Born to Play
By Joyce Slaton,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Female athletes fight for glory in tender football doc.
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Born to Play
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What's the Story?
Tackle football is generally a game reserved for male athletes, but BORN TO PLAY shines a light on the little-known women's tackle football league, and one team in particular, the Boston Renegades. They don't get paid like their male counterparts, they don't draw huge crowds, and they wield precious little power and fame. But on the field, these athletes put their bodies on the line, even if during the day they keep the full-time jobs that are necessary to support their dreams. In this documentary, we meet players who range in age from 18 to 49, and come from a wide spectrum of backgrounds, yet are united by their love of the game and their willingness to do what it takes to keep playing.
Is It Any Good?
There's plenty of valor to go around in sports movies and the lion's share generally goes to male players, but the women of the Renegades fight, hard, and win at least a measure of respect and admiration. The diminished status of women's sports is underlined in countless ways in this sensitive documentary. There's the revelation that all the Renegades players pay to play, the camera sweeping over the sparse crowds at games, and one player's realization that she can't just recover from an injury like a male player and keep going out on the field because she has a day job she needs to maintain. "The male pros can commit 100 percent of their time and energy to playing and improving," she tells us wistfully in Born to Play. "I wish I could do that too."
And yet, these powerful athletes are electrified with delight to be playing at all. The joy is particularly evident emanating from quarterback Allison Cahill, who first announced her intention of growing up to be a football player at age 4. At practices, at games, even in her day job as a personal trainer, she pushes so hard it's as if she could will her team into success and acclaim with one more drill, one more play. Cornerback Chanté Bonds.puts it into words: "Being on the field makes me feel alive," she says bluntly. "I was born to play." And this sentiment -- despite the ordinariness of their day-to-day lives, and the injuries, and the never ending struggle -- is why these women soldier on. It's easy to admire their athleticism and grace on the field, but it's in their daily lives that these women show their true toughness, enduring so much for such precious little glory.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Born to Play is and isn't like other sports movies or documentaries. What sets it apart from similar movies? How are the players similar or different to athletes in other documentaries? Are their struggles different, too?
Do you think the media glamorizes professional sports and sports stars? If so, is that a positive or negative thing? Do the players in this documentary receive any of this glory? Why or why not?
How do Renegade players demonstrate perseverance and teamwork in Born to Play? Why are these important character strengths?
TV Details
- Premiere date: July 1, 2020
- Network: ESPN
- Genre: Reality TV
- Topics: Sports and Martial Arts, Great Girl Role Models
- Character Strengths: Perseverance, Teamwork
- TV rating: TV-14
- Last updated: January 19, 2022
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