Image via Tribeca Film

The documentary We Could Be King focuses on high school football and sheds light on the overarching issue of underfunded youth sports.

We Could Be King profiles two Philadelphia-area high schools—Martin Luther King, Jr. High School and Germantown High School—that were forced to merge last year due to a $300 million cut in the school district’s budget. Led by a 27-year old rookie head coach (and a new school principal), the schools’  football teams were forced to consolidate into one squad, despite their longstanding rivalry. They had to deal with many challenges—both on and off the field.

Director Judd Ehrlich told Variety, “We found the other elements in their lives much deeper and richer than any football rivalry. There are lots of different issues these kids are dealing with.”

Dick’s Sporting Goods is promoting the film as part of their “Sports Matter” initiative, which will match pledges through its crowdfunding site to raise money for needy school athletic programs.

Besides examining the larger education crisis in urban schools in the U.S., We Could Be King offers an inspirational testament to the power of sports in the lives of young athletes.

We Could Be King premiered on ESPN2 last night.

Watch the trailer below :