Gifts for Soccer Players: 10 Ideas They Will Actually Use
Every December my inbox fills with the same question from parents, partners, and grandparents: what do you buy for a soccer player? I run Kickit, I play twice a week myself, and I spend half my year at fields watching what players actually pick up and use. So here is the honest list. Ten ideas that get touched, kicked, and worn out. Not the kind that sit in a closet until March.
The one rule for gifts for soccer players
Buy the thing that adds touches. A ball they touch a thousand more times a week beats a trophy they put on a shelf. The best soccer gift is the one that makes them play more: at the bus stop, in the backyard, in the bedroom, after the sun goes down. Keep that rule and you cannot go wrong.
1. A juggling trainer that lives in their pocket
The Kickit is a feathered birdie trainer built for one thing: touch after touch after touch. It fits in a jacket pocket, it does not roll away, and fifty juggles before school become a habit because the thing is always there. At $19.99 it is the gift I recommend first for any player who is still building their touch.
2. A soccer tennis set for the backyard
This is the big one, the gift that turns the backyard into the neighborhood field. The Kickit Soccer Tennis set comes with the net and the ball for $79.99, and it sets up in minutes on grass, turf, or sand. The way to start: stand ten steps back from the net, drop the ball, and kick it as it bounces up. Skill, not power. Unlimited bounces at first, then tighten to three, then one. The only rule is don't let it roll.
3. A passing trainer that won't bang up the walls
Parents know this fear: a soccer ball indoors means a broken lamp. The RipKick is a passing-first trainer for at-home practice, built so kids can get maximum touches in a bedroom without wall-banging, noise, or broken things. $19.99, and it answers the exact complaint every parent of a soccer kid has in winter.
4. A juggling trainer that clips to the hip
Down time is the enemy of a young player's touch. The ZipKick is juggling practice that clips to the hip, so a kid waiting at the bus stop juggles instead of scrolling, and when the bus comes they press the button and it zips back to their side. $19.99. The pitch to a preteen is simple: fill down time with training time.
5. An LED ball for dark December evenings
The sun sets at 5pm and practice keeps going. The Inferno LED soccer ball is brighter than a standard ball for real night play, at $39.99. It is the rare gift that extends the season by two hours a day.
6. A group game for the whole crew
Some players do not want another solo trainer. They want the game everyone piles into. Knockout is hacky sack meets dodgeball: three or more players in a circle, juggle as a group to three, then anyone can catch the birdie and peg another player. Catch a thrown birdie and the thrower loses a life. Everyone starts with three lives, last one standing wins. At $17.99, marked down from $19.99, it is the best dollar-per-laugh ratio on this list.
7. The upgrade birdie for the player who outgrew the first one
If they already own a Kickit and their juggle count is embarrassing the rest of the family, step them up to the Kickit Maestro at $19.99. Same birdie idea, harder to control, built for the player whose touch has outgrown the beginner version.
8. Gift wrap that keeps the secret
The unglamorous hero of the list. Kickit offers gift wrap at checkout for $3, which matters more than it sounds: nothing ruins Christmas morning like a recognizable box in the recycling bin on December 20.
9. The whole box, for the obsessed
For the player (or family) who wants everything: the Kickit Ultimate Bundle at $199.99 covers the full lineup in one box. It is the closest thing we sell to handing someone the entire sport in a package.
10. Tickets to a real match
The only non-Kickit idea on the list, and I mean it. A kid who watches pros play in person comes home and kicks the ball around for a week straight. Experiences do not gather dust. Pair the tickets with idea number one and you have covered both.
Order by December 18 for Christmas delivery
Kickit's Christmas order cutoff is December 18, so anything on this list ordered by then arrives before Christmas. If you want the full breakdown with product photos, our 2026 holiday gift guide has every pick in one place.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good gift for a soccer player who has everything?
Go one level up. If they own the standard Kickit, the Maestro is the harder version built for exactly that player. If they own every product, give the experience: match tickets, or a note about your favorite thing you have watched them do on the field this year.
What do you buy a kid who just started soccer?
Start with touch, not gear. A $19.99 Kickit birdie or the $17.99 Knockout game both get a beginner touching the ball hundreds of times a week, which is what actually makes a new player fall in love with the game.
How much should you spend on a soccer gift?
One good thing beats five cheap things. Most players get the most joy out of something in the $20 range that they use daily, which is why trainers and birdies dominate this list.
Are LED soccer balls good gifts?
Yes, especially for a winter birthday or Christmas. The Inferno LED soccer ball at $39.99 is built for real night play, and in December the dark arrives before dinner. It buys back two hours of playing time a day.
