Can You Identify These ’90s Kids Sports Movies?

ENTERTAINMENT

By: Lauren Lubas

7 Min Quiz

Image: Touchstone Pictures

About This Quiz

From soccer to hockey to baseball, children's movies of the 1990s delivered some inspirational teams that overcame insurmountable odds to make it to the championships, the finals or even the Olympics. '90s kids watched as low-income heroes triumphed over rich, well-dressed teams. The narrative arcs showed us that everyone wants to give up sometimes, but a good coach, teammate or parent can bring you back so you can win your prize. We watched our favorite characters grow through sequels and survive hardships time and again (somehow always the same types of hardships, and somehow always with the same realization at the end). We didn't care how cheesy the dialog was; we just wanted to see our favorite players win in our favorite sports. It never mattered what the movie was about in the 1990s; all that mattered was that the team had a nerd, an overweight funny kid, a superhero (who could play the game better than all of the other players on the team combined) and a new guy. While few characters crossed over in these categories, very few of the '90s sports movies featuring kids broke their formula too much.

If you grew up hoping the Mighty Ducks beat the Sharks or you just have a love for teen athletes, we have the quiz you've been looking for. It's time to see if you can identify all of these '90s kids sports movies.

This 1993 movie proved that a child could be an MLB player. What is it?

"Rookie of the Year" (1993) was about a boy who broke his arm and felt as though he could still pitch. His stance and delivery were way off, but for some reason, he could pitch faster than any MLB player. Hey, it worked in the '90s.

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Everyone can spot this hockey movie from a mile away, but can you name it?

We all remember Joshua Jackson in his childhood role as Charlie Conway, the heart of the Mighty Ducks team. This movie came out when it was totally cool for those who break the law to teach kids how to play hockey properly.

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In which movie does a kid steal a baseball signed by Babe Ruth?

"You're killin' me, Smalls!" is one of the most well-known lines from "The Sandlot" (1993). Though 1993 was a big year for baseball movies, this one holds a place in the hearts of many '90s kids.

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Do you remember the '90s sports movie that was set in a town so small it had a one-room school house?

Remember when Steve Guttenberg was in, like, every movie? So do we, and yes, he was in "The Big Green" (1995), a film about small-town kids who don't have much to do except run around in a field.

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Can you name the movie in which Michael Jordan attempted to act?

This was the decade of the Chicago Bulls, and what better way to make money off of Michael Jordan's magical jumping powers than to have him in a movie with the Looney Toons? Hey, at least we got to meet an adult female bunny in this one.

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Which '90s kids sports movie included a deadbeat dad and the Anaheim Angels?

"Angels in the Outfield" (1994) teaches kids that it's totally fine to cheat, as long as a celestial being is doing the cheating for you. Don't believe us? Watch the movie again and see what happens when Christopher Lloyd moves the foul post.

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This movie was all about a dog who could play basketball. What is it called?

While the 1990s weren't necessarily hurting for movie ideas, it was a time when children had expendable funds, and they liked to spend those funds on seeing movies ... And what's better than a movie that involves animals and sports at the same time? Nothing, that's what.

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Which movie included a kid who tried to make the Minnesota Twins better?

There are some interesting plot lines in 1990s kids movies, but one of the most outlandish of them all was the fact that a minor was running a major league baseball team (yes, he owned them and managed them).

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Can you identify this sports movie that involves a man getting out of prison to convince his son to play basketball?

The plot of "He Got Game" (1998) isn't as outlandish as people think it is. When it comes to recruiting college athletes, some people will go to great extents to ensure the star players land on their teams, as was the case in this movie.

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This movie got kids into the Winter Olympics. Do you remember what it was called?

Starring John Candy before his untimely death, "Cool Runnings" (1993) was about Jamaica trying to form a bobsled team for the Olympics. As inspirational and funny as this movie was, it was also based on a true story.

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In this sequel, a hockey team goes to an international event. What is the movie?

Whoever decided to name a sequel the same as the original with a simple "2" in it was pretty special. However, "D2: The Mighty Ducks" gave us nearly the same plot as the original that had come out just two years before. It was a sad attempt to make a little more money.

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Which high school football movie showed just how crazy coaches can be?

"Varsity Blues" (1999) showed just how difficult it was for teenagers in the 1990s. They were still told what to do, and they still had their lives mapped out for them. Of course, it did show us how to stand up to our parents.

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Do you remember this college basketball movie starring Nick Nolte?

The 1990s really dug in hard on how college athletics changes a person. In "Blue Chips" (1994), we watch Nick Nolte do some pretty crazy stuff to get his team to win.

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This movie ended a franchise that started out as the strongest in '90s-kids-sports-movie history. What is it?

Really? That's what you're going to name this movie? All right, that's fine. In this, the third installment of "The Mighty Ducks" franchise, we watch our favorite ragtag team go to prep school and get mad at the varsity hockey team for being a bunch of jerks. That's pretty much the entire movie. Seriously.

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In which basketball movie does Kevin Bacon seek out a player who is nearly seven feet tall?

The cheesiest thing you could do to a tall person in the 1990s was ask them how the air was up there. This movie took that cheesiness and put it on the big screen. At least Kevin Bacon learned a lot of lessons on his trip.

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Which sequel has the main character switch sports?

If a movie with a dog playing basketball can make money, why wouldn't a movie with a dog playing football make money? This is what the production studio asked before they hit the green light on "Air Bud: Golden Receiver" (1998).

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Which baseball sequel showed us you had to keep practicing, even if you won last year?

As far as the "Major League" franchise is concerned, this is right on par with the first movie. "Major League II" brought us to the World Series and gave us more of the characters that we loved.

