Holiday Gift Guide for Backyard Athletes and Sports Fans
The sports equipment gifts that get used long after the holidays are the ones that suit both the person receiving them and the space where they will be used. Whether it is a basketball hoop for the driveway, a soccer goal for a young soccer star, or a quality chair for the bleachers, the best gifts match something the recipient already loves to do. When a gift fits the person and has a natural place at home or at the game, it becomes part of a household's routine.
This guide is organized around the people you might be shopping for, from a basketball player who needs a first hoop to a fan who spends every weekend in the bleachers. Each section describes the equipment and why it makes a good gift for that person. Every product comes from First Team, which has manufactured sports equipment in Hutchinson, Kansas since 1996.
Gifts for the Basketball Player Who Needs a Hoop
A basketball hoop is a gift for the whole household, because it turns the driveway into a place where kids, parents, and friends can play whenever they have a few minutes. It is also one of the larger gifts in this guide, and the three goals below show the range First Team offers for home use, from a portable goal to a heavy-duty in-ground system. Because the right goal depends on the space and the players, First Team's guide to choosing the right basketball hoop for your home is the best place to start if you are still deciding.
OmniSlam Portable Basketball Goal
The OmniSlam Portable Basketball Goal puts a quality hoop on the driveway without any permanent installation. Instead of a concrete footing, it rests on a large poly base that holds up to 500 pounds of sand, and a cam lever handle on the front lets one person move it across a hard, smooth surface. Its 4" square post is a single piece of 11-gauge steel, so it will not wobble and separate the way sectional posts can. First Team makes the OmniSlam in Hutchinson, Kansas, and backs it with a Lifetime Limited Warranty. For a family that rents or shares a driveway, it offers solid construction in a goal that can still be moved.
Champ In-Ground Adjustable Basketball Goal
The Champ In-Ground Adjustable Basketball Goal is the entry point to First Team's in-ground adjustable goals, which are set in concrete for a permanent driveway court. Its 4" square, one-piece steel post is set 36 inches below the playing surface in a standard installation, and the rim height adjusts in six-inch increments with First Team's Insta-Just system, which is released with a broom handle. The Champ is covered by First Team's Lifetime Superior Warranty. For a family ready to give the driveway a permanent goal, it is a straightforward place to start.
Titan In-Ground Adjustable Basketball Goal
The Titan In-Ground Adjustable Basketball Goal is First Team's heavy-duty driveway goal, built for aggressive play including dunking and hanging on the rim. Its 6" square post has a 3/16" wall, and a rear EZ Crank with double spring assist lowers the rim anywhere from 10 feet down to 5'6", so younger players can use the same goal as older ones. The post bolts to a baseplate set in concrete, which allows perfect pole leveling and easy pole removal if you move, and the goal is covered by First Team's Lifetime Superior Warranty. First Team's premium in-ground basketball goal guide explains what sets goals like it apart from mass-market alternatives.
Gifts for the Player Who Already Has a Hoop
For a player who already owns a basketball goal, the most useful gifts are the ones that make the court around it more usable. Lighting extends play into the evening, a containment net keeps balls from rolling away, and painted lines show a player exactly where to shoot from. The three accessories below each address one of those needs, and First Team's guide to basketball hoop accessories covers additional options.
Court Vision Solar Powered Court Light
The Court Vision Solar Powered Court Light keeps a court playable after sunset, which matters most during the shorter days of fall and winter. It stands on its own 4" square aluminum post rather than mounting to the basketball goal, and because it runs on solar power, it needs no wiring to the house. Its LED lamp sits about 16 feet above the court and produces 14,800 lumens, and a full charge keeps it lit for 16 hours. For a player whose practice time starts after school or work, the light turns the evening into usable court time.
Because the Court Vision is anchored in place, it helps to decide where it will stand before buying it. The post installs with anchor bolts, and the light carries a 5-year limited warranty. First Team recommends one to three lights for a half court and six for a full court, so choosing the location first also makes it easier to decide how many lights to buy.
Super Airball Grabber
The Super Airball Grabber is a ball containment net that keeps missed shots from rolling into the street, the landscaping, or a neighbor's yard. At 16 feet high and 19 feet wide, it is large enough to catch most errant shots. It is especially useful on a driveway that slopes toward the street, where a missed shot can roll a long way before anyone catches it.
The net is made for in-ground goals and fits any in-ground system with a square post, which includes First Team's Champ and Titan. Two people can install it in about 30 minutes. For a family that already has an in-ground goal, that makes it a straightforward addition, and it carries a Lifetime Limited Warranty.
