What to Get a Sports Fanatic for Christmas

There are virtually endless choices for Christmas gifts for the sports fanatic in your life; the possibilities are limited only by your budget and your imagination. Narrow the choices by focusing on one category: a favorite sport or a favorite team. You can buy gifts in most sports categories ranging from books, sports equipment, mugs, blankets and trinkets to a favorite player's jersey, tickets to sporting events and autographed team or player memorabilia.

  1. Sports Equipment

    • For those sports fanatics on your Christmas shopping list who are participants in a favorite sport, new sports equipment is always a good choice. Choices range from a new pair of batting gloves or volleyball knee pads all the way up to new hockey sticks, bowling ball and bag, football helmet or soccer cleats. Personalized items are a very special high-end gift; a baseball bat specially designed, weighted and sized for your baseball fan's needs, then personalized with his name, is sure to be a huge hit.

    Sports Memorabilia

    • Sports memorabilia is always a welcome gift for serious sports fans; prices range from a couple of dollars for a minor league player's baseball card up to thousands for a one-of-a-kind autographed item. Autographed baseball cards or players' photographs can be found at small local collectibles stores, from online dealers or at large arena shows featuring numerous dealers from around the country. Autographed equipment, such as football helmets, baseball bats and star players' jerseys, are sometimes featured items at charity auctions; these also are available from established dealers.

    Gifts Suitable for Both Athletes and Spectators

    • Most sports fanatics welcome a team jersey or hat from their favorite team; t-shirts and sweatshirts with the team's name or logo are also welcome and available in a range of prices. There are hundreds of books and videos dedicated to sports, team history and individual athletes; many fans enjoy sports-themed video games as well. Sports magazine subscriptions are a great idea and last beyond the initial Christmas morning enjoyment of standard gifts. Finally, there are many smaller items for last-minute gifts or stocking stuffers, including team keychains, mugs and bumper stickers.

    For the Sports Fanatic Who Has Everything

    • If money is no object, there are several gifts guaranteed to please your sports fanatic. A star football player's autographed game jersey or a Super Bowl football signed by the players on the winning team is a treasured investment. One of the most popular choices in this category is tickets to a favorite team's games, whether for a few games or a whole season. Finally, a trip to the team's pre-season training camp or to the fantasy camps where adults can actually play with professional athletes is a gift your sports fan would never forget.