Anime fans can agree that sports anime isn't just about sports. The sports the characters choose to play are certainly a large part of any series and play into the characters' motivations. However, the most important aspect of any good sports anime is the character's relationships with each other and their internal struggles.
Discipline and practice are important aspects of any athlete's growth, but when the characters are forced to lay everything on the line, it's their love for their friends and their sport that helps them succeed. Something that would surprise many fans is that sports anime aren't just about winning they're also about healing.
10 Asahi Can't Stay Away From What He Loves (Haikyuu!)
Considering how integral Asahi is to the Kurasuno volleyball team in Haikyuu!, it's scary to think about how he didn't want to be a part of it. Before the series' events, Asahi quits the team out of guilt and poor self-esteem. He blames himself for Kurasuno's loss against Date Tech, and he believes he'll only bring more failure to the team.
However, his love for the sport leaves him aching for a chance to get back on the court. At one point he even fantasizes about the feel of the ball in his hand, which is a feeling most athletes can relate to. While Asahi's friends play a huge role in his return to the team, it's his love of volleyball that helps him come back.
9 Yuuri Love For Victor Helps Him Win (Yuri On Ice)
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If anyone were to be the mascot for characters with low self-esteem and anxiety, it would be Yuri from Yuri on Ice. He is one of the best ice skaters in the world, but he becomes so stressed during competitions he tends to sabotage himself. This changes when Victor becomes his coach. Victor helps him become a better skater and he also helps him become more confident.
Yuri grows to love Victor so he starts pushing himself in order to prove himself to Victor. During the Cup of China, Yuri even changes his final jump to a quadruple flip, which is a huge risk. It's clear Yuri never would have attempted the quadruple flip without Victor by his side and Victor shows his appreciation for Yuri's daring move by kissing him, which is one of the best moments in the series.
8 Langa Learns To Love Skating Again (Sk8 The Infinity)
Langa is pretty depressed when he first appears in Sk8 the Infinity and for good reason. After his father's passing, he loses the urge to snowboard, which is the sport he loved doing with his father. To make matters worse, Langa moves away from his home in Canada, which physically separates him from the places he used to love snowboarding with his father.
Luckily, Langa discovers skateboarding and finds that the skating re-ignites his passion for sports. Skateboarding may not be able to solve all his problems, but learning to skateboard and the thrill of competition is what helps him heal.
7 Sosuke Doesn't Let An Injury Stop Him (Free!)
Athletes know what it's like to deal with injuries. Most are minor inconveniences, but in the worst-case scenario an injury can be career-ending. This is almost the case for Sosuke from Free! who injures his shoulder. His only goal is to surpass his friend Rin, but this goal starts to slip away from him when he's forced to go to physical therapy.
At one point, Sosuke decides to retire from swimming, but that changes when he watches Rin compete. Seeing Rin push himself past his limits re-invigorates Sosuke's love for the sport. Like Asahi from Haikyuu!, he just couldn't stay away from doing what makes him happy.
6 Masaki Reminds Minato Why He Loves Kyudo (Tsurune)
It's common for athletes to fall out of love with the sports that consumed most of their childhood, but in Minato's case, he didn't fall out of love with Kyudo willingly. During his middle school years, he develops target panic, which results in an archer firing too early.
He completely gives up the sport of Kyudo because of this, but even he couldn't stay away from the sport for long. After stumbling across a Kyudo archer practicing at a shrine, Minato becomes mesmerized by his skills. The need to prove himself to this archer, who happens to be Masaki Takigawa, gives him the courage to return to Kyudo. Although he continues to struggle with target panic, his love for the sport helps him work through it.
5 They Win With Teamwork (Kuroko's Basketball)
Basketball may be a team sport but a surprising number of characters in Kuroko's basketball act like they are capable of winning their games on their own. This is especially true for Aomine, who is one of the best basketball players in Japan. His confidence is slightly justified considering how skilled a player he is, but even he couldn't defeat the power of teamwork.
Kagami is determined to defeat Aomine on the court but finds himself completely outmatched by him. It's only when he plays as a team with Kuroko that he's finally able to overcome Aomine's team. Seirin's team isn't the most skilled, but they prove that teammates who care for one another can overcome anything when they work together.
4 Ryoma's Classmates Helped Him Win (Prince Of Tennis)
Ryoma is the best tennis player in Prince of Tennis but there's one person he couldn't defeat and that is the captain of his team Tezuka. Ryoma is so committed to defeating his classmate that he even admits he will stop playing tennis if he doesn't defeat Tezuka in a match.
Even though the match with Tezuka completely exhausts him, Ryoma finds the strength to win through his teammates, even thanking them with each attack. He may be a self-centered character most of the time, but even Ryoma can admit he wouldn't have won if it wasn't for the classmates that inspired him to push past his limits.
3 Mariah Chose Love Over Victory (Beyblade)
Though Mariah is on a rival team when she encounters Ray in Beyblade, it's clear she still cares deeply for him. Even the bad blood between Ray and White Tigers doesn't stop her from trying to reestablish her friendship with him, and it's the love she has for him that ultimately repairs the broken bond between Ray and his former teammates.
Mariah may have lost her match in the tournament finals, but repairing her friendship with Ray is much more important and because of her hard work, the White Tigers and the Bladebreakers are able to become close allies.
2 Yuni And Hajima's Love For Volleyball Helps Them Make Up (2.43: Seiin High School Boys Volleyball Team)
Yuni a part of his school volleyball team before Hajima starts attending his school in Seiin High School Boys Volleyball Team, and at first it isn't much of a volleyball team. Yuni dreams of being the team's Ace, but he doesn't even get to play, which surprisingly doesn't dampen his love for the sport.
When Hajima does join the team it's Yuni who puts in the most work by encouraging his teammates and helping them improve. Even when Yuni learns how Hajima bullied a former teammate, that doesn't keep either of them away from the court for long. Their mutual love of volleyball brings them back together and helps them be a team again.
1 Yugi Wins With The Power Of Friendship (Yu-Gi-Oh!)
The heart of the cards is a common joke used by Yu-Gi-Oh! and it stems from the fact that Yugi heavily relies on his friends to win his matches. This is especially true for his first match against Kaiba, which presented him with impossible odds.
It's thanks to his friend's love for him that Yugi is able to keep a cool head during the match. Without his faith in them and himself, he never would have been able to summon all the pieces of Exodia, which helps him defeat Kaiba. Yugi may be the best dualist in the world but it's his friends that truly make him better than everyone else.