10 unique ideas for sports fans
The best Christmas gift I ever gave was two chairs.
Not just any chairs, but chairs that witnessed 11 NCAA National Basketball Championship teams. Two original chairs from UCLA’s Pauley Pavillion before they remodeled it.
I am a decent gift giver if I do say so myself, but nothing has topped chairs.
I married a sports fan so I have been giving sport-themed gifts for over a decade.
If you aren’t a sports fan this can be a challenging gift to give. Here are a few ideas to get you pointed in the right direction.
There are a few things you will want to know before you get started.
Which teams do they love the most?
What is their hat size? Especially need this if they like fitted hats
Shirts size is a must-have and probably more obvious
Favorite players
With that information, you can quickly search for some great ideas.
Each team will have a store. Check there for anything particularly unique first. Maybe the jersey of their favorite player or a hat that can’t be purchased any place else. Search the name of their favorite player and see if any especially interesting pops up.
Ten Unique Gift Ideas for the Sports Fan
The Jersey of Their Childhood Hero
Mitchell & Ness specializes in clothing for major league teams. My favorite is the throwback jerseys. If your sports fan loves a player that has retired this is the spot where you can still get their jersey. Maybe their favorite team recently changed uniforms and they still wish they could get the old jersey. Mitchell & Ness might have you covered there too. *Tip: jerseys are custom made so order early.
Ticket to the Game
Most major sports are either currently playing or make it easy for you to purchase tickets just in time for the holidays. Many teams will even have special holiday packages that make it easy to buy multiple games for a lower price.
Memorabilia
Likely there are decades upon decades of tradition associated with the team they love. You can almost always track down an old bobblehead from a game promotion or a program from a great game they played in. eBay and Amazon are the places to look for this stuff.
Tour of a Stadium
I haven’t found a major sports organization that doesn’t offer this for its fans. Getting behind the scenes at these venues is like a museum tour. See Babe Ruth’s bat, the ball Jerry Rice caught in the big game, the net from the championship win for the Cavaliers. They will also have the chance to see locker rooms, press areas, and in a lot of cases get on the field or court.
Visit the Hall of Fame
Every sport has one. Filled to the rim with stories and memories. Many diehard sports fans have this on their bucket lists. So if you have the means to make this your vacation it is a no-miss kind of gift.
Sports Package
Going to a game isn’t an option for you? Get them a sports package so they don’t miss any games. MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL all offer packages so they can catch all the games. They can even catch the games of the best competition on the off nights.
ESPN+
A newer offer from ESPN, because doesn’t every cable channel have a + now? This will get you extra coverage, some sports that aren’t covered on ESPN, and great documentaries.
Unique shirt
A lot of cities have local t-shirt shops that make unique shirts. These are shirts that celebrate the team without the logo so the big corporations can’t sue them. They can be harder to find, but a google search might get you there. You can also check out Homage. They are in Ohio and have more Ohio teams than anything, but do pay homage to a nice selection of other teams as well.
Art
There is no shortage of posters, photos, or banners you can get for your sports fan. Etsy is a great place to find some really unique items. I have purchased blueprint drawings of stadiums, posters of all the MLB parks, and much more on Etsy.
Time To Watch the Big Game
On a budget like me? Then some quiet time to watch the game may be all they need. Pick a game, make them some appropriate sports snacks, load the fridge with beverages and take the kids out of the house for an uninterrupted game-watching experience.
