Three teams, three different cities, three coaches with very atypical methods but only one passion: American football. Last Chance U, released in 2015 and directed by Greg Whiteley is the documentary series signed Netflix. It is ideal to immerse yourself in the lives of some players of this sport in the United States, where victory is the leitmotif, against all odds.
Sports culture in the USA
Paradoxically, sport is as ingrained in American culture as junk food. Indeed, sports culture is particularly developed and established in the United States, and the spectator sport dimension is specifically important. The reputation of the games of the Lakers, the national gymnastics team, Tyger Woods or Lewis Hamilton are well established. The enthusiasm generated at each event speaks for itself, thanks to the influence that athletes exert on the public, fond of thrills, twists and beautiful victories. But here's the thing: top athletes don't get to the top overnight. And it is even common for some to experience a very significant decline in their career. This results in an unprecedented change in their lives. 
A shattering series
Here is the synopsis of Last Chance U, the Emmy-winning documentary series : young African-Americans (in large majority), from working-class backgrounds or even disadvantaged for most of them, are forced as a result of misadventures to have to play in American football leagues lower than they had known before. They are then at an impasse. The only way out? Reprove themselves, maintain a correct level at the university to reach the high level again, and extricate themselves at the same time from precarious situations. They all aspire to become professional footballers, and to be able to live from their passion. Nothing is given to the players. They have everything to prove to be spotted by good universities that will give them a chance. Unfortunately, it is very difficult for many of them to follow a course correctly, and to post a satisfactory report. By drawing a parallel with this contact sport, physically very demanding and also dangerous for the brain, it is not difficult to understand why. Some can't stand sitting in a chair. That's why they try to compensate with "the terrain". Without a doubt, this is what pushes them to surpass themselves in each training, and to endure a lot of pressure. Awakenings at dawn, ice baths, unimaginable physical preparations, injuries of all kinds… For some, this is the only way to avoid falling back into their old sins. Drugs, violence, or crimes, are often very present when they return home (because most players are in boarding school on site). Returning to this path would deprive them of any future in sport. In addition to providing an intelligent and intimate light on the difficult daily life of a division below that of Division One (the division just before that of the National League of Football), the match scenes of Last Chance U are simply breathtaking. We understand the complexity and harshness of this sport, where injuries are commonplace. We are very quickly taken by the general excitement, always at the rendezvous. To live the match at full intensity, we want to quickly understand the rules of this sport and how it works. The famous "touchdown" (meaning that a team has scored a point) is shouted more than once by the presenters. They always cause an outpouring of joy in the audience. Even through a screen, it transports us right next to the loyal supporters, who would not miss a match for anything in the world. The whole is sublimated by a catchy soundtrack and concordant with this sporting universe. The credits, led by energetic brass bands, accurately set the scenes where the series will take place. 
Different seasons for different teams
Three different crews are closely followed by Last Chance U's cameramen throughout their days. There are 5 seasons for now: the first two are dedicated to the EMCC Lions, a high-flying college team playing at East Mississippi Community College in Scooba. In 2015, the players are looking for a fourth JUCO (Junior Collegue) national title. Being victorious for the majority of the season, the ultimate reward reaches out to them again but a major event disrupts everything… At the end of the two years of shooting, the production was invited back the following year. However, she made the choice to follow a brand new American football team. Thus, Last Chance U arrives in Kansas for seasons 3 and 4, more precisely at Independence Community College. Located in the city of Independence, the ICC Pirates have a very different dynamic than the first team. With 20 years of defeat, they have known very little victory. Sometimes the team is beaten 50-0, a particularly difficult result. The year that made things happen for this team was that of the filming of the series, with a series of matches won, an event unprecedented for a long time. The other reason? The arrival of coach Jason Brown, a character in his own right. He was able to recruit the right players to raise the overall level, and change the results of the team. Finally, the latest season follows the evolution of the Laney Eagles, the team that emerged from Laney College in the city of Oakland, California. More similar to the previous team, the university has a very bad reputation. It is even described as "the worst university in JUCO." The players come from difficult backgrounds: for lack of means, some can not feed themselves for several days … A player also has a child, and sometimes has to leave him on the edge of the field to go to practice. The production is strong by highlighting a team considered difficult, and by allowing its players and staff to express themselves and highlight their daily lives. In the end, the Laney Eagles will have a mixed and uneven season, but will still come out winners of several games. 
