Believe in Me (2006)

Girls? The thought of coaching them seems preposterous to Clay Driscoll (earnest newcomer Jeffrey Donovan), who travels to Middleton, Oklahoma in the 1960s, prepared to coach the varsity boys' team. But that position is filled, so he's forced to coach the girls' team: the Lady Cyclones. Faced with an under-performing crew of untrained players, the coach begins to treat the girls like boys, making them run laps in a closed gym and practice shots and plays they've never tried before. Eventually their "old-fashioned grit" leads them to a Cinderella season culminating in the state championships. Along the way, Driscoll and the girls overcome several obstacles--most of all, gaining a fanbase. Meanwhile, big man in town Ellis Brawley (Bruce Dern) can't stand Driscoll and his newfangled idea of empowering female athletes. Of course, the Lady Cyclones are up to the task of proving Brawley wrong. Driven by their caring young coach, the girls determine to play as hard as the boys, although they know they'll probably end up "farmers' and ranchers' wives." Can they achieve their winning moment at State?