Best Sports Anime of 2011

Young Chihaya Ayase once dreamed of making her older sister Chitose a top model, but her life changed when she defended Arata Wataya from Taichi Mashima, her childhood friend and a school bully. This incident introduced her to competitive karuta, a card game based on the Ogura Hundred Poets anthology that demands sharp memory, agility, and stamina. Enchanted by the sport, Chihaya forms the Shiranami Society with Arata and Taichi, pursuing the prestigious title of Queen of Karuta. After drifting apart from Taichi and losing touch with Arata during middle school, Chihaya reunites with them in high school to establish the Mizusawa Karuta Club. Teaming up with Taichi’s expertise and energetic new members, the club strives to claim victory at the national championship held at the Omi Shrine.

Tenma Matsukaze transfers to Raimon Junior High and, driven by his passion for soccer, aims to join the school team that earned its fame from an outstanding performance a decade ago in the Football Frontier International—the premier youth tournament worldwide. However, the once-proud school no longer possesses the same soccer spirit it once had. The reason is that soccer across Japan has fallen under the control of a sinister organization called the "Fifth Sector." This group dictates the results of every match, ordering teams to win or lose as they see fit. Their influence has crushed the nation's soccer clubs, stripping them of their love for the game. Tenma and his fellow players strive to overturn this system and stand up against their oppressive rulers. Luckily, they are not fighting alone, receiving support from a group known as the "Resistance." Root for the boys of Inazuma Eleven Go as they take on this battle for the soul of soccer!

Subaru Hasegawa dreams of becoming an elite basketball superstar, but his plans are derailed when his school's basketball team suspends activities for a full year. Stunned by this development, he decides to step away from the sport entirely. His aunt, Mihoshi Takamura, later asks him to coach the Keishin Academy girls’ basketball team, and he reluctantly accepts. There, he meets fifth graders Tomoka Minato, Maho Misawa, Airi Kashii, Hinata Hakamada, and Saki Nagatsuki. He begins training them with a single objective: to defeat every strong opponent they encounter. Ro-Kyu-Bu! follows the journey of five elementary school girls and their coach as they refine their adorable approach to playing basketball.

A strange occurrence takes place in the Cosmos. After their victory over Faust and the Spiral Core, Ginga and his friends rescue a boy named Yuki from a mysterious youth called Johannes. Although Yuki is a boy genius and astronomer, he is also a Blader who owns Anubius. Yuki informs Ginga and his friends about the voice of the Star Fragment. He saw a Star Fragment, which is a meteor, fall from the sky one day. That single light resides within Anubius, and he claims to have heard the Star Fragment’s voice that night. A great evil seeks to revive the Black Sun and Nemesis, the god of destruction, by using the unknown power of the Star Fragment to destroy the world. Ginga and his friends must battle once more, even as they master their new 4D system beys. Episode numbering continues from 103. Episodes 103 through 128 are half-hour long, while episodes 129 through 154 are quarter-hour long. The latter are broadcast in English as 13 half-hour episodes, with two Japanese episodes combined into each English one.

The Indiana Hornets, led by Gorou Shigeno, persist in their pursuit of the prestigious World Series title. Yet, a sudden mishap during a clash against his destined rival complicates his ambition to become the greatest pitcher in the world. Resolute, Gorou channels his aspirations into every throw, carving out a path to his future with his rapid-fire delivery.

This comedic tennis series follows the members of a middle school girls' soft tennis team and the various ups and downs they experience as they work toward competing at the national level.

Aira Harune is a clumsy but cheerful girl who finds herself swept into the dazzling world of Prism Shows—an idol performance blending figure skating, where competitors called Prism Stars wear outfits sealed in Prism Stones and execute stylish Prism Jumps. Drawn in by the brilliant costumes and spectacular jumps, Aira decides to pursue becoming a Prism Star herself. She soon meets the fiery Rizumu "Rhythm" Amamiya, who aims to perform the legendary Prism Jump "Aurora Rising," and the proud Mion Takamine, who strives to be the brightest Prism Star of all. Their journey is filled with friendship, personal growth, and surprising twists. Will they be able to leap high enough to fulfill their ambitions and claim the title of Prism Queen?

After learning that her best friend Yuuki is hospitalized and can no longer serve as the team manager, Minami steps in to take over the role for her high school baseball team. Wanting to do her best to support the team, she sets out to find a book on baseball management. However, she accidentally purchases Peter Drucker's "Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices," a book actually focused on business management. Unable to return it, she decides to read it anyway and attempts to apply the business management principles to the baseball team, hoping to lead them to victory at the national championships.

Having proven themselves to the Shadow Clan by defeating Black Shaft's makeshift Team USA, Team Golden Japan Jr. now prepares to compete in the World Jr. Boxing Tournament. To achieve their aim of a perfect victory, they must face teams from Mexico, Italy, France, Germany, and the enigmatic, godlike Team Greece.