This is a simple , craftwise answer , but a strong one none the less . Relevant to sports like moviesAn outside of the box training sequence . They are common place , DodgeBall parodied it if you can dodge a wrench you can dodge a ball but that ' s because they work . They introduce novelty and creativity to something that seems very grounded . Umm still almost cliche , but a little less so than the latter , is the unofficial match up . So you take the idea of the sport , and set it in a place that it doesn ' t usually take place in . A boxer gets in to a fight in a restaurant , a Daytona driver gets in to a street race , etc . These are purely for structure , craft , and novelty , and will never be a replacement for well thought out , interesting , ironic story beats . But , if you infuse them into your story , you ' re only going to make it more enjoyable to watch .