Valentine’s Day is always a time to celebrate relationships and lovers, but one stressful part of the holiday always seems to be gift shopping. It can be especially hard when your significant other has a seemingly excessive obsession with sports.
Every February, thereare always the typical gifts like flowers, chocolate and fancy dinners. Unfortunately for couples, sports fanatics can present an entirely different animal.
As a sports fan, there is nothing wrong with the common gifts, but it is extra meaningful when it involves sports. Whether you want to butter up your sports crush or surprise your overly obsessed, box score freak of a partner, here are 10 gift ideas to solve your gift shopping worries.
- Bobbleheads
There is something classic and gratifying about collecting bobbleheads. It is like having an action-figure of one of your icons. Any star player bobbleheads are great, but knowing your lover’s favorite player is a bonus. They are also relatively inexpensive by sports memorabilia standards.
- Authentic Jerseys
The key word here is authentic. It is super easy to go the cheap route or fall for scams by buying a jersey that is made out of poor material, or even worse, comes as a t-shirt. Unless your significant other loves the mid-2010s NBA trend of wearing sleeved jerseys (those people are in the small minority), then a classic jersey is the way to go.
Sports fans will always fall extra hard for limited edition or throwback jerseys. Get their favorite older player in classic pinstripe uniform, and you’ve hit the jackpot.
- A date at a sports bar
This may not be the most fanciest of spots, but it will hit the highest highs for sports fanatics. Maybe you are willing to sacrifice one year of the nicer, traditional couples dinner to instead chug a couple of drinks, have some wings and enjoy an exciting game. The best approach is to choose a sport you both can enjoy.
- Sports cards
This is a classic. Not every fan collects them the same, but it seems most have an affinity for them at some point in their life. Basic sports cards packs are the easy choice, but packs with guaranteed rookie cards or autographed cards are the way to go. Individual cards online can also be very valuable, but don’t trust every site and prices can quickly skyrocket out of budget.
- Watch a favorite sports movie together
Sometimes movie nights hit the best. Ideally, a new and popular sports movie is playing at the local theater, but a late-night, intimate watch party at home is arguably just as good. Get out some popcorn, get comfortable and enjoy the show. Watching a favorite or a classic is also a big draw and spending time together is an added plus. If you need some inspiration try “A League of Their Own”, “Rudy” or “Remember the Titans”.
- Athlete essentials, sports equipment
If your significant other is an athlete, or simply enjoys playing a certain sport, upgrading their equipment is a great way to go. This can be as simple as a new ball, new shoes or cleats or a baseball bat. If you care about aesthetics though, create a sports essentials pack. Everything from major equipment to socks, gloves, hats, visors, sprays and tapes can make an athlete’s day and come in clutch when they need the little things.
- Design and decor
Any sports memorabilia including the previously mentioned is a nice gift idea, but for a complete gift, specific sports decorations and design materials can make great additions. Fans often love to use shelves to display bobbleheads, frames or shadow boxes for jerseys, sleeves for cards and many other materials. Especially if your significant other has a “man cave” or “she-shed,” this will give them a project to work on for weeks. Bonus points for helping them design the layout.
- Outdoor pack
Sports can also mean outdoor activities, like hiking, biking and skiing. An outdoor pack full of fun equipment and essential survival tools is great for an avid adventurer and outdoor trek is an exciting partner activity. Go to a ski resort together, hike to a beautiful lake or polar plunge if you are feeling extra risky.
- Sports books
Some sports fans love a good history deep-dive or a biography of their favorite athlete, and a book is a perfect way to get the mind running. If you are a bookworm and can get your significant other hooked, a series of fun book swaps may be in order.
- Watch a sporting event together
Imagine the dream scene: it is just the two of you, having a picnic in the outfield, watching a baseball game with the sunset in the background. How romantic does that sound? There’s also a chance you walk with a souvenir home-run ball.
Good luck this Valentine’s Day and hopefully this inspires some new sports fans. Also, if you’re single, find yourself a sports partner, they are the best.
