(Youth1) – In most sports films, only certain sports seem to get the glory. Everyone has heard of the high school basketball squad from Indiana, who went from a small group of farm boys to a state championship-winning basketball team (Hoosiers). Everyone has heard of Rudy, the sub-par football player who found his place on the Notre Dame team (Rudy). And everyone had heard of Rocky Balboa, "The Italian Stallion" who received a once in a lifetime shot to become the world heavyweight champion of boxing. There are many sequels, duplicates, and re-makes of sports films that glamorize popular sports, but it appears now that the sport of lacrosse is going to get its chance to shine on the silver screen. In a documentary that took months to prepare, "City LAX: An Urban Lacrosse Story", has completed its filming.

"City LAX" focuses on the life of a group of youth lacrosse players living in the inner-city of Denver, CO. It is a true story, and the filmmaker, Gabriela Cowperthwaite, alongside friend, Tor Myhren, spent nine months and filmed over 400 hours worth of footage to capture the lives of these young athletes. According to the film's website, the kids in the story battle through adversity to achieve greatness. Many of the kids come from different backgrounds and have unique personalities, yet it is the sport that ties them together. "One is a poet. Another a musician. Several have fathers who have been killed. One has a mother in jail. And one just got into Colorado's most prestigious and expensive private school. They are all from Denver's inner-city. They are all 12-years-old. And they have all found a hint of salvation from their violent neighborhood in a most unlikely sport called lacrosse. From the moment the kids discover what a lacrosse stick is, to the heart stopping finale at the State Championships, 'City Lax: An Urban Lacrosse Story' takes us on an unforgettable journey."

Cowperthwaite did more than just document the kids' exposure and involvement in lacrosse. She spent up to six months associating with the players, attending neighborhood parties, wheedling some of the stubborn kids to attend classes, and becoming a motherly-figure to a number of them. She immersed herself in the team because she believed in their efforts to become a winners.

Her external efforts certainly helped the kids get their acts together, and their experiences are shown in the film. The film was recently awarded the best documentary at the Sonoma International Film Festival, and is set for a premiere on ESPN in the near future. It could air very soon, to coincide with the NCAA lacrosse championships that begin on tomorrow.

Cowperthwaite realizes that there is very little money to be made in documentary films, but there is a different reward she believes she'll receive from her efforts. "What you can do is inspire people. That's why I hope for as many people to see it as possible, and be inspired to be a part of some kid's life." She told writer Joel Warner in a Westword.com article on Wednesday.

The film's main focus could be the lacrosse season to some, but under the surface, it's about the lives of these urban youths using the sport to overcome challenges in their own lives. They enter a sport that is foreign to them, that many believe they have no place in. Yet, they prove the critics wrong, and participate in one memorable season.

For more information, check out the film's website, http://citylaxthemovie.com.

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