By Kyle Osborne
You know the Patriots, the Red Sox, the Celtics and the Bruins, but have you ever heard of the Boston Renegades? You’d be in rare company if you did.
In the documentary Born to Play, which debuts July 1st at 9 EDT on ESPN, director Viridiana Lieberman follows the “pay-to-play” team from the well organized, but little seen, Women’s Football Alliance, for an entire season. The premise of being a fly-on-the-wall of the locker room may be well worn, but Born to Play is populated with athletes who are not just bullshitting when they say they play for the love of the game.
You always hear millionaire athletes say they don’t play for the money, but those words always rang empty until now. The women on this team range in age from their 20s to their 40s. They work full-time jobs. They practice at night until the lights are shut off-and they always are shut off- promptly at 10pm.
And for what? No money. No fame. No big money endorsements. They play on what look like High School or Junior College fields. The crowds are as sparse as a Trump rally in Tulsa. These women play because they must. There is a purity in their passion that blows you away.
I wasn’t going to mention that most of the players are evidently gay, but Lieberman has said this is “a gay film not about being gay.” What I think she means is that there is excellent and positive representation, though the film is obviously about dedicated athletes. Period. Still, it was amazing to see the loving spouses and parents of these athletes as a matter of fact. Nothing more, nothing less- just one element of many making these athletes who they are.
Director Viridiana Lieberman
Born to Play features beautiful photography and effective use of slo-mo plays on the field. The coaches are characters, in the best sense of the word (and male, save one). It’s not edited together to feel fast-moving. It’s not all action. It’s got way more heart than that.
Try not to shed a tear. Betcha can’t.
Kyle Osborne