Undefeated is a
documentary of such surprising power and emotion I was left stunned in my
tracks. I didn’t know anything about it before I walked in except that the
poster indicated it was about football. If you want a similar experience to my
own, then consider this a spoiler warning and stop reading now.
It tells the story of the Manassas High School football
team in West Memphis, Tennessee, under the direction of volunteer coach Bill
Courtney. I stress volunteer because the film is always careful to point out
when the coaching staff involved donates their time to this horribly
underfunded program in a city all but forgotten by the rest of the state. Not
that any government has an obligation to fun sports programs in public schools.
I understand completely the decisions that are made to cut programs for lack of
funding even when those programs can be proven to give kids reasons to stay in
school and make something of their lives.
