Mirza Aaqib Beg
‘The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers‘ revolves around Evan, a 12-year-old young boy who unfortunately fails to save his position in the Mighty Ducks junior hockey team because of the cut-throat competition. Alex Marrow, Evan’s mother, motivates her son not to give up and create his own team of underdogs. Evan follows her advice, gathers a few dark horses, and starts working with Gordon Bombay, the Mighty Ducks’ former coach for upcoming tournaments. The inspiring story of Evan and his team of underdogs can give anyone goosebumps. If you want to experience something similar, then we have a few recommendations. You can watch most of these shows like ‘The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers’ on Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime.
6. Ballers (2015 – 2019)
Starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, ‘Ballers’ revolves around a retired NFL athlete, Spencer Strasmore’s struggle to become a successful financial manager. While familiarizing the viewers with the lives of current and former athletes, the series captures Strasmore’s journey as a mentor and guardian to the players as he tries to prove his skeptics wrong. Viewers watch not only the player’s daily grind but also their extravagant lifestyle. People who love ‘The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers’ will definitely enjoy Strasmore’s journey in ‘Ballers‘ as the protagonist returns to the world of sports but in a different role.
5. Pitch (2016)
When the professional baseball team, San Diego Padres, invites Ginny Baker, a gifted baseball pitcher, she immediately portrays her superior skills and earns the distinction of becoming the first woman in Major League Baseball. Although she manages to impress Mike Lawson, the captain of the team, not all the teammates want to have a woman in San Diego Padres. It puts Mike in a spot as he tries to ensure everyone gets along.
Viewers who love Evan’s underdog story in ‘The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers’ will definitely enjoy the impressive story of Ginny Baker, who makes her way into Major League Baseball and ultimately proves to the members of her team that she belongs there.
4. Friday Night Lights (2006 – 2011)
In the town of Dillon, Texas, nothing matters as much as winning the state championship. When Dillon High School Panthers hires Eric Taylor as the head coach, he confronts the harsh reality of the pressure that the tournaments put on young citizens in the rural city. As the story unfolds, Taylor faces several daunting problems that make him question the possibility of winning the prized championship. In the meantime, he also faces many difficulties in his personal life. As Taylor confronts everything bravely, some deep-rooted issues of the rural town also begin to surface.
The inspiring show captures the passionate and emotional pursuit of goals that can keep viewers on the edge of their seats. If you love Evan’s never-give-up attitude and the fight against the odds, then you should definitely watch ‘Friday Night Lights.’
3. The League (2009 – 2015)
‘The League’ follows a group of friends who love fantasy football. Peter, Kevin, Rodney, and Dr. Andre take their obsession with the sport to the point that it starts affecting other spheres of life. What begins as a friendly competition between them soon becomes so competitive that it affects their work-life balance and relationships. But despite the emergence of obvious issues, the drive to win the league remains the top-priority of the friends as they start ruining their relationships in the process.
‘The League’ is not an inspiring journey of the dark horses like ‘The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers.’ On the one hand, the former warns of the dangers of cut-throat competition; the latter teaches how to pick oneself up after a defeat. Both, therefore, have important messages for the viewers and are hence must-watch.
2. Cobra Kai (2018-)
After saving a young boy, Miguel, from his bullies, Johnny Lawrence finds the inspiration to take up karate again and reopens the notorious Cobra Kai dojo three decades after the All Valley Karate Tournament of 1984. It may appear that he is happy and successful, but Daniel LaRusso, the original “Karate Kid,” is undergoing a crisis of purpose and self-worth since his mentor’s death. When Johnny begins his new life, some misunderstandings put him up against his old enemy, Daniel, as their proteges also find themselves in the same cycle of hatred. As the story unfolds, Johnny redeems himself and champions the cause of the victims of high-school bullying by teaching them karate.
The Cobra Kai kids, once a ragtag group of “losers,” learn to fight back their bullies, just like Evan manages to form an entire team despite the odds stacked against him. Both ‘Cobra Kai’ and ‘The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers’ are stories of underdogs who eventually prove themselves through sheer determination and persistence. All three teacher/coach characters – Gordon Bombay, Johnny Lawrence, and Daniel LaRusso – are people who have given up on their passions and embrace their true callings years later to guide a new generation of kids who desperately need help.
1. Hot Stove League (2019 – 2020)
‘Hot Stove League’ is a Korean drama series that centers upon The Dreams, a professional baseball team that is consistently losing in every tournament for the previous four seasons and is always the last team on the points table. They try to give themselves a fresh start and hire Baek Seung Soo as the new general manager despite his lack of experience in the sport. With a plethora of obstacles standing in their way, the team works on problems they need to fix in order to perform better.
Along with Jae-hee and Se-young, Baek Seung Soo aspires to create a championship-winning team. The story of the underdogs working hard to achieve a seemingly impossible goal may sound familiar to the ‘The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers’ fans. If you like the tale of Evan’s team, then you should definitely watch ‘Hot Stove League.’
Read More: Is The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers Based on a True Story?
