Gifts For The Sports Lover

Sports fans come in all shapes and sizes, and have varying degrees of involvement in their sport. We've divided them into three categories, which can be helpful when deciding what gifts to buy. And while you might not consider a sporting accessory to be a romantic gift, your passionate sports lover may see it as one of their best gifts ever.

windsurfing at surfers paradise

Here are the three types of sports fans:

1. The Armchair Athlete

This person loves watching sport from the comfort of their own living room or a stool at the local sports bar.

What this sports fan might appreciate:

A new large screen television to see the games in all their glory
A new recording device to capture the events when he or she can't watch them live
A portable listening device to hear games while driving
Tickets to a live game
Memorabilia or sports collectibles
A book on his or her favorite sporting hero
A quality magazine on the sport

2. The Weekend Warrior

This person actually plays a sport on an amateur basis. He or she may get together with fellow players on the weekend for a ball game, or belong to some neighborhood league. Or he or she may enjoy non-competitive sports like skiing, surfing, scuba diving or fishing.

What this fan might appreciate:

New equipment to replace items that are worn (footballs, basketballs, baseballs, tennis balls, cricket balls, bats, tennis rackets, golf clubs, skis, surfboards, surf skis, fishing rods, scuba gear)
New sports clothing and accessories
New sports shoes
Accessories (tackle boxes, beach towels, drinks coolers)
Training equipment (barbells, hand weights, exercise machines)
Instructional DVDs or lessons to improve their game
Plus all the items mentioned in the previous list.

3. The Sports Professional

This person actually plays the sport on a professional basis.

For this fan, perhaps the best gifts involve taking a break from the pressures of the sport.

Indulgent romantic evenings at home
Mini romantic getaways to a low-key vacation spot
Spa vacations
Gifts related to their other interests

Perhaps your armchair athlete enjoyed a sport in high school but let it slide to the wayside as adult responsibilities took over. You might like find a way of reintroducing the activity into your partner's life, even if it's in a small way. You could check out programs at your local gym or community center, find out what lessons are available locally, or research vacation destinations that offer some of the these activities. Naturally, you need to make sure your partner's health is up to the task before you instigate any increased physical exertion.

Here is a short list of some of the most popular sports:

Baseball	Basketball	Cricket	Football
Biking	Dirt Bikes	Mountain Bikes	MotorCycles
Boating	Canoeing	Kayaking	Fishing
Boxing	Wrestling	Weight Lifting	Martial Arts
Car Racing	Hot Rods	Motorcross	Demolition
Flying	Gliding	Hang Gliding	Parachuting
Golf	Hockey	Ice Hockey	Ice Skating
Hiking	Walking	Jogging	Running
Horse Racing	Harness Racing	Polo	Water Polo
Hunting	Shooting	Paintball	Rodeo Riding
Snow Skiing	Cross Country	Snowboarding	Snowmobiles
Surfing	Windsurfing	Water Skiing	Jetskiing
Tennis	Volleyball	Kiteboarding	Rockclimbing