20 best movies like The Kid from Left Field (1979)

Ivan is a 400-pound silverback gorilla who shares a communal habitat in a suburban shopping mall with Stella the elephant, Bob the dog, and various other animals. He has few memories of the jungle where he was captured, but when a baby elephant named Ruby arrives, it touches something deep within him. Ruby is recently separated from her family in the wild, which causes him to question his life, where he comes from and where he ultimately wants to be.

After discovering a magical mask, an 11-year-old aspiring wrestler enters a competition to become the next WWE superstar by using special powers from a magical mask.

Larry Guthrie, who loses his first love to the town hot shot, decides to win her back by volunteering with the children at her after-school program. When Larry accidentally tells the kids the Tooth Fairy is make-believe, he soon is transformed into a tutu-clad fairy with the "sentence" of collecting teeth.

Brian is a 16 year-old who can't play basketball, but he still wants to play like his hero, Kevin Durant. At an Oklahoma City Thunder game, Brian gets chosen to shoot a half court shot which he misses and hits the mascot in the process. Later on, he gets a chance to meet Durant and expresses his desire to play just like him. When Kevin gives Brian the ball, the two unknowingly switch talents.

An 11-year old phenom wrestler with an undefeated record, Kace Gabriel gives up the sport to write/direct a movie. He believes that if the film makes his best friend, Charlie, laugh on Christmas Day it will awake the boy from a coma.

Based on a true story, a group of boys from Monterrey, Mexico who become the first non-U.S. team to win the Little League World Series.

The film centers on a fight promoter (Mark Feuerstein) deeply in debt to his crooked rival. Desperate for a new fighter that will help him win back everything he owes, the promoter catches a break when a 450-pound church handyman (Paul "Big Show" Wight) who has spent his entire life in an orphanage agrees to wrestle on behalf of his fellow orphans.

Rich, eccentric T.J. Banner adopts a feral cat who becomes an affectionate pet. Then T.J. dies, leaving to Rhubarb most of his money and a pro baseball team, the Brooklyn Loons. When the team protests, publicist Eric Yeager convinces them Rhubarb is good luck. But Eric's fiacee Polly seems to be allergic to cats, and the team's success may mean new hazards for Rhubarb.

A successful professional baseball player gets his ego in check via an unreality check when he travels back in time to his boyhood sandlot ball-playing days.

12-year-old Henry Rowengartner, whose late father was a minor league baseball player, grew up dreaming of playing baseball, despite his physical shortcomings. After Henry's arm is broken while trying to catch a baseball at school, the tendon in that arm heals too tightly, allowing Henry to throw pitches that are as fast as 103 mph. Henry is spotted at nearby Wrigley Field by Larry "Fish" Fisher, the general manager of the struggling Chicago Cubs, after Henry throws an opponent's home-run ball all the way from the outfield bleachers back to the catcher, and it seems that Henry may be the pitcher that team owner Bob Carson has been praying for.

Another young boy with 'hoop dreams' finds an old pair of Michael Jordan's sneakers and can suddenly play ball like the greatest player in the world.

Two Asian-American "surfer-dude" brothers discover they are the long lost princes from a China Sea Island. Part of their inheritance are magically-induced martial arts prowess. Using their new powers they act to overthrow the island's current dictator, a despotic madman.

In a depressed Texas town, British foreign exchange teacher Anna attempts to inject some life into her hopeless kids by introducing them to soccer. They're terrible at first, but Anna and her football-hero assistant whip them into shape. As they work overtime, the pair help kids build their self-esteem and also get involved in solving family squabbles.

When a Jamaican sprinter is disqualified from the Olympic Games, he enlists the help of a dishonored coach to start the first Jamaican Bobsled Team.

Shattered illusions are hard to repair -- especially for a good-hearted zebra named Stripes who's spent his life on a Kentucky farm amidst the sorely mistaken notion that he's a debonair thoroughbred. Once he faces the fact that his stark stripes mark him as different, he decides he'll race anyway. And with help from the young girl who raised him, he just might end up in the winner's circle.

