If there’s one thing that moviegoers are a sucker for when it comes to their big screen viewings, it’s anuplifting underdog taleof perseverance and tenacity. For decades, sports dramas have been the bread-and-butter in Hollywood, as audiences can’t help but root for these courageous characters as they face adversity and monumental hurdles while trying to achieve their ambitious goals.Luke WilsonandGreg Kinnearjoined forces to star in the emotionally-moving 2024 filmYou Gotta Believe, which brilliantly depicts the Fort Worth Westside All-Stars' remarkable season that landed them at the 2002 Little League World Series.
You Gotta Believehighlights the tremendous efforts the young team put forth to make it to the annual tournament, doing so to honor the ailing father of one of their players, who was undergoing treatment for his terminal cancer as the LLWS played out. Theinspiring sports dramais based on a powerful true story and became a certified hit with audiences, tugging on their heartstrings as they rooted for the underdog team to make it to the top and honor both their school and the cancer-stricken parent.
You Gotta Believe
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A Heartwarming Underdog Sports Drama
Luke Wilsonand Greg Kinnearteamed up to headline the wholesome and uplifting sports dramaYou Gotta Believe. The movie depictsthe powerful true story of how the determined Coach Jon Kelly (Kinnear) and his underestimated youth baseball team rallied together to honor the ailing father of a teammate by defying the odds and making it all the way to he 2002 Little League World Series, where an epic showdown ultimately unfolded. Fort Worth, Texas' Coach Kelly dedicated the team’s valiant postseason run to honor first baseman Robert’s ill dad and assistant coach Bobby Ratliff (Wilson), who was diagnosed with terminal melanoma.
Fort Worth Westside All-Stars come together and push themselves to make it to the prestigious Little League World Series, working hard to be the best players they can be in order to pay tribute to both Ratliff and Robert while also proving that hard work and an optimistic attitude can pay off spectacularly. The overlooked-yet-mighty team underwent an astounding transformation froman underdog teamto making its historic mark in the Little League World Series record book and delivering an unforgettable ESPN knockout.
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‘You Gotta Believe’ Is Poignantly Rooted in Reality
You Gotta Believemovinglyrecounts the powerful true story ofthe real Westside All-Stars Little League team. Much like the movie, they trained hard to reach the LLWS in 2002 despite no previous team from the Dallas-Fort Worth area doing so in 42 years. The young and ambitious players fiercely fought to make it to the annual baseball tournament, with the team wanting to make it to the top and dedicate their season to Bobby Ratliff, who continued attending their games during the summer while also undergoing intense treatment for his cancer.
The Westside All-Stars honed their skills and rallied to make it to the elimination bracket in the series quarterfinals, facing off against Louisville, Kentucky’s Valley Sports American team and sporting baseball caps with the name “Bobby” stitched on the front of them. The historical match went on for eleven total innings (not the traditional six) and racked up arecord-setting 49 total strikeouts. Sadly,it resulted in the Forth Worth team losing to Valley Sports but nonetheless leaving their mark on the tournament because of how fearlessly each side fought. Bobby was able to witness Westside’s heartwarming efforts throughout the season and even observed the final match.
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Where Are They Now?
Bobby Ratliff passed awayon Jul 04, 2025, andhis son Robert went on to play football at Ole Miss before returning to Fort Worth and working in insurance, though he aspires to be a Little League coach. In an October 2024 appearanceon 700 Club Interactive, Robert opened up about his late father, stating that in spite of the unfathomable battle he faced and though he was enduring “some intense treatments with melanoma skin cancer,“their LLWS run gave him “a lot of purpose"to try and be present at as many games as he could. Former head coach Jon Kelly also reflected on the team’s extraordinary season, telling theFort Worth Reportin August 2024:
“It was just such an enjoyable, unforgettable summer. There was no tension, no complaints from any of the kids — everyone was just happy to be there and play ball…The team was so supportive of Robert and his family, and they played their hearts out for Bobby … it was really special.”
In April 2022, two decades after the Little League World Series, many members of the 2002 Fort Worth Westside All-Stars team returned to their roots and ended up back on the field they once practiced on, reconnecting with one another.Teammate Michael Valdez played baseball at Texas Wesleyan Universityand taught various youth sports teams, whileWalker Kelly played baseball at Texas Christian Universityand Mitchell Belew now coaches his nephew’s Little League baseball team.
You Gotta Believedebuted in theaters on August 15, 2025, grossing $1.4 million at the box office while earning a mixed bag response from critics, who appreciated its uplifting message and well-crafted screenplay but felt it was also a bit too contrived and clichéd, giving it a lackluster 55% Rotten Tomatoes score. However, audiences, in contrast, couldn’t get enough of theemotionally-stirring sports drama, awarding the film a fantastic 90% on the Popcornmeter and also helping it climb the ranks of Netflix’s Top Ten Films list and giving it a newfound appreciation on the streaming giant.
