Part 1 of 2. Tomorrow Jackie lists the best gifts for the soccer parent! 

 

Tis the season! But oh what to get our favorite kid-from-the-pitch or our avid soccer parent?  Here are some of the top ideas to put a smile on faces and a little swag under the Christmas tree!  The options are plentiful but there are definitely some favorites that you don’t want to miss out on gifting…

 

#1 - Cleats! If you haven't noticed, most players (especially the boys) have a bit of a cleat fetish. They covet the Superflys, the adiZeros, PUMA PowerCats, Vapors and CTRs.  And yes, they notice who has what cleats on the pitch; it's important to them to be cutting-edge! The styles, brands, and color scheme reflect a player's personality and flair!  You can’t go wrong gifting cleats! So why not give your kid a cleat upgrade, spend a little extra on something you'll have to buy this spring, and put some boots on Santa's sleigh! The smiles will be plentiful! PS- if your kiddos play futsal during the winter months, hip indoor shoes are the perfect Christmas gift! 

 

#2 – Replica jerseys or team paraphernalia.  Youth soccer players always have their favorite team! Whether it is an MLS team, an EPL team, college team or country team, the "stuff" you can purchase with the team logo and personalization are endless. Replicas are a gift that gives your kid a glimmer of what it would feel like to make it to the pros and wear the team jersey! They will treasure these, even when they out grow them; yours will be a 2011 classic! 

 

#3 - Graphic soccer t-shirt.  I really like what Nike is doing with their graphic tees.  "Don’t sweat my swag", "Rockstar or Athlete", "Stay Fly", "On goal patrol", and an endless plethora of cool sayings! Kids love sporting these. Even companies like Eurosport have nifty shirts with soccer graphics and saying that kids find humorous and enjoy receiving as a gift. 

 

#4 - FIFA 2012 with a subscription to XBOX live, Wii live or PS live.  Well, what are our boys supposed to do in the snowy off-season? We can justify the video-gaming culture by saying it enhances eye-hand coordination. Improves their tactical creativity and allows them to build their social network! It's fun, so give the gift of gaming, soccer-style! 

 

#5 - Socks! These could even fill up some space in the Christmas stocking! Along with the cleat fetish, soccer teens seem to rock-the-socks and the brighter or crazier the better! Or better yet, pick up some of their favorite Nike or adidas soccer socks – if your house is anything like mine, you have a basket of lone socks with no match anywhere to be found. So why not add to the collection! Whether on or off the field, feet are important to the beautiful game and to the players that play it.  They like personalizing the tootsies and socks are an easy gift that they will enjoy.

 

Tomorrow: The best gifts for soccer parents!