Best known as the production designer on most of the Farrelly Brothers films, Sidney J. Bartholomew Jr. makes his directorial debut with this family-friendly soccer comedy. Real-life twin brothers Dylan and Cole Sprouse play a pair of soccer-playing kids severely lacking in skill on the field. But when they pledge to win, they have to pull it together or face the wrath of a local bully. Just 4 Kicks also stars Tom Arnold and features an appearance by soccer pro Cobi Jones. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi

15 year-old soccer prodigy, Sara Davis, has a chance to join the U.S. National Team, but she must juggle high school, romance, sports, and parental pressure while deciding her own priorities.

Former golf pro directed to serve community service by teaching teenagers to play golf. A kind of "Bad News Bears" meets golf.

Story revolves around a young boxer, Izzy Daniels, who trains to follow in his father's footsteps by winning the Golden Glove. When his friend, Mary, however, asks him to substitute for a team member in a Double Dutch tournament, the young man discovers a hidden passion for jump roping

With the help of her coach, her parents, and the boy who drives the Zamboni machine, nothing can stop Casey from realizing her dream to be a champion figure skater.

To climb the corporate ladder to success, a guy agrees to coach the company's all girl soccer team with the help of his secret weapon: his fiancee's son.

Phil Weston has been unathletic his entire life. In college he failed at every sport that he tried out for. It looks like his 10-year old son, Sam, is following in his footsteps. But when Phil's hyper-competitive dad benches Sam, Phil decides to transfer his son to a new team which needs a coach. Phil steps in to be the temporary coach and immediately begins to butt heads with this dad over this new competition in their lives.

An acclaimed college hoops coach is demoted to a junior varsity team after a public meltdown.

Nacho Libre is loosely based on the story of Fray Tormenta ("Friar Storm"), aka Rev. Sergio Gutierrez Benitez, a real-life Mexican Catholic priest who had a 23-year career as a masked luchador. He competed in order to support the orphanage he directed.

When the five puppies stumble upon the Five Power Rings of Inspiron (alien artifacts abandoned on Earth 16 years ago), they all develop super powers, and are enlisted in Captain Canine's battle against the evil Darkon alien Commander Drex. Captain Canine is commander of space ship Megasis and is from the planet Inspiron. He is the mortal enemy of the Commander Drex. In charge of protecting Princess Jorala and the Five Power Rings from Drex, Megasis places the rings in hiding on the planet Earth, and takes the form of a German Shepherd, intending to stay on earth in very deep cover. Adopted by aspiring young comic book artist Ian Shaeffer, and renamed Captain Canine, he spends 16 happy years on Earth, as Ian recounts the stories of his space adventures. But when the five Buddies discover the Power Rings and instantly develop superpowers, Captain Canine has to train them very quickly indeed - for Commander Drex is headed back to earth, and this time he's determined to succeed.

A head cheerleader's life takes an unexpected twist when her rifle-like throwing arm takes her from the sidelines to becoming her middle school’s starting quarterback. Bella Dawson is a confident, caring and talented teenager, who suddenly finds herself fulfilling a lifelong dream but also having to navigate the world of her teammates Troy, Sawyer and Newt, without losing her two best friends, Pepper and Sophie from the cheer squad.

When his wife dies, Carl offers his only son, Janeau, 12, a fresh start. They move to Mont Saint-Hilaire, where Janeau makes friends with Julie, a talented Pee-Wee hockey goalie determined to compete in the annual World Tournament held in Quebec. She convinces Janeau to join the team, but he has a hard time being accepted by the rest of the players, including Joey, the star player who has to endure constant pressure from his father.

High school senior Miles Walton joins the girls volleyball team in hopes of winning a college scholarship, which causes an uproar in his small Illinois farming town.

Eddie Ogden is his pa's pride and joy as well as the Groundhogs team's only asset as baseball talent. Then Eddie discovers a taste and talent for cuisine. Although his brothers Andy and Alex, and Pa as well as classmates enjoy his dishes, they only mock cooking, so he arranges and 'accidental' registration for him and two friends in Home Economics. Only Eddie -secretly again- and nerdy shrew Bridget Simons enter a national cooking competition for school-kids. Ma finds out and to his surprise proves supportive, as well as the teacher, who once won the competition herself.

When a Miami dentist inherits a team of sled dogs, he's got to learn the trade or lose his pack to a crusty mountain man.

When the owner of the Minnesota Twins passes away, he bequeaths the team to his preteen grandson. The newly minted head honcho quickly appoints himself manager, causing unrest in an organisation that struggles to take orders from a 12-year-old.