Iconic characters…
Although the training techniques are military and sometimes even excessive, we still focus on coaches. Buddy Stephens and Jason Brown are dedicated and determined to bring out nuggets from their collectives. Cult phrase: "This ain't an Hollywood script", balanced at the very beginning of season 4 as a welcome sentence by the emblematic Jason Brown, who became a star in the region, which sums up the general pedagogy. Nothing is done in lace. The crude and vulgar vocabulary constantly used by almost all the protagonists reinforces this feeling. Coaches sometimes fight, insult their own players or make more than hurtful remarks. It is not difficult to understand this universe: we do not go with the back of the spoon. A real wolf pack atmosphere is present. John Beam, coach at Laney Collegue is the one who shows the most diplomacy among the three. But we still find the same type of techniques as those used by the other two coaches. Fortunately, we have a completely different approach with Britanny Wagner and LaTonya Pinkard, respectively pedagogical advisor and English teacher, who push players to invest in getting the best possible grades, because it is the only way available to them to get a scholarship. While Britanny accompanies them by monitoring their results, LaTonya enriches them intellectually by dispensing her knowledge. They are a real moral support for these players, even going beyond their roles. You can see that they care deeply about teenagers, and obvious preferences emerge on the screen. In fact, players gratefully give them back everything they do for them, and love spending time with them. Their unwavering investments are beautiful to see, and show how much they believe with all their might in these young people. 
… sublimated by endearing players
Each season, we have a focus on certain players, with for example Dakota Allen, De'Adre Johnson and Isaiah Wright for the first two seasons, Carlos Thompson, Malik Henry Kerry and Bobby Bruce for the next two, or Ryan Mackey, Dior Walker-Scott, Kentrell Pierce and RJ Stern for the last two. Their naturalness and vulnerability reach us in an instant, and shows how much some really have to fight to survive. Thus, we learn that one of them experienced the suspension for hitting a girl. For another, it is his father who is in prison. Or that a last one burgled a house. All vices and exceptional situations are depicted in the series. Surprisingly, this reinforces our tenderness for these young people, who are all doing well and becoming better people. An exchange between a player and Britanny sums up their situation. The teenager told him that he planned to quit American football, to which he replied "And to go back to do what?" ("I'm planning on giving up on football", "And going back to what ?") This is really their last chance. 
A breathtaking and addictive documentary
Why is Last Chance U a show that deserves your attention? Because it's simply one of the best series Netflix has produced. And no, it's not hyperbole. This sports documentary allows you to immerse yourself in a daily life very different from the one you know as a European. Yet it immediately resonates with viewers. It's prodigiously touching. The honesty and naturalness shown by these players, when talking about their lives, make them endearing, and contrast with their extraordinary builds. They accept that we enter into their intimacy by being filmed all day. This is not nothing, nor achievable by everyone. They tell their story without artifice, and share personal events that are sometimes very difficult to evoke. Certainly, we follow these young people during long hours of hard training. But the most important thing is that we also get to know who they are. The men behind these imposing equipment, are above all funny, supportive, over-motivated and unfiltered people. They show the reality of their lives with disturbing honesty. We live with them their moments of doubt, sorrow and pain, but let us appreciate all the more the moments of joy or victory. We can also see spectacular and energetic dances that leave us speechless. Becoming a professional American football player is what all its players want deep down. Reconnecting with their past glories: that's what they want. It is up to them, despite the obstacles encountered and their environments not conducive to this success, to make this dream a reality. Because it is one of the only possibilities they have to completely transform their lives. And at the same time make those of their loved ones better. Some will succeed, but others will experience a completely different destiny. It's up to you to watch the series to find out which one… While waiting for March 10, when Last Chance U will reinvent itself to become Last Chance U Basket Ball and follow a basketball team, it's time to go look at this nugget. Sport, emotion, suspense, but above all team spirit will be at the rendezvous. A true masterpiece and cocktail of emotions, which deserves to be seen by the greatest number. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wXRJL52ZD8
