Viola Hastings is a high school soccer player at Cornwall, which has just cut its girls' soccer team. After her request to join the boys team is refused by the misogynistic coach, she finds a way to play for Cornwall's rival, Illyria. Viola's twin brother, Sebastian is supposed to enter Illyria as a new student, and since he is instead going to a contest in London with his fledgling band, Sebastian asks Viola to cover for him by telling the school that he is sick and each of their parents (who are divorced) thinks that he is staying with the other. Viola instead decides to pass herself off as Sebastian and join the boys' soccer team at Illyria. She hopes to beat the Cornwall team and humiliate her cocky and ex-boyfriend, Justin (Robert Hoffman) who plays for the rival team. With the help of her stylist friend Paul and her girlfriends, Viola becomes the quirky "Sebastian".