn about what I should never do. Both types of lessons are valuable. Either way, watching these films keeps me connected to sport and competition. And that’s the point. I want to stay connected, and I want inspiration.

Below are some of my favorites in the sports movie and documentary categories.

Movies

• Miracle
• The Peaceful Warrior
• Breaking Away
• Hoosiers
• Rocky
• Field of Dreams
• The Blind Side
• Moneyball
• Eight Men Out
• Brian’s Song
• We are Marshall
• The Rookie
• Invictus
• Battle of the Sexes
• Rush

Documentaries

• Senna – This documentary raises the bar for all sports documentaries – highly recommend.
• 30 for 30: You Don’t Know Bo
• 30 for 30: Once Brothers
• Icarus
• The Armstrong Lie
• Red Army
• The Other Dream Team
• 30 for 30: The Two Escobars
• Undefeated
• American Masters: Billie Jean King
• The Test
• All or Nothing: New Zealand All Blacks
• Untold: Swamp Kings
• Untold: The Race of the Century
• The Redeem Team
• Guillermo Vilas: Settling the Score

Friend and colleague, Dr. Rob Bell, has compiled a couple of lists of his favorite mental toughness documentaries.  These documentaries are inspirational for sure.  Check out his posts to add more documentaries to your watchlist:

Top 10 Documentaries that will make you mentally tougher

Another Top 10 Must Watch Mental Toughness Documentaries

 

This list should keep you busy for a while. Most of these are available on some streaming service, so search for them on your favorite platform. As with all lists of this type, I may have left out one of your favorites. Feel free to let me know which movies and documentaries inspire you. If I haven’t seen it, I’ll be sure to add it to my watchlist.