New ‘GOAT’ Short ‘Roarball Roundup’ Launches Alongside Classroom Mental Health Curriculum From Kevin Love Fund

Sony Pictures Animation is extending the reach of its latest hit feature, GOAT, beyond theater walls and into classrooms.

The studio has partnered with the Kevin Love Fund to launch GOAT: Beyond the Game, a free emotional resilience curriculum for students, inspired by the animated feature. The program debuts alongside a new in-canon eight-minute featurette titled Roarball Roundup: An Exclusive Interview with the Vineland Thorns.

Developed by the Kevin Love Fund’s education team, the curriculum includes four lessons focused on confidence building, emotional awareness, and a growth mindset. Activities range from creative and reflective writing to storyboarding, drawing, and music-based exercises. The goal is to use animation and storytelling as an entry point for conversations about mental health, identity, and self-expression.

Five-time NBA All-Star Kevin Love, founder of the Kevin Love Fund, framed the initiative as a continuation of his long-standing advocacy for emotional wellness, particularly for young people:

“Being comfortable in your own skin — that’s the game-changer, on the court or in life. For years, I held everything in because I thought that’s what I was supposed to do. But speaking up and reaching out? That’s real strength. With GOAT: Beyond the Game, we want kids to see themselves in these characters and know that talking about how you feel isn’t a weakness. It’s what makes you unstoppable.”

The Roarball Roundup short is a collection of animated interviews with characters from GOAT. Framed as an in-universe media segment, the video leans into humor while touching on very real issues faced by its characters, such as pressure, fame, and vulnerability. It is positioned as both bonus content for fans and a conversation starter for educators.

Director Tyree Dillihay emphasized that the short was designed with a purpose beyond simple film promotion:

Roarball Roundup gives audiences a fun, fast-paced intro to the characters and world of GOAT, but its real purpose is to start a conversation. One that can help kids see themselves as both athletes and emotionally strong individuals.

The curriculum is now available for free download through the Kevin Love Fund, while Roarball Roundup is streaming on Sony Pictures Animation’s YouTube channel (embedded above). Together, the release reflects a growing trend of animation studios pairing entertainment with social impact initiatives, using characters and worlds to address real-world emotional challenges faced by young audiences.