Fun Gifts for Tween Sports Fans

Finding gifts for preteens isn’t as easy as it was when they were younger. Preteens can be a tough crowd to please, and the best way to proceed with gift-giving is to consider the child’s interests, passions, and hobbies. If you know a preteen who is a sports addict, either as a player or a spectator, gift-giving just got a little easier. Consider the items below when shopping for your sports-minded preteen. They'll help you stuff your tween's Christmas stocking, or make his birthday a special event. They're also thoughtful gifts to end a great sports season or start another.

• A couple of insulated water bottles to take to practice
• A sports towel with your child’s initials
• Deodorant for the locker room
• Tickets to a local sporting event that you can attend together
• New sports-specific equipment for practice or play
• A subscription to a sports-themed magazine
• A new gym bag with your child’s initials
• A new warm-up suit
• A new toiletry kit for the gym
• Locker decorations with the logo of a favorite team or sport
• Hand warmers or toe warmers for outdoor winter sports
• Chapstick
• A small notebook for taking notes at practice or writing down plays or tips from the coach
• An exercise ball, hand weights or other items to help improve performance
• Training videos or DVDs
• Books or DVDs about your child’s favorite sports
• Sports memorabilia such as vintage sports magazines, baseball cards, posters or equipment
• A fitness or sports journal or diary
• An autograph book that your tween can fill with signatures of his teammates, coaches or his favorite players
• A small insulated soft-sided cooler to take to practice
• A gift card to a local sports store
• Workout clothes such as t-shirts, socks, athletic shoes, and shorts
• A jump rope for training
• A gym membership
• A manicure in team colors
• A gift card to a local spa for a sports massage
• Sports-themed game for the computer/game console
• A consultation with a personal training coach
• A gift certificate to a week at a local sports camp
• A DVD of a sports-related movie such as Hoosiers or Field of Dreams
• Sports-themed items for their room, such as pillows, posters, bedspreads, and accessories
• A jersey from your child's favorite team
• A new digital camera or video camera for documenting season and interviewing teammates
• A picture of your child’s team, framed and ready to hang in his room
• A sports-themed calendar
• An air-freshener for the gym locker
• A scrapbook or bulletin board to display newspaper clippings, ticket stubs or other sports memorabilia

• If you can't afford a pricey item, purchase two or three less expensive items, such as an insulated water bottle, hand warmers, and a sports magazine, and then make a sports-themed basket for your tween. Another sports-themed basket idea could be a DVD of a sports-themed movie, a bag or two of microwave popcorn, and a small box of Snowcaps.
• To make it fun, wrap your gifts using the sports pages from your local newspaper, or use the pages of a glossy sports magazine. Or, stuff your gift items into a sports or athletic bag, tie with a ribbon and present it to your sports-minded preteen.
• If your present is for a birthday party, carry the sports theme through the party with invitations, activities, a sports-themed cake, and even sports-themed goody bags for all the guests.​
• If your tween is interested in a yet-to-be-tried sport, consider taking lessons together. You could learn to ski, box, or take on archery or sailing as an extracurricular activity.