Best Gifts for Athletes: Top Picks for Every Soccer Player [2024 Guide]
Searching for the perfect gift for the soccer player in your life? Whether you’re shopping for a teammate, a soccer-loving friend, or even treating yourself, finding something that matches their passion for the sport can be a game-changer.
From performance-enhancing gear to recovery tools and soccer-specific gadgets, we’ve rounded up the ultimate list of gifts. These thoughtful picks are designed to elevate their game, keep them motivated, and show how much you support their passion.
Many of these items have even made it onto my kids’ gift lists, or we’ve bought them as presents for teammates and friends.
Ready to score big with your gift? Here’s your guide to the best gifts for soccer players in 2024!
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Best gifts for athletes who travel
Puffy blanket
Keep your athlete warm and comfortable whether they’re between games, traveling, or relaxing during the off-season. These blankets are an excellent gift for athletes—they’re packable, lightweight, and easy to clip onto or tuck into a backpack for on-the-go convenience.
Travel pillow
Help your athlete stay well-rested and comfortable during plane rides, van trips, or long car rides. This travel pack, complete with a pillow, eye mask, and earplugs, ensures they arrive refreshed and ready to perform.
Compression socks
Compression socks are specially designed to boost blood circulation, minimize swelling, and prevent muscle fatigue in the legs. They’re also great for enhancing running performance and reducing post-activity soreness, making them a thoughtful gift for any athlete.
Wireless bluetooth headphones
Wireless headphones are perfect for enjoying music, podcasts, or audiobooks on the go. With sweat-resistant designs and long battery life, they’re ideal for athletes during cross-training sessions or workouts, offering convenience and high-quality sound.
Packing cubes
Packing cubes are practical organizers that help athletes pack efficiently and keep their gear neatly sorted. Available in various sizes and colors, some even feature compression zippers to save space, making them perfect for travel and tournaments.
Electronics organizer
An organizer pouch is perfect for soccer players on the go. It keeps cables, chargers, earphones, and other gadgets neatly packed during travel. With multiple pockets, elastic loops, and mesh compartments, it ensures everything stays secure and easily accessible while on the road for tournaments or away games.
Eye mask
A soft and comfortable sleep mask blocks out light, helping athletes get better rest whether they’re on planes, trains, or staying in hotels. It’s a simple yet thoughtful gift for boosting recovery on the go.
Best gifts for athletes goals and creativity
Soccer journal – dot journal
Snag this soccer-themed dot journal. It’s got 120 pages of high quality dotted paper. This can be used for taking notes, journaling, doodling and more. Pair it with the coloring pens below for a perfect gift.
Coloring pens
These coloring pens make a fun and creative gift for athletes. They’re perfect for journaling, coloring books, or pen-and-paper games. With a wide range of colors, athletes can unleash their creativity, whether they’re writing down goals, taking notes, or simply relaxing between training sessions.
Shoot your Shot
Inspire your athlete to set goals, overcome challenges, and achieve their dreams with the Shoot Your Shot book. It’s a great tool for motivating them to stay focused and work towards success both on and off the field.
The Young Champion’s Mind
The Young Champion’s Mind book helps athletes develop the mental skills and strategies needed to perform at their best, overcome challenges, and enjoy the journey to success. It’s a great resource for building resilience and a positive mindset.
The athlete journal
This journaling tool with 99 prompts is designed to help athletes of all levels boost their confidence, improve focus, and enhance goal-setting. It’s the perfect gift for anyone looking to grow and succeed in their athletic journey.
Best athlete gifts for supporting nutrition goals
Hydroflask water bottle
Keeping athletes optimally hydrated can be a challenge, but these stainless steel water bottles make it easy. Durable and versatile, they can handle the toughest conditions, whether at practice, games, or traveling. With a variety of lid and straw options, plus a range of colors, these water bottles are a gift every athlete will appreciate.
Soft-sided lunch box
Athletes need to pack healthy snacks and pre-game meals, and a sturdy, soft-sided lunch bag is the perfect solution. With space for an ice pack to keep food fresh and a clippable handle to easily attach it to a gear bag, this lunch bag is a must-have for every athlete.
Stasher silicone bags
Stasher bags are perfect for packing snacks for athletes on the go. Leak-proof, microwave-safe, and dishwasher-safe, these bags are ideal for holding healthy snacks like nuts, dried fruits, granola bars, or cheese sticks to keep athletes energized during practices and games. Made from eco-friendly silicone, they help reduce plastic waste and save money on disposable snack bags.
Magic Bullet Mini Blender
Smoothies and protein shakes are excellent for post-workout recovery, helping athletes replenish fluids, electrolytes, and nutrients. But making them on the go can be tricky. That’s where a mini blender comes in. Compact and portable, it’s the perfect gift for athletes who want to enjoy fresh drinks anytime, anywhere. This handy device blends fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and ice effortlessly, making it easy to stay fueled after training or games.
Run Fast. Eat Slow. cookbook
One of our favorite cookbooks by pro runner Shalane Flanagan that features nourishing recipes for athletes. It has dishes for healthy and delicious smoothies, sandwiches, pasta, cookies and more.
The Everyday Athlete Cookbook
This cookbook is designed for people who enjoy sports, exercise and adventure. It has delicious and nutritious recipes that will help you fuel your workouts, recover faster and feel great.
Best training gear athlete gifts
TRX GO suspension trainer
A great tool for athletes of all ages. The TRX trainer can be used on the go or at home. Check out the TRX page for programs of all kinds from yoga and recovery to circuit and strength.
Soccer field training gear
If you’re looking for a gift for a soccer player who wants to improve their skills, a soccer field gear kit is a great choice. With cones, ladders, and other training accessories, this kit helps players practice drills to enhance speed, agility, coordination, and ball control. It’s a fun and effective way for them to train like a pro and take their game to the next level.
Portable speaker
A portable speaker is a great gift idea for an athlete who likes to listen to music or podcasts while training or relaxing at the field. A good portable speaker provides high-quality sound, wireless connectivity, long battery life and water resistance.
Spikeball game set
Spikeball is a game similar to volleyball, but played with a small ball and a round net. It is a fun and challenging way to exercise agility, coordination and teamwork. It can be played indoors or outdoors, with two or four players.
Foam roller
Foam rollers can help athletes relax and recover their muscles by applying pressure and massage. They can improve blood flow, reduce inflammation, and ease pain and stiffness in your muscles
Massage gun
A massage gun is easy to use and portable, so athletes can take it anywhere they go. Whether they need a deep tissue massage, a gentle massage or something in between, a massage gun can help them feel and perform better.
Best stocking stuffer gifts for athletes
Check out some of our favorite stocking stuffers for athletes include recovery tools and tools to keep them motivated.
Cheribundi pure concentrate
Tart cherry juice is packed full of phytonutrients–anthocyanins, antioxidants and flavonoids. It’s been been shown to help muscles recover by reducing inflammation and increasing antioxidant capacity. (1) These 2.5 oz packets can tuck into a sports gear bag and meet TSA guidelines for carry-ons when traveling to tournaments.
Muscle roller stick
Stash this muscle roller stick in your athlete’s stocking. Athletes can keep this in a gear bag and roll out sore muscles on the sidelines before or after practices.
Cooling towels
Cooling towels come in handy during those hot summer tournaments, two-a-day practices as athletes are getting back into season and during intense work outs.
Beanie with headphones
A beanie with built in bluetooth makes a great gift for your athlete on the go. This beanie is machine washable with removable headphones. With 10 hours of playing time your athlete will enjoy cold weather work outs, runs and trainings to their favorite tunes.
TRX training resistance bands
For athletes looking to activate muscles or add a little resistance. These bands come with multiple tensions to meet every athlete’s training needs.
Massage balls
Athletes can use these massage balls to massage sore and tight muscles. They can help relieve pain, improve blood circulation and enhance recovery.
Running gloves
These gloves can keep hands warm and comfortable while running or playing in cold weather. They also have touch-screen compatible fingertips, so athletes can use their phone without taking them off.
Nuun electrolytes
Electrolyte packets contain essential electrolytes to replenish electrolytes lostthrough sweat. Nuun electrolyte tabs are perfect for athletes, travelers, or anyone who wants to stay hydrated.
Wrap up
With so many great options available, you’re sure to find the perfect gift for the soccer player in your life. These thoughtful gifts will not only enhance their performance but also support their recovery and overall well-being, helping them stay at the top of their game.
Your soccer player will appreciate these gifts throughout the year as they work toward their goals and continue to excel on and off the field.
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Stephanie Magill, MS, RD, CD, FAND has over 22 years of experience in public health and nutrition. As a performance registered dietitian nutritionist, Stephanie specializes in sports nutrition and provides simple and actionable information so that athletes can be well fueled for high performance on and off the field. Stephanie has a Master’s Degree in Nutrition and is a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.