FT20 Basketball Court Stencil Kit
The FT20 Basketball Court Stencil Kit gives a driveway the markings of a regulation court. It includes stencils for the lane, the free throw line and circle, and the 3-point line, and it can be used on any cement or blacktop surface. Once the lines are painted, a player can shoot free throws from a real free throw line and practice 3-point shots from a marked arc instead of estimating the distance each time. That makes the kit a useful gift for a player who practices regularly and wants home practice to feel more like a real court.
Gifts for the Young Soccer Player: The FreeKick Backyard Soccer Goal
The FreeKick Backyard Portable Soccer Goal is sized for young players, measuring 4 feet tall by 6 feet wide, and First Team designed it for families with children ages 7 and up. Its aluminum uprights and crossbar are powder coated white for an official look, and it uses a competition-grade net that attaches with releasable clips. Together, those details give a young player a goal with the look of the ones used in organized play, scaled down to fit at home.
Practical details make the FreeKick easy to manage in a backyard. At 40 pounds, it can be moved around the yard, and its galvanized backstays lock into place for play and fold flat for storage when the season ends. First Team makes its soccer goals in Kansas and covers the FreeKick with a Lifetime Limited Warranty.
Gifts for the Backyard Football Fan: The Gridiron Goalpost
The Gridiron Backyard Football Goalpost is a goalpost scaled for a backyard, which makes it a fit for a football fan who wants a place to practice kicking at home. Its crossbar sits 6'6" above the ground and is 65 inches wide, with uprights that rise 7'4" above the crossbar. By comparison, the official crossbar width is 23'4" in high school football and 18'6" in the NCAA and NFL, so the Gridiron is a scaled-down version of a field goalpost.
Setting up and storing the Gridiron is simple. It is made of aluminum, which keeps it light enough for one person to set up, and it installs with a 10-inch post bury. An adjustable elbow connection lets the whole unit fold down for storage, which is practical for a yard that is used for other things when football season ends.
Several options let the goalpost be tailored to the person receiving it. It is available in three packages, ranging from a Basic set with the goalpost and streamers to a Complete set that adds a post pad, ground socket, and spacer. It comes in multiple colors, and custom lettering is available on the post pad, free when a pad is purchased. Whichever package you choose, the Gridiron is covered by a Lifetime Limited Warranty.
Gifts for the Whole Family: The Apollo Backyard Volleyball Set
The Apollo Backyard Volleyball Set is a gift for a whole household. Its 2" telescoping posts adjust with a push button to men's, women's, and junior net heights, so the same set can host a family game one day and a game among adults the next. That range is what makes it a good fit for families with players of different ages.
Unlike volleyball systems with poles set in the ground, the Apollo sets up without any permanent installation. First Team designed it to hold strong net tension without embedding poles or sleeves, using guy lines, which are angled support ropes, along with tensioners and 18-inch stakes to keep the posts upright. Because nothing is set in the ground, the whole set packs into a carry-all storage bag between games, and it is covered by a 10-year limited warranty.
Gifts for the Fan in the Bleachers: The SportZone Stadium Chair
The SportZone Luxury Stadium Chair is designed for the person who spends weekends on bleachers, whether that is a parent at every game or a season ticket holder. Bleacher planks are hard to sit on for a full game, so the SportZone adds a 2" padded seat cushion on a lightweight aluminum frame that is easy to carry in and out of the stands. A built-in safety hook engages the bleacher plank to keep the chair from tipping. Together, the cushion and the hook make a full game on the bleachers more comfortable and more secure.
Color and printing options make the SportZone easy to personalize. It comes in 13 colors and carries a Lifetime Limited Warranty, and an optional full-color print on the back of the backrest can add a school or team logo. That printed backrest is what turns a practical stadium chair into a personal gift.
Gifts for the Game Room, Man Cave, or Kid's Room: Superstar Attitude Printed Chairs
Superstar Attitude Digitally Printed Folding Chairs are designed for rooms at home, and First Team describes them as a good fit for a man cave or a kid's room. Each chair is printed with one of seven sport designs, including basketball. It can also be personalized with an optional name, logo, or ball decal on the backrest frame. Because there is no minimum order, you can buy a single chair with one person's name on it rather than ordering a full set.
Behind the printed design, each chair is built for everyday use. Each one has a 3" foam seat cushion and a heavy-duty steel frame rated to 400 pounds, and it folds for storage when the room is needed for something else.
How Do You Buy First Team Equipment?
First Team equipment is sold through a network of authorized dealers. The dealer locator shows the nearest authorized dealer for any zip code, and some products can also be ordered online through an authorized seller. If you are not sure which goal fits a particular space or group of players, First Team can be reached at 1-800-649-3688 for help.