Father and child sit together smiling while looking at a smart phone.

Want more recommendations for your family?

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for entertainment inspiration

Parents' Guide to

Back of the Net

By Andrea Beach, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Wholesome, feel-good story of misfit at soccer camp.

Movie NR 2019 98 minutes
Back of the Net Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
age 8+

Based on 3 parent reviews

JAinVA
JAinVA Adult
January 24, 2021
age 8+

Another winner

Cute and entertaining. The science girl ends up at a soccer camp by mistake and hilarity ensues.
1 person found this helpful.
Gymnast1234
Gymnast1234 Adult
May 30, 2020
age 7+

Pretty good

I love this movie I think Cory is a great roll model except that she splashes in a mud puddle so mud gets on Edie.

This title has:

Great messages
1 person found this helpful.
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

BACK OF THE NET tells the story of Cory, a 16-year-old overachiever looking forward to spending the summer in Australia studying oceanography aboard ship. When she accidentally gets on the wrong bus at the airport, she finds herself at an elite soccer camp instead. By then her ship is already out to sea, so Cory will have to make the best of being stuck at a camp for a sport she's never played in her life. All while navigating between attention from a cute guy, new friendships, and jealous rivals. Oh, and learning how to kick a soccer ball, too.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (4 ):

This wholesome story of a misfit at soccer camp is one that's been told many times before, and won't hold any surprises for older viewers. But Back of the Net's attractive, winning cast are terrific, ethnically diverse role models and the story bubbles with positive messages and examples. It's entirely predictable as it builds to a championship match between the underdogs and their biggest rival. If you try not to think too much about how it's summer in Los Angeles and Australia at the same time you can enjoy a pleasant ride down a very familiar and scenic road. Tweens and young teens will relate to Cory and her friends as they forge new friendships and learn new ways of thinking all the way to the feel-good ending.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the teen role models in Back of the Net. What are Cory's character strengths? What about the other characters?

  • Why is it important to have ethnically diverse cast members in movies, TV, games, and books?

  • How does teamwork help Cory and her friends? What makes them a good team?

Movie Details

Inclusion information powered by

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate