IsYou Gotta BelieveBased on a True Story? All About the Real-Life Little League Team That Inspired the Movie (and Where They Are Today!)

Mar. 15, 2025

Michael Cash in ‘You Gotta Believe’.Photo:Courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment

Courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment

Warning:You Gotta Believespoilers ahead!

You Gotta Believetells the inspiring story of a group of young boys determined to turn tragedy into triumph.

During an October 2024 appearance on700 Club Interactive, Robert shared that although his dad was going through “some intense treatments with melanoma skin cancer,” it gave him “a lot of purpose” to attend their games amid his treatment.

So, what is the true story behindYou Gotta Believe? Here’s everything to know about the real-life Little League team that inspired the film — and where the players are today.

IsYou Gotta Believebased on a true story?

Netflix©

You Gotta Believeis based on the true story of a Little League team’s journey to the 2002 Little League World Series. The team traveled from Fort Worth, Texas, to Williamsport, Pa., dedicating the season to their teammate’s terminally ill father.

“Told them about that summer and about my dad,” he recalled to the outlet. “At the end of it, they agreed it was good enough to make into a movie.”

Who were the 2002 Fort Worth Westside All-Stars?

The 2002 Fort Worth Westside All-Stars were a group of young boys who competed in the Little League World Series that year.

The team, who represented the Southwest Region, won every game during the 2002 run, until they lost 2-1 to the Louisville, Kentucky Little League All-Stars in the semifinal round, per theFort Worth Star-Telegram.

According to local outletWFAA, it was the longest game ever recorded in Little League World Series history, lasting 11 innings, with both teams setting a combined record for strikeouts. Although the Fort Worth players didn’t win the final game, they became one of the most memorable teams in Little League World Series history.

While the movie closely mirrors their story, from their names to the game’s outcome, Kelly told theFort Worth Star-Telegramin September 2024 that certain plot points are dramatized, including portraying the team as misfits to further emphasize their road to triumph.

“We were a good team, but we absolutely got better at every level,” Kelly told the outlet. “By the time we got to Williamsport, we were really, really good.”

Per the outlet, he remained dedicated to the team, sometimes missing appointments to attend games. Though he was present for their final match, he died in 2003.

What happened to the Ratliff brothers?

Robert Ratliff and his family attend ‘You Gotta Believe’ world premiere on Aug. 29, 2024, in Fort Worth, Texas.Rick Kern/Getty

Rick Kern/Getty

Robert went on to play football at Ole Miss before moving back to Fort Worth and working in insurance, according to a 2022Fort Worth Star-Telegramarticle. Per the outlet, he is an aspiring Little League coach.

As revealed in the film’s ending, Robert eventually started a family of his own. According to theArt of Fatherhood, he is raising sons Wyatt and Henry alongside his wife, Natalie.

“If I can do half as good of a job as my dad did with us in that short period of time with my boys, then I think I’ll do okay,” he said.

“We had a lot of fun, and we learned the importance of always believing and knowing that everything and anything is possible," he said.

Robert’s brother John (who is featured in the film) also started a family of his own. He married his wife Haley in February 2020, per herInstagram, and the two have since welcomed three children, whojoined him at the premiereofYou Gotta Believe.

Where are the rest of the Little League players now?

In April 2022 — two decades after the Little League World Series — members of the 2002 Fort Worth Westside All-Stars team reunited on the same field they once played.

According to theFort Worth Star-Telegram, many of the players and coaches have stayed in touch over the years, however they hadn’t held any official reunions.

Since their days on the Little League team, the players have reached new milestones, from graduating college and building careers to coaching a new generation of youth baseball players.

According to the outlet, Michael Valdez continued playing baseball at Texas Wesleyan University and went on to run youth sports teams, while Chris Rivera works for Google.

Meanwhile, Walker Kelly went on to work in commercial real estate after playing baseball at Texas Christian University, and Chester Hamilton moved to St. Louis, Mo., and became an engineer for IBM.

Finally, according to the outlet, Mitchell Belew remains in Fort Worth, where he works in aerospace sales and coaches his nephew’s Little League baseball team.

source: people.com