✨Best Fun & Functional Youth Sports Gifts for the 2024 Holiday Season✨
It's not too late + a bonus gift rec for YOU.
Before diving into today’s newsletter, I want to invite and encourage you to participate in a new Project Play survey of youth sport parents. This survey, conducted by Utah State, runs the gamut of so many hot button youth sports issues. The more parents who complete it, the more Project Play, its partners and friends (👋) can shape programming and advocacy to better meet your needs.
Is it just me or are this year’s gift guides for kids dripping with righteousness as they bill rec after rec as an “alternate to screen time?” Lovely notion, but it’s going to take a lot more to crack Gen Alpha than some thoughtful presents. These kids were LITERALLY glued to an iPad in the womb.
Luckily, as sports parents, our kids have some built-in protection against excessive screen use. Practices! Games! Sports for fun! Doesn’t mean they aren’t overdoing the screens (mine definitely are) but it’s still nice to take solace in knowing they have some balance. That said, I actually think spending time with video games like Madden and FIFA or any that gets into strategy and rules of their sport can be beneficial for a developing athlete.
But, of course, when it comes to holiday gifts, I am following suit by recommending a few off-screen gift ideas that I deem fun and hopefully useful for your kid’s youth sports journey.
Note #1: These were all curated by me based on coolness, usefulness, and feedback. Note #2: I remembered I had an Amazon affiliate account so I may earn a small commission if you decide to purchase certain items on this list.
Make your home workouts way more fun and random with these fitness dice. A heart-pumping, muscle-building, and competitive activity for the whole fam. ($29.95, Amazon)
Or how about a personalized oversized fan chain with your kid’s team logo. Fun to pass around as a Player of the Game reward or simply to prance around town. ($33.75+, Etsy)
This five-book soccer series, The Academy, helped my 10-year old bust out of reluctant-reader status. ($11.99, Amazon)
Whoever invented this silent basketball is a genius. Your kid can work on their dribbling skills and you don’t have to suffer a migraine. Win win. ($23.99, Amazon)
It may be cheesy but I LOVE Cameo. And with over 1800+ names in the sports category, you are bound to find an athlete personalized message sure to inspire your kid, no matter the sport. Maybe your swimmer daughter tunes you out when you offer her advice on, well, anything. But she won’t be ignoring Dara Torres. You’ll be surprised at the athletes who charge under $50. Plus, these Cameo bits last forever and think about the bragging rights at school! (Price varies, Cameo)
When my boys asked for Ethika underwear a couple years, I bought each a pair and didn’t think much of it. Turns out they are very well made and offer a decent amount of compression. There are super cute leggings and bra tops for girls, too. I’ve grown to love Ethika apparel so much I would buy from the women’s section if it wouldn’t automatically strip the coolness factor for my kids. (Price varies but many items on sale, Ethika)
Ah, imagine your kid cozying up by the fireplace, hot chocolate in hand, and gleaming all the wisdom from 11x NBA All-Star Chris Bosh’s Letters to a Young Athlete book. ($11.99, Amazon)
Don’t let the baseball card collectors have all the fun! How about an authenticated sports card pack from the worlds of golf, wrestling, WWE, World Cup and even the Paralympics. There are tons of packs under $20 and listed by year if you want to go the north year route. Of course there are plenty of options for the baseball, football and basketball collectors, too. Bonus: These packs ship the next day. (Price varies, Baseball Card Exchange)
How cool is this LED Ultimate Disc for safe outdoor fun at night? Trying to play with all 16 million color combos should keep your kid busy for a while. ($32.29, Amazon)
For your fellow sports parent…or yourself. This sweatshirt has been around for a few years but I just love how it sums up our lives. I prefer the Sports Mom sweatshirt edition but there are versions for every sport. Bonus:They are super soft and currently on sale. ($20.99+, Etsy)