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This movie included a pitcher who could throw a perfect game and hit homers. What movie is it?

"The Scout" (1994) was about a baseball player who had it all. No one thought this could ever be a real person (until we met Mark Prior). Unfortunately, this player has a little bit of a psychological issue that needs to be addressed.

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Here's a story about the Olympics. This one is about a runner, but do you know what it's called?

"Prefontaine" (1997) stars Jared Leto as a man who just loves to run. While the film cost around eight million dollars to produce, it only made just over half a million dollars at the box office.

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Do you remember this movie in which a woman replaces the head coach of the New York Knicks?

Whoopi Goldberg was all the rage in the 1990s. She was like the Samuel L. Jackson of the early 1990s (as in she was literally in every film ever made). It was only a matter of time before someone put her front and center in a movie and made her a professional basketball coach.

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What is this movie about a college football coach who has to win?

"The Program" (1993) was a film that had the drama that many were looking for in sports movies along with the grit of what it really takes to be a college football coach with a winning team.

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In this ice skating movie, a former hockey player loses it all and then comes back. Do you remember the name of this movie?

"Toe pick!" What happens when you mix a spoiled rich girl with a dirty ex-hockey player? 1990s sports-movie magic is what happens. This movie is all about two worlds colliding and the intense teamwork that is a result of said collision.

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Which 1990s peewee football movie starred Ed O'Neil and Rick Moranis?

"Little Giants" (1994) was the quintessential '90s kids sports movie. It included a team of misfits (and low-income kids), a new kid, a love interest and an adult rivalry. However, it did show that girls could be good at football.

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This golf comedy is titled after the main character. What is it called?

While "Happy Gilmore" (1996) was a little more for adults, pretty much every '90s kid watched it at a friend's house or in the dark when their parents weren't looking. Adam Sandler just had that much appeal back then.

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Can you name this '90s sports movie about two boys who dreamed of being in the NBA?

"Hoop Dreams" (1994) tells the story of two inner-city Chicago children who want to do more with their lives. That is why they have to walk an hour and a half to a school that has a better basketball program.

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In this movie, there is football, magic and big changes. Can you identify it?

Everyone remembers "The Waterboy" (1998) as one of Adam Sandler's last great movies. He plays a young sheltered boy who doesn't know much, but he does know that Gatorade is the devil.

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Which '90s sports movie had Bill Murray as a master bowler?

"Kingpin" (1996) was directed by the Farrelly brothers and showed us a darker side to some of our favorite actors. Bill Murray and Woody Harrelson star in this ... very interesting film about what it's like to be a professional bowler.

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Can you identify the '90s sports movie that was set in a tiny town where the people loved to play hockey?

In Mystery, Alaska, there isn't much for people to do, except ice skate down a frozen river. However, when the New York Rangers want to play a hockey game against the local team, inspiration is abounds.

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Which movie is about Steve Prefontaine and the 1972 Olympics?

Jared Leto starred in "Prefontaine" (1997), but two years later, Billy Crudup took on the role and attempted to retell the inspirational story in a different way. This time, it was produced by Tom Cruise.

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Can you name this 1998 movie that was a part of the "Major League" franchise?

While the majority of the "Major League" cast didn't show up for this film, we were lucky enough to see Pedro Cerrano (Dennis Haysbert) and his voodoo antics in this film.

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This early '90s sports film includes boxing and James Woods. What is it?

The early 1990s had its fair share of movies that starred conmen. For some reason, we loved seeing people get conned back then. "Diggstown" (1992) was no exception. James Woods stars as a recently released conman in this boxing movie.

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Which '90s comedy was about a ghost who played basketball?

The 1990s were all about the Wayans brothers. When one of those brothers hits the court with a ghost, this dark comedy becomes a sensation. This movie was fun for people of all ages back then, but it was mostly marketed to children.

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This baseball movie includes a chimp that plays third base. What is it?

In the swing of his success on "Friends," Matt LeBlanc attempted to make the transition to the big screen in this hit of a movie, "Ed" (1996). While the movie wasn't very memorable, it did make over four million in theaters.

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What is this movie about girls playing in the big leagues?

When you put Tom Hanks and Geena Davis on the same frame, magic happens. "A League of Their Own" (1992) smashed box-office expectations and became a huge hit as both a historical movie and a comedy.

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In which movie did Keanu Reeves play an undercover cop to infiltrate a surf gang?

Yes, that was the premise for this movie. Not only did Keanu Reeves have to learn how to surf, but he also had to do so while investigating a surf gang that was robbing banks on his turf.

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This 1992 soccer film stars Rodney Dangerfield and Jonathan Brandis. Can you name it?

This movie would probably never be made these days, but in 1992, having a boy dress up like a girl in order to win a soccer tournament was totally cool ... as long as no one found out he was a boy.

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Can you name this college football movie that starred Sinbad and Scott Bakula?

Yet another movie about a college sports team that needs more help. While the team doesn't do well, they learn that letting girls play football is the only way they'll be able to win.

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What is the name of this movie about intense basketball fans?

"We're the bad luck guys!" "Celtic Pride" (1996) showed exactly what pride gets you when two Celtic superfans kidnap a member of the opposing team in order to give their team an edge.

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Can you name this movie about a Chuck Norris super fan?

There is nothing like Jonathan Brandis fantasizing about being Chuck Norris's best friend and sidekick. Did we mention that his character suffers from asthma? Well, he works hard and gets what he wants, so this one is at the top of the cheese charts for us.

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In which movie does Mr. Miyagi teach a girl karate?

We love Mr. Miyagi, and we love that he taught anyone who was willing to listen. While we all wanted to see a new Karate Kid movie, it turns we really meant "Cobra Kai" (2018), not a new student